Evening star., 1943-07-23
Storm Resigns
Ration Job Over
Fairfax Gas Cut
Hundreds of Drivers
Protest OPA Order:
Fear Loss of Jobs
By JAMES BIRCHFJELD.

ny JAINES DlhCHFlELD.
AS hundreds of Fairfax County
motorists protested gasoline ration
cuts which they said were threaten
Ing them with the loss of their jobs" !"
it was learned today that H. A.
Storm, member of the County Ration
Board from Mclean, has resigned
because he "is tired of the whole
situation"
Former State Senator John w.
Rust, chairman of the board, said
every attempt" is being made by
the board to correct the cuts in gas
oline allotments, ordered by the
State OPA. He said meeting will
be held today with State OPA gas
oline officials, ard it is hoped that
some solution to the problem may be
reached"
In the past, the Fairfax board had
issued allotments large enough to
enable all persons gainfully en-
ployed. who had no other means of
transportation. to get to and from
work. The board did not care
whether or not they were in a pre-
ferred occupational classification.
Conflict in Policies.
The OPA ruled, however, that only
persons in preferred occupational
classif1cations were entitled to C
books, and ordered the board to fol-
low this policy in issuing supple
mentary rations to motorists whose
present books expired yesterday
Senator Rust said the board for
merly had worked under the theory
that "a man has right to make a
living" He added that the board
had protested the OPA ruling as
unfair to Fairfax County because
unlike others most of its motorists
must travel great distances to en-
ployment in Washington.
Mr.. Storm said he planned to
tender his formal resignation as
board member lin a few days" He
said he had done everything in his
power to aid the rationing program
IN the county, but felt now that it
was time for him to get out.
Il am tired of the whole business" i"
he said, "and feel greatly relieved
since I have resigned from the
BOARD"
Custer Sought Before.
The State OPA last month re-
auested that Mr.. Storm resign, but
after strong protests from other
board members and heads of the
volunteer rationing organization.
the request was rescinded.
Henry Caravati, district OPA Or
ganization director for Virginia, said
Mr.. Storm was asked to resign be-
cause he had been openly antag-
onlstic" to the OPA program. He
said Senator Rust and w. Walter
vaughan, the other board members,
had not shown the same attitude.
Meanwhile Representative Smith.
Democrat, of Virginia yesterday
forwarded to Price Administrator
Prentiss Brown an appeal from the
Herndon Town Council; for relief
from the gasoline restrictions. and
requests for a mass meeting have
been received from residents of the
Mount Vernon district of Fairfax
County.
Mr.. Smith said the Herndon coun-
Gil had informed him that approxi-
mately IS residents of the commu-
nifty were facing the loss of their
jobs in the District and their liveli-
hoods by the OPA order cutting
their gasoline allotments to 'one-
fourth of the necessary amount for
transportation between their homes
and their places of employment in
Washington, a distance of about 35
miles"
Distance Committing.
Appeals to the OPA, the council
said, have been met with a deci-
sion that long distance committing
has to be curtailed." and added that
the commuters have been limited. in
many cases, to maximum of 800
miles a month, regardless of the
number of passengers carried or the
occupation of the driver.
Col. w E. Leonard, KEY volunteer
worker for the Mount Vernon Dis
trict, said he has had more than
500 requests from motorists for a
mass meeting to protest the gasoline
curtailment. He said he has put
motorists off" in the hope some set
tlement of the question will be made
at the meeting today between the
board and OPA officials.
Col. Leonard said he has received
numerous complaints from his
neighbors that lit looks illogical for
the Government to keep asking
labor to stay on the job when on
the other hand they refuse to al
low enough gasoline to get labor to
the job
He added that the working man.
who can't take a vacation because
he has been asked to stay on the
job" is beginning to wonder how
gasoline can be released for vaca-
ton trips when it can't be released
to men in order for them to earn a
s..s,