The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-03-18
PLEASURE Ban
BEING LIFTED
Basic Gas RatiOns Cut In
Half Starting Monday Of
Next Week
ny ARTHUR r. DE0REvE
United Press stan Correspondent


United Press star Correspondent
washington, March 10 - (U.P)-
Eastern motorists will be rid Of the
pleasure driving ban next Monday
but their basic gasoline rations have
been cut In half 70 limit non-occu.
pational motoring 10 90 miles 9
month,
The present "a" ration In eastern,
states Is % gallons for a two-montll
period, based on the use Of eight
coupons valued at three gallons
each, Under the new system, the
same eight coupons will be used
The coupon value remains the same,
but, "a" card holders will have Ia
stretch their allotment over -four
months instead Of two.
After next Monday. when Al
coupons become valid, "a" card
holders can use the reduced amount
OF gasoline available TO them for
family or personal necessity driving
such rs essential shopping, meeting
family emergencies, trips to the
doctor, etc, Car owners who have
been using "A" books for going To
work or In connection with work
now will become eligible for supple.
mental rationS, Details OF that pro-
cedure will be announced within q
few days.
Lifting OF the pleasure driving
ban, which was begun on January
z, was announced by the once Of
Price Administration. II followed q
declaration by Petroleum Admins.
traitor Harold l.. Ickes that only
S3S, ZOO barrels OF gasoline daily
could DO made available for east
coast civilian and industrial use
during April.
Ickes and Price Administrator
PrentiSs M, Brown said II would
have been pleasant TO announce that
moro gasoline would be available,
After explaining that this could not
be done In the face OF steadily In
creasing needs OF the armed serv-
Ices, farmers and industrial users,
they said:
IF there must be o shortage OF
gasoline, 1t should be at home, not
on the fighting fronts"
The saving Of $4,000 barrels OF
gasoline daily under the pleasure
driving ban Is preserved by the new
cut IN basic rationS, 1t was an
nounced, Mileage remaining under
the reduced value Of the "A" card
will not be controlled.
An OPA offlclal said that extreme
care will be taken to make certain
that motorists using their "a" ra.
'tions for strictly essential usage
will be properly cared for.
Decision TO cut the basic ration
was q triumph for Ickes who stead.
tasty refused TO allocate more gas
oline for motoring In the eastern
area, It was reported reliably that
officials In the once Of Civilian
Supply Of the War Production
Board sought to avert the ration
cut without success.
Brown, 1t was understood, was In
agreement from the first with the
plan to cut the gas ration. He was
sympathetic with Ickes' determine
ton TO make the No. ! objective in
the petroleum program the building
up Of adequate stockpile to meet de-
mands in the winter Of 1884.
I'VE feel that there Is no room
for choice between unlimited mo-
toring now and warm homes next
winter" Ickes and Brown said.
with the present heating season
about over, we hope by holding
consumption now to minimum es.
Sential needs that we may be able to
stop drawing upon our meager
stocks and may start In April toward
building back our heating oil sup
plies in preparation for next win
ter"
Breakdown Feared
Boston. March l8.-(UP)--Man-
ager Ellsworth S. Harding Of the
Boston Automobile club feared to-
day that the new reduction Of gaso-
line for the east would cause a
complete breakdown" of mass
transportation.
Motorists in the eastern states
are ready and willing to make any
sacrifice necessary for the war eff
fort" Harding said. However. they
do not feel they should be consid-
cred apart from the rest OF the
country as saving a priority on VIM
ming the war;"
Harding said that under limited
mileage now available. A-book hold
ers need larged allotments for Just
the essential purposes.
Further reductions" he said,
"can be followed only by two al
ternativeS issuance Of a large
number Of "B" books or a complete
breakdown of mass transportation
facilities. Sound reasoning and
ample justification will have to be
advanced to assure public accept
ance of such drastic reduction in
coupon value as is proposed"