Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-06


Administration announcement con.
corning gasoline in the seaboarc
States follows:
"All pleasure driving by holders Of
A, B and c passenger car gasoline
rations in the II Eastern States ano
the District of Columbia will be out
lawed as of noon tomorrow, January
7, as the Office of Price Administra-
ton and the petroleum administra-
tor for war collaborate to plug every
gap that may drain further the al
ready dangerously scant supplies OF
petroleum products along the At
lantic Seaboard
'At the same time, OPA disclosed
that the fuel oil heating rations of
all structures other than those used
for residential purposes in the East
will be cut substantially within the
next "a hours.
"Today's move, which follows by
three days an overall reduction
of 10 per cent in all fuel oil rations
for the third heating period and by
two weeks Is per cent cut in A,
B and C gasoline rations, leaves the
gallonage value of A, B and c cou-
pons unchanged, but makes it lille
gal for any Eastern motorist to
devote any part of his ration to
pleasure driving.
More Serious Orders Coming.
"Ofncials made it plain that even
more serious measures were being
drafted to be ready for immediate
use if the current situation gets
worse.
1.-The simple facts are these,
Price Administrator Leon Hender-
son said.
1.-The combination of demand
from our armed services and our
civilian population are draining the
Eastern reserves of petroleum prod
ucts at pace more rapid than our
overburdened transportation facil-
tiles can replenish them. The meas
ures taken over the past week were
forced upon us by circumstances of
war.
Failure to act swiftly and boldly
could only mean serious threat to
war production in the East, break
down Of vital transportation, and
tens of thousands of homes utterly
without heat No American could
face these alternatives and fail to
act.
There simply isn't enough fuel
oil or gasoline to go around.
Published reports have had us
cutting "a rations in half, among
other things. Our checks show
that almost half of all "A" rations
are used on strictly essential bust
ness and that the holders have
been patriotic enough to live within
their gasoline means without seek
ing "B" or &C" allotments. About
40 per cent of all war workers in
the East are getting to and from
their plants on "A" rations. Other
equally necessary civilian occupa-
tions are largely dependent on their
"A" cards.
Too Much Pleasure Driving.
"'To cut "A" card values and
then be compelled to issue "B' or
&c" cards in great number GER
tainly would not save gasoline. And
this is especially true since there
is now too much pleasure driving
py all classes holding rationS.
1--WE are learning the hard way
not to think of fuel oil alone or of
gasoline alone. Taken together
as they must be, they are petroleum
products. Every tank car, every
barge, everys ocean-going tanker
can carry either-but hardly both
Many drivers who are wasting gas
oline are complaining of cold homes
because of the fuel oil shortage
The shipping space being used to
give them gasoline could we'll be oc-
cupied with enough oil to keep their
families warmer
The ban on pleasure driving
takes the form of an official regula-
ton that subjects violators to can
collation. of their gasoline rations
and consequent immobility insofar
as use of their cars is concerned
"All State, county and municipal
law enforcement officials in the II
Eastern States are being asked to
assist the Federal Government in
preventing pleasure driving while
the current emergency prevails
through reporting violations to the
local war price and ration boards
or at the local OPA office. The pres
ence of passenger cars at any gather
ing for purposes of sport or amuse-
ment will be taken as prima facie
evidence that gasoline rations ano
tires are being dissipated needlessly
and illegally. The ban on pleasure
driving will also apply to purely
social engagements.
Will Have Broad Meaning.
Pleasure driving as it will be
interpreted during the Eastern gaso-
line crisis, will have a broad mean
ing, which will be interpreted in
detail in a regulation to be issued
within "a hours. The burden of
proof as to the essential nature of
the trip will rest wholly on the mo-
torist, who must satisfy the ration
ing board that his use of gasoline Is
justified by his occupation or the
essential character Of his GRAND.
obvious evidence Of the misuse