Evening star., 1943-08-29
0PA Plans 10 Reduce
Gasoline AIIotments
Ito B. and t. Autoists
BY NORMAN KAHL.

10y NonWhIN hAHL.
A Nationwide program to tighten
up the issuance of gasoline allot-
ments by local rationing boards to
holders of B and G books has been
mapped by the Office of Price Ad-
ministration, it was learned last
night.
OPA representatives will be sent
to virtually every local board in the
country to advise and consult
with board members on issuing sup
Elemental rations. Their principal
job, 1t was understood, will be to
reduce drastically the total amount
of gasoline that is being allocated
to motorists.
Excessive liberality on the part
OF many boards, an OPA official ad-
mitted yesterday, is primarily re-
sponsible for the fact that alloca-
tions Of supplies In the East and
Middle West are being overdrawn.
Black market activities, this official
said, present a serious threat to the
success of the rationing program,
but actually represent mere drop
In the bucket" in the overall supply
picture.
May Lift Pleasure Ban.
Disclosure of the drive against
over-issuance of rations was re-
garded as further indication that
OPA officials have definitely de-
cided to remove pleasure-driving
restrictions either Wednesday, as
previously planned, or shortly after
Labor Day. 1t was recalled that a
similar campaign against over
issuance, less intense than the one
planned for next month, was in
stituted by OPA directly after the
pleasure driving ban ended last
spring.
Pleasure driving restrictions"
another OPA spokesman said,
aren't the best way of saving gaso-
line. We can conserve more effec-
lively by making certain that driv-
ers aren't getting more gasoline
than they really need for essential
purposes"
1t was made clear that the OPA
does not intend to interfere with
the operations Of the local board,
but instead wants to give them help
in carrying out the tightening-up
process.
Answer to Challenge.
The new campaign is expected to
be OPA's answer to repeated de-
mands by the Petroleum Admins
tration that consumption in excess
of ALLEGATIONS be ended OPA Of
f1cials hope that by reducing over
issuance of gasoline rations they
can more than make up the addi-
tional drain on the supply that
would result from the end of the
pleasure driving ban.
The granting of too many cou-
pons by local boards ties in di-
rectly with the black market, it
was pointed out. Drivers who are
given excessive rations are inclined
to pass them On to friends in, vio-
lation Of the regulations. Occa-
sionally, the coupons may be sold,
either to other drivers or to filling
stations.
OPA enforcement officials, mean
while, are intensifying their efforts
to keep black markets from wreck
ing the rationing program. They
say their activities against black
marketeers are greater now than
ever before, but that this does not
necessarily imply the offenses are
greater. 7'~ ''
More Prosecuf;onS Nou
Were more. experienced. now in
combating this evil than wej were
in the early days" one spokesman
said. "As a result there are more
prosecutions but not necessarily
more black markets"
The major share of the black
market coupons Is that which has
been stolen from the boards.
The illicit coupons are sold either
to the drivers themselves or to fill
ing stations. If the individual mo-
torist purchases the coupons he
may pay anywhere from 10 to Is
cents for each coupon. A gasoline
dealer who buys the books in guam
tity may charge his customers from
5 to 10 cents gallon more for the
gasoline he sells them without TAX
ing coupons.
One OF the most alarming features
OF the racket, said an OPA official,
Is the extent to which youngsters
OF from Is to II years are be-
coming involved