Evening star., 1943-05-27

tarily to meet the 40 per cent re-
duction made today's action neces-
sary, the Office of Defense Trans
! portation said
The original order extended from
June 30 to July Is the valid period
| for all current T gasoline rations
IN the eastern shortage area, but did
not specify how the operators were
to achieve it.
BY maintaining schedules as
usual, OPA said. some operators
would have exhausted their allot-
ments and left their communities
without essential transportation
service in July.
we cannot permit service as
usual today at the risk of no service
later ODT said.
The time to save gasoline is now
as well as at the end of the gaso-
line ration period"
The immediate 20 per cent reduc-
ton in bus and taxicab service,
ODT cautioned, must not be inter-
preted as any relaxation of the
| need for an overall mileage reduc-
| ton.
10000 Buses Affected.
| 1t added that if the current allot-
ment of motor fuel is to last the bus
and taxicab operators through July
25, additional curtailments must be
made either by the operators them
selves or by further ODT orders.
Todays order affects about 10000
buses and $4,000 taxicabs.
Petroleum Administration for War
officials announced that 36 tank cars
were loaded at Greensboro N. c.,
yesterday for shipment to Rich
mond, Va, and thence to the Balti-
more Washington area Thirty six
more were being loaded today and
PAW hopes to boost loadings to Is
tank cars daily as equipment be-
comes available. The first cars out
of Greensboro were earmarked for
this area, the most seriously affected
along the Eastern seaboard.
Military police were assigned to
patrol designated stations in areas
near war plants in Baltimore in an
effort to keep the plants operating
at full capacity during the shortage
The action was taken by PAW at
the request of military authorities.
who predicted a shutdown or cur
tailment of production unless sutfi-
cient gas was available for workers
to reach their jobs.
District police reported six more
suspected violators of the pleas
ure-driVing ban had been tagged
during the 24hour period end
ing at o'clock this morning.
District OPA reported eight addi-
tional suspected violators with most
of its inspectors still to be heard
from.
Capital Transit Co. inspectors
noted an increase in automobile
traffic, which they ascribed to mo-
torlsts running around looking for
gas. but there was no appreciable
increase in traffic on street car and
bus lines.
Traffic Director William A. Van
Duzer said he noticed an increasing
decline in traffic during the dav. but
said he thought rush hour traffic
was about the same
District car owners scheduled to
have their machines inspected and
who flnd themselves unable to COM
ply within the time allowed be-
cause of lack of gasoline will be
granted an extension on applying
in writing to the Traffic Directors
Office. Mr.. Van Duzer said.
Traffic tie-ups were reported
around the few service stations
having gas to sell. One. at Con-
necticut and Nebra ska avenues NV.
was reported to have held up 10
Capital Transit buses 10 minutes
today.
Some stations were reported dis
penslng gas in small amounts out of
water cans to regular customers
while telling others their supply was
exhausted. No irregularities were
noted in the transfer of tickets or
cash. the watercan camouflage was
simply means of reserving gas for
regular patrons who were served in
the back
Major gasoline distributors said
supplies were awful scarce" with
not enough gasoline to go around
but that they were hopeful OF OBJ
tanning more tomorrow. Most
thought no real relief could be eX-
pected before Saturday morning at
earliest, and probably not until the
first of next week.
Ralph K. Davies. acting petroleum
administrator. warned that only ex-
tremely good results from the ban on
pleasure driving, restrictions on COM
mercial traffic and resumption OF
normal conditions in the food bound
Midwest will improve the situation.
He predicted no letup in the Eastern
famine for weeks"
Eastman Urges Travel Curb.
Transportation Director Joseph B.
Eastman urged the public to stay off
trains and lntercity buses over the
Memorial Day week end to alleviate
crowded travelling conditions. as well
as help save gasoline.
Augmented rail service between
the District and Prince Georges
County was assured the county's
Chamber OF Commerce by the Mary
land Public Service Commission to
compensate for curtailment of bus
service Capital Transit reduced bus
service in the county by 20 per cent
to comply with the Office of Defense
! Transportation's order to cut down
mileage.
+ A sharp decline in traffic on Vir-
glnla highways since the pleasure
driving ban became effective was
noted by the State Highway Depart
ment. Almost 500 violators of the
ban had been tagged in Richmond
and State police reported approx
mately a score more in various
counties.
Meanwhile, the War Labor Board
called on milk drivers and dealers
! in New York Citv To coroply with