Evening star., 1943-05-28
Transit Official
UrgesCuts in
Traffic Lights
Says Elimination Of
Stops, Storts Would
Conserve Gas

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., to
help alleviate the gasoline shortage,
which remained critical here today
While some gasoline continued to
seep into the city, and Petroleum
Administration for War officials
sought means of implementing the
flow, it was soaked up Immediately
by lines of cars which continued to
haunt scattered stations having
meager supplies.
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
vehicular 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
Meanwhile. the American Auto
mobile Association proposed the
establishment of a national COM
mittee, headed by Bernard NJ
Baruch, ito straighten out the mud
died petroleum situation in the same
way that 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
ordered last Sunday. That reduc-
ton was to be accomplished by ex-
tending the valid period for all cur
rent "T' gasoline coupons until
July 25.
Expected Quick Return to Normal.
Some cabs and bus companies
he said, "evidently went right ahead
on a business -as-usual basis, figur-
ing the crisis would be over when all
their coupons had been used and
they would be able to obtain more.
Others, apparently, simply decided
to use up whatever supplies they
could get and then close up when it
was gone.
The time to save gasoline is now,
as well as the end of the gasoline
ration period
While motorists failed to see any
humor in it. the shortage did pro-
duce a few laughs.
H. c. Mockabee, operating a serv-
ice station at Kenilworth and Deane
avenues NE, refused to sell gaso-
line today while it was drizzling."
He sat tight while line of cars a
half mile long, which began form
ing at $50 am, waited for skies to
clear
Plumbers Handicapped.
Il amt gonna get wet" he told a
reporter. When it was showing
land sleeting last winter they
wouldn't come out to buy gas, so let
,'em wait now"
Plumbers, too. found themselves
handicapped by the shortage and in
many cases unable to obtain gaso-
lime to supply repair equipment.
lone employer reported his workers
were using wood fires to melt down
lead and that many service calls
could not be made because of the
distance involved. Transporting
equipment by bus or streetcar Is
next to impossible, he said.
ODT reported that deliveries to Is
major Eastern terminals totaled
2,938 tank cars tabout 637.700 bar
'rels) during the 24-hour period end
ing at 1901 am. yesterday, a de-
cline of per cent below receipts in
the preceding "a hours and "a per
icent below daily average deliveries
last week.
While predicting an upward trend
An Eastern deliveries toward the end
of this week, ODT said this would
not be apparent in the Eastern sup
ply situation for several days there
latter, and the shortage of gasoline
,for civilian consumption may con-
.tinue indefinitely"
Stocks Declining.
The Petroleum Administration,
meanwhile. said gasoline stocks
available for civilian consumption
H. u &r%~ IL