Evening star., 1943-07-16
13O Gallons Of Gas
Lost by 8 al Hearing
On Pleasure Drivinq
Stiff Penalties Promised
Motorists Found With
Traded Coupons

A special panel investigating re-
ported violations of the pleasure
driving ban imposed penalties in
eight cases involving the loss of
over 130 gallons of gasoline at hear
ings last night in Force School.
In recent hearings before local ra-
ton boards, as reported today by
the District OPA, only seven pleas
ure driving suspects were penalized,
while IA were exonerated. Four 9TH
er cases were postponed, and an
other was returned to the District
OPA by q board to which it had
been referred by mistake.
Those penalized by the local
boards were: John H. Elliott, 5061
First street NV, 16 c coupons;
Charles G. Wells, 3432 Ashley ter
race NV, 10 A coupons: James
Lauderdale. 1921 Webster street
NV, 2 A coupons; Jesse Long, 912
F street S.W., A coupons; Ruben
Malett. 4301 Jenifer street NV, l
A coupon: Edward C. Neff, 3o0s
Douglas street NE, A coupon,
and william H. Campbell, 1929 H
street NE, l A coupon.
John L. Laskey, chief OPA at
torney for the District, again en-
phasized that penalties for trad
ing coupons will be severe. He made
the statement before last nights
panel in connection with fines
imposed on two persons found
to have c coupons to which they
were not entitled. One was ]. Ray
mond Stuart, 1916 Belmont street
NV, War Production Board en-
ploye, who was found with six of
the coupons in his possession when
he was stopped July 8 en- route to
spend the night at friends house
in Arlington, Va. He was fined three
AS coupons and two months of
Bs.
u. S. Worker Penalized.
The other case was that of Sam
uel Mark Pearson, 731 Madison
street NV, Government engi-
neer. He was stopped at 2 am.
July ! en- his way home from
party" A number of loose C cou-
pons were found in his possession.
Asked where he had obtained them,
he said he had found them in a pub
lie trash can on the corner of Nine
teenth and B streets Sc. He also
was required to forfeit three AS
coupons and two months of Bs.
Edward o. Meister, 2215 Minnesota
avenue Sc, who had been scheduled
to appear before the panel on July
8 but failed to appear, told the mem
bers that he was "out of town at the
time"
Cumberland Trip Brings Fine.
Mr.. Meister was questioned by an
OPA inspector when he stopped at
a restaurant on his way to Cumber-
land, Md, at $50 pm. July 3. He
said that he was on his way there
to purchase some radios as he is
in the radio repair business.
Mr.. Laskey said the 300-mile
round trip by car was unnecessary as
a train could have served. He added
that since Mr.. Meister had his
family with him and he comes from
Cumberland, he was obviously on
a pleasure jaunt."
Mr.. Laskey recommended that the
panel re-impose its original penalty
suspension of six weeks of A and
six weeks of B coupons. The panel,
after reviewing the case, decided to
revise the penalty "in view of the
defendants business needs" They
fined him four weeks of A and four
weeks of B coupons.
c Book Suspended.
The c ration book of James c.
Kelsey, owner of trucking business,
231 Fifteenth street Sc. was sus-
pended after 1t was decided that he
was pleasure driving July II. His
arrest for speeding at 5 am. that
morning disclosed that he was vio-
lating the ban.
He said that he had gone to see
an automobile mechanic about
painting two of his trucks over the
week end so that they would be
ready for Mondays business. When
asked why he did not telephone the
man, he replied that the man didn't
have q telephone. He explained
that when he arrived at the me-
chanic's home they insisted that
stay to a party" going on at the
time.
The panel recommended that Mr..
Kelsey apply to his ration board for
. review of his gasoline needs.
Another Fined z Coupons.
T Horace c. Young. 30l6 Tilden
street NV. director of a construc-
ton company, had two AS cou-
pons taken when his trip to the
Army-Navy Country Club was
deemed unnecessary and he couldn't
explain why one of his AS coupons,
not valid until next week, was
missing.
The case Of Richard r. Brickey