The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-08-27
Travel BUREAUS
HURT 0DT AIMS
Many Inconsistent With
Travel Conservation Pol.
icy Claims Eastman

Washington, Aug. q - Joseph B.
Eastman, Director Of the Once OF
Defense Transportation, today
stated that activities of travel bur-
eaus, resort hotels, and other
agencies which tended to stimulate
pleasure aravel were inconsistent
with the travel conservation policy
of ODT.
Mr.. Eastman pointed out that the
ODT, in cooperation with the rail-
roads and intercity bus lines, was
attempting to discourage all unnec-
essary travel. He said that while
many travel agencies and other en-
ierprises interested in the tourist
business were cooperating in this
campaign, others were not. Travel
creating activities of the latter, he
asserted, hampered efforts to elm
mate unnecessary travel and tended
to interfere with the movement of
essential passenger traffic on trains
and buses.
For many months" Mr. Eastman
said," the Office of Defense Trans
portation has been directing atten-
lion to the very heavy burden i'm
posed on the railroads and inter-
city BUSES by troop movements, the
huge volume of furlough travel and
the extraordinary amount of war
business travel. 1t has pointed out
that the public carriers, with the
limited supply of equipment at their
disposal, cannot assure adequate
passenger service for members OF
the armed forces and civilians trav-
cling on war business If trains and
buses are burdened, in addition,
with a large volume OF completely
unnecessary civilian travel.
In an attempt to meet this stu
alton. the ODT supported by the
carriers themselves, has been con-
Quoting a campaign to curtail nom
essential civilian travel. 1t has been
urging the public to give up all
travel on trains and buses for pure
~ social or pleasure purposes; to
spend vacations at home or as near
home as possible; to limit any nee
essary vacation travel to the Short
est possible distance and to a single
round trip to and from the vaca-
ton place, with elimination of side
trips and sightseeing trips; and, in
general, to refrain from using trains
and busseS whenever possible.
I'VE have repeatedly requested the
cooperation of every individual civil
ian in his travel conservation C
paign. We need the cooperation also
OF all tourist agencieo, v.4...
eaus, resort hotels, and enterprises,
and state, municipal, and other gov
ernmental promotion agencies.
Many such agencies and enterprises
have given US their cooperation.
Others I regret to say, have not.
Activities which tend to create
and stimulate, through advertising,
offer of special services, or other
wise, pleasure travel that would not
take place In the absence of this
promotional effort are inconsistent
With the travel conservation policy
and program of the Office of De-
tense Transportation / do not in
clude of course. the usual service
functions OF tourist agents and ira
vel bureaus, by which arrangements
TOR necessary travel are facilitated
Tor individuals and corporations.
"Travel-creating activities, on the
other hand, are completely out of
step with the efforts OF ODT, and OF
the railroads, and bus lines, to dis
courage unnecessary travel and
limit necessary travel. The travel
which they promote adds to the
heavy burdens of the carriers and
interferes with the movement of es-
sential passenger traffic.
The war effort demands ade-
quate train and bus service for mill
tary and war business travel. To
provide such service, the carriers
need the cooperation of government.
business interests, and the general
public in complete observance of a
policy Of travel conservation.