Evening star., 1943-08-15

Same Old Middle

The Office of Price Adninistra-
tons whole handling Of the pleasure
driving ban has been unfortunate
not because of the deprivation of the
motorists small privileges in use of his
automobile-a small enough Sacri-
fice-but because it has emphasized
again OPA'S ineptness in dealing with
the public. This same ineptneSS has
been at the root of many of its
troubles.
The ban on pleasure driving was
invoked originally as a necessary war
measure, first to save fuel in the East
and then to save rubber in other
areas where fuel was available. Then
# was lifted by Price Administrator
Prentiss Brown in favor of an honor
system" of compliance Then it was
invoked again, with strict enforce
ment which was beginning to show
results when it was modified by the
discriminatory ruling in favor of the
lucky individuals who had both gaso-
line and a vacation destination.
Then enforcement became half
hearted and spotty, for the injustice
OF this discrimination was obvious to
everybody. Last week enforcement
practically stopped in the East, in
view Of the anticipated lifting of the
Eastern pleasure-driving ban coinci-
dent with the petroleum adminis-
tration's equalization of fuel supplies.
But Acting Price Administrator
Chester Bowles was unable to lift
the pleasure driving ban in the East
when the petroleum administration
made its equalization policy effective.
He limited that it may be lifted by
September if the people will help
conserve fuel by not driving for
pleasure. Until the ban is lifted"
he said "OPA Offices will continue
to enforce the regulations" At the
same time, Secretary Ickes, as
petroleum administrator, said: Now
that we have sufficient transporta-
ton to bring this equalization be-
tween East and West) about there
could be no justification for allowing
the East Coast to continue to bear
as it has until nova dispropor-
tionate share of the wartime burden"
But the East will continue to bear 1t,
MIR. Bowles implies, if people do not
comply with the pleasure driving
ban between now and September i.
All of this tends to leave the people
with an impression of continued,
muddled confusion. It is true that
OPA cannot ration gas until it has
the gas to ration; it is also true that
the petroleum administration is con-
cerned purely with the supply of
gasoline, not the rationing. But 1t
is highly unfortunate that the two
agencies do not seem to be able to
get together in any joint explana-
ton Ct how the two phases of the
problem are to be related and that
both must go their separate ways
Independently in dealing with the
public
E@lC4l N1i 4thSA u6CllGU Oh Ills
equalization action some time ago,
which he describes now as the
logical and inevitable result of a
long-range, carefully planned and
diligently prosecuted program for
efecting an equitable distribution Of
gasoline supplies throughout the
Nation" OPA evidently assumed that
there would be enough gas available
to lift the pleasure driving ban; the
people, at least, were led to believe
that this would be the case and that
rationS would be increased.
Whether this is to be the case.
however, seems now to depend on
public compliance with a pleasure
driving ban thoroughly discredited
by its unequal enforcement. And this
uGequal enforcement, blowing hot
one week and cold the next. Weakens
respect for all other wartime regula-
.fionS