Evening star., 1943-06-10

enjoy pleasure driving while those
in the East have to suffer"
Representative Price. Democrat.
of Florida, said there is plenty of
gasoline in his State, and the sur
plus is being hauled away to Ala
bama and other nearby sections,
and he could not understand why an
A coupon there is worth only ll2
gallons.
Representative Miller Republican,
of Connecticut mentioned the case of
one driver in his district who used
three -fourths gallon of gas inch
ing up to pump at a gasoline
station because of the line of cars
ahead
There's no economy in that" he
remarked
Secretary Ickes agreed.
Brewster Criticizes Policy.
At that point Senator Brewster
Republican, of Maine cut in to criti-
cize the policy of the PAW for not
extending the pleasure driving ban
to the Middle Western States so the
gas conserved under such a plan
could be put in storage and used as
reserve to feed the East Coast
States.
Mr.. Ickes explained that PAW is
doing everything possible to even
the distribution of gasoline through
out the country. but pointed out that
stricter rationing in the Midwest
would not result in increased sup
plies for the II East Coast States.
Il believe in the equality of sup
plies he said.
Secretary Ickas also said if the
powers that be- had approved his
original suggestion for two 24-inch
pipe lines from the Oklahoma and
Texas oil fields to the East the East
would not now be faced with a seri-
Gus gas shortage.
He told the committee that be-
cause of the fuel oil and gasoline
shortage, he still is shaving with
cold water at his home, near Olney
Md. and that the Nation had gone
along like a lot of 'cheerfully ig-
norant children" on the assumption
that the country's supply of pc
troleum was inexhaustible The
| truth, he said. is that we are al
most at a balance between export
ing and importing. making it doubly
important that every barrel of oil
be conserved
Not Designed to Save Rubber
Representative Hartley, Repub-
lican of New Jersey, chairman OF
the informal joint committee. de-
clared the impression given the pub
lie that gasoline rationing was de-
signed to save rubber was Just a lot
Of poppycock.'
Senator Barbour Republican. of
New jersey suggested that the en-
tire fuel oil supply-both tranSpor-
tation and distribution-be placed
under the PAW. tOPA now has
charge of distribution
Let's consolidate the power in one
field" he said, "and Mr. Ickes is
my candidate for the job
He also urged Chat sectional diff
ferences in gasoline rationing be
eliminated.
Committee members called on
R. C. Harrison of the OPA to ex-
plain the origin of the order for
bidding pleasure driving in the East,
especially the provision which for
bids man who owns a cottage by
the sea to driving there for a vaca-
ton, although he is allowed the use
of gas to reach the place and return
If he closes it for the season.
Mr. Harrison said the order pro-
hibiting such expeditions was based
on the theory that they constituted
pleasure driving.
Several House members from the
Middle Western States appeared
but Chairman Hartley said an agree
ment had been reached to restrict
the questioning of witnesses to the
East Coast bloc. The chief COM
plant against this rule came from
Representative Bender, Republican
of Ohio.