Evening star., 1943-05-28

agency had no idea how many cou-
pons were in circulation.
What effect the pleasure driving
ban will have on total gasoline sales
in the District will not be ascertained
for some time, but during last Feb
ruary, when the first restrictions on
pleasure driving were in effect, the
reduction amounted to less than 40
per cent. This was about the same
per cent of reduction as was re-
corded between September, 194l, and
September, 1912. when supplies were
in better shape and A motorists
were still getting about four gallons
a week.
80 Drivers Cited.
The Districts gasoline situation
remained unchanged today with
PAW officials announcing the ar
rival of additional supplies and
motorists still trying to find it.
Ninety-tWo suspected violators of
the pleasure-driving ban were re-
ported, bringing to $50 the total
number reported since the ban went
into effect. Eighty-nine cars were
found in the vicinity of Griffith
Stadium last night by District OPA
inspectors, while Metropolitan police
turned in three drivers.
Elimination of all unnecessary
traffic lights during non-rush- hour
periods was urged today by William
B. Bennett, vice president and sec
retary of the Capital Transit Co.
Mr. Benefits letter. addressed to
Traffic Director William A. Van
Duzer. stated:
In view of the stringent restric-
tions and curtailment of gasoline
for automobile and bus traffic and
the consequent reduction in traffic
on the street, which We understand
will probably be effective until at
least the latter part of July, we
are asking whether you will give
consideration to the cutting off of
all traffic lights during that period
which can be accomplished without
increasing the accident hazard to
veh1cular or pedestrian movements
Would Eliminate Many Stops.
while we have, of course, no
checks at this time at various loca-
tions to indicate what these reduced
volumes are, the elimination of traf-
fic lights should not only conserve
the restricted allotments of gasoline
to buses but also reduce gasoline
consumption on other vehicles by
virtue of eliminating stops and
starts occasioned by traffic light
operations
Public transportation here was un-
affected by yesterdays Office of De-
fense Transportation order to reduce
mileage by 20 per cent Immediately
Bus schedules in the Metropolitan
Area were adjusted earlier in the
week in anticipation of the order
and operations of major taxicab
companies were curtailed automati-
cally by the gasoline shortage.
In another development, the
American Automobile Association
proposed the establishment of a ma
tional committee, headed by Bernard
NJ Baruch, ito straighten out the
muddled petroleum situation in the
same way that a blueprint was
drafted for rubber
Would Have Two Functions.
Thomas P. Henry, AAA president,
said such committee would have
two functions: First, to give the
public the facts to re-establish public
confidence, and, second, to put the
national petroleum policy on a def
mite track that will assure ample
supplies for all military require
ments and essential civilian needs.
Issuance of yesterdays order, an
ODT spokesman said, was necessary
to protect the public against the
collapse of transportation service in
July. We cannot permit service-as-
usual today at the risk of no service
later"
ODT, the spokesman said, found
that some bus and taxicab operators
failed to begin stretching their ra-
tions voluntarily to meet the over
all 40 per cent reduction in mileage