Evening star., 1943-01-06

MIAMI, F'la.-John c. Clark,
president of the Miami Jockey
Club, said today Hialeah Park
would not open for horse rae
ing until such time as there
is full approval of the con-
tinuance of racing The track
was scheduled to open Janu-
ary l3 for a 46-day meeting.
Earlier Fuel Oil Story on
Page AID
The Office of Price Administra-
tion announced today that all
pleasure and social driving by
holders of A, B and c gasoline
ration books in the District and
II Eastern States will be out
laWed as of noon tomorrow.
OPA asked all State, county and
municipal law enforcement agen-
cies to assist in preventing pleasure
driving while the current emer-
gency prevails. Police are expected
to report violations to local ration
ing boards, which may permanently
cut off the offenders rationing al
lowance or reduce it to the extent
the board considers necessary.
The presence of cars in parking
lots near race tracks or other sport
ing events, near theaters or other
places of amusement, will be taken
as prima facie evidence that gasoline
and tires are being used illegally.
The ban also will apply to use of au-
tomobiles to visit friends or to at.
tend parties.
Shipping Depends on Distance.
Whether or not such motoring as
driving to the grocery store is rated
as pleasure driving" will depend,
OPA spakesmen said, on the avail
ability of other transportation. the
distance of shopping centers, the age
and physical condition of the
shopper, and other personal and
local factors. If such driving is
called into question, 1t will be up
to the local board to decide on its
essentially. Driving to the doctors
Office or in similar cases of urgency
would not be considered pleasure
driving, it was stated.
OPA also disclosed that the fuel
Oil heating rations of all buildings
other than those used for residen-
tial purposes in the East will be cut
substantially in the next "a hours
This move will follow by three days
the overall reduction by 10 per
cent in fuel oil rations for the cur
rent heating period. The exact
amount of the cut, affecting all
places of amusement as we'll as
office buildings and stores, was not
made public.
Price Administrator Henderson
declared in statement that the
fuel oil situation in the East was so
serious that it threatened to affect
war production, as we'll as break
down of vital transportation.
He declared that tens of thou
sands of homes would be without
heat unless drastic action is taken.
Levies Cut in A Books.
Denying reports that A book cou-
pons might be cut in half, Mr.. Hem
derson pointed out that approxi-
mately 40 per cent of all war work.
ers in the East use only A books to
get to and from their plants. He
| said that to cut A card values, then
be compelled to issue more B and C
books certainly would not save
gasoline.
1--WE are learning the hard way
not to think of fuel oil alone or of
gasoline alone" Mr.. Henderson said.
Taken together, as they must be,
they are petroleum products. Every
tank car; every barge, every ocean,
going tanker, can carry either, but
hardly both. Many drivers who are
wasting gasoline are complaining OF
cold homes because of the fuel oil
shortage. The shipping space being
used to give them gasoline could
we'll be occupied with enough oil
to keep their families warmer"
OPA said that pleasure driving
as it will be interpreted during the
gasoline crisis will have a broad
meaning which will be interpreted
in detail in a regulation to be issued
within "a hours"
When a police officer encounters
motorist whom he believes to be
driving for pleasure, the burden of
proof as to the essential nature of
the trip will rest wholly on the
motorist,' OPA said.
Must Satisfy Ration Board.
The driver must satisfy his ration
board that his use of gasoline was
justified by his occupation or the
essential character of his errand.
| Obvious evidence of the misuse of
gasoline may result in immediate
seizure of the ration book, OPA
said. Books so impounded will be
forwarded to the ration board for
appropriate action. In cases where
there is reasonable doubt, police of :
f1cials are instructed to report the
case to the local board for hearing
leaving the ration book in possession
of the driver. .s
Mr. Henderson said an appreciable
amount of gasoline could be saved
by curtailing A book pleasure driv-
ing, but he added, "the chief abuses
insofar as gallons used for pleasure
seem to stem from the B and c book
holders, who either have exagger-
ated their needs or are not fulfilling
the car-sharing plans they outlined
to procure the rations originally"
The price administrator addec
that procurement of supplemental
, B and c rations will be made more
dihcult under new regulations
3 New applicants for the EXTRA rations