Evening star., 1943-01-23
"a of 34CIeared
AT Hearings on
PIeasureDriviinq
Results Due Soon on
New System of
Checking Evidence

After noting that "a out of 81
pleasure driving violation charges
had been dismissed in hearings
yesterday OPA officials gave as
surance today that results of the
new plan calling for more careful
checking of evidence before cases
are turned over to local ration boards
for hearing should be noticeable
by Monday.
Under the new plan a letter from
the central OPA office will tell
those accused Of the charge and
give them three days to get in
touch with the Office in person or by
letter. Answers by telephone will
not be permitted. If the cases have
not been cleared at the end of this
period they will be turned over to
AS the plan was not announced
until Thursday, officials pointed out.
its results have not yet had time to
be noticed IN the number of dis
missals They explained that the
public and the overworked boards.
Three Hearings Monday.
Three hearings have been sched-
uled for Monday. These are by
Board II. Force School, 1740 Massa-
chusettS avenue NV. at 7:l5 pm,
Board 81, Petworth Library. Georgia
avenue and Upshur street NV, $50
pm, and Board 40. Langdon School.
Twentieth and Evarts streets NE,
z pm.
New cases, meanwhile, took a con-
siderable drop Only Is were re-
ported today by OPA investigators
and two by police,
On Capitol Hill yesterday, atten-
ton in the pleasure driving enforce
ment was turned suddenly on Fed
eral automobiles Representative
Rees, Republican of Kansas, de-
marded in the House that officials
crack down" on some of the use
less driving he said was being done
by certain Government employees
and bureaucratS.
In addition to the "a cases dis
missed yesterday, five were held for
further investigation, one was re-
ferred to another board and four
were continued pending the appear
ance of the accused.
Representative Rees said he had
read that Federal officials in WASH
1ngton, exclusive of those in the
War and Navy Departments, trav-
eled about $4,000 miles during the
last month.
Gas Used Exceeds l941.
This is 81 times the mileage
around the earth" he reminded, |
adding that figures were available |
to show that Government depart |
ment automobiles in the District |
consumed Is per cent more gasoline |
last month than they did during
the same period of 1941.
In connection with their hearing |
yesterday officials of Ration Board /
No 81, meeting at the PetWorth Lii /
brary, Georgia avenue and Upshur |
street, estimated that approximately |
tWo-thirds Of the persons brought /
before them since the pleasure driv- !
ing ban went in effect had been ex- I
onerated.
Two drivers were acquitted by the |
board yesterday. One was a church .
choir member who had parked his I
car on the way home from work to
attend a choir rehearsal and the
other was Marine home on fur
Tough who had parked his car to
visit the theater where he formerly
worked to tell his friends good by .
before assignment to duties over
seas. The Marine, who had re-
turned to duty meanwhile. was rep
resented by his mother.
Col. Richard T. Edwards. who !
presided over the hearings, pointed
out that the OPA inspectors in many
cases called before the board had
taken the license numbers of auto
mobiles without talking to the driv-
ers. 1t developed at the hearings
that most of them have legitimate
excuses for being parked at the
places listed. The new OPA system
is supposed TO do away with this.
Board 81 has attempted TO relieve
many business people of bother,
when they are cited for pleasure
driving infractions, by having the
chief clerk. George o.. Anderson, sift
through those alleged violators who
call the board and establish def
nitely, as has been true in many
cases, that they were cited for be-
ing parked near the place of their
employment
Faces Wrong Board.
George Franklin, youthful truck
driver for the Camp Springs Md
Fighter Command Airfield, was the
sole respondent before hearings at
Ration Board No 10 in the South
west Library, Seventh snd D streets
Sc, late yesterday afternoon. 1t
turned out that he was brought be-
fore the wrong board
The OPA investigator who had
taken down the license number Of
Mr.. Franklin's car when it was
parked before the Riverside Stadium
January g, gave the driver a South
east address. Hearings yesterday
before three Ration Board members
Of No. 40 disclosed that Mr.. Franklin
belongs to No. al board. and that
his address is 1863 E street NE.
not Sc.
Further, the hearings disclosed
that Mr.. Franklin was not bound
on pleasure skating that night. but
on earning money by repairing
skates for the Stadium.
The Ration Board members ques-
toned Mr. Franklin 20 minutes and
referred the case to the proper board,
No. Al. at Eastern High School.
where Mr.. Franklin had obtained
his c card in December.