Milford chronicle., 1943-09-10
Milford, Friday. September 10, 1913

SECRETARY ICKES declared
recently that at the present rate oi
consumption the entire country
faced the prospect of running out
of gasoline. IF there is any ap-
preciable increase in gasoline con-
sumption in the Eastern States
above the present rate, we will be
out of gasoline in matter OF
days" This statement. made on
the same day that the lOng-stand-
ing ban on Eastern pleasure driv-
ing was removed. adds to an extra
ordinary record of governmental
contradictions.
Let us go back about a month
and a half. On July Is Price Ad-
ministrator Brown declared that
prospects were very good" for
providing more gasoline in the
Eastern shortage area. On July
10 Big Inch. the worlds largest
pipeline, was dedicated. Rosy
promises were held out concerning
the indirect relief it would give to
Eastern motorists.
On July 20 Secretary Ickes indi-
rectly criticized Price Administra-
tor Brown by declaring: so long
as | am Petroleum Administrator
| ought to give out information on
gasoline. Then you would not have
one thing today and another thing
tomorrow" But on July 2S Mr.
Ickes himself announced: Always
subject. of course. to unexpected
setbacks and to sudden large mil
itary demands. think that it can
be said positively that We shall
soon arrive at the point where we
larger supply of gasoline for civil
ian use i'm the East. while at the
same time allowing for the neces-
sary build7ups for beating oil
stocks against next winters de-
mands." On Aug. 5 Mr.. Ickes ad-
ded: THE oil transportation prob
lem has been already whipped"
my office" he added. has now
concluded that the time is about
there when the supply of gasoline
should and must be equalized thru
out the nation east of the Rocky
Mountains"
On Aug. II there We're uncontra-
dicted reports from Washington
that the value of A coupons in the
East would be raised "or perhaps
doubled" On Aug. 13 Washington
dispatches reported, from three
government sources, virtual assur-
ance that gasoline rations of East
ern motorists would, be increased
from 11a to gallons a week and
that the pleasure driving ban in
the Eastern shortage area would
be lifted on Sept. l." On Aug. Is
Chester Bowles, general manager
of the OPA. declared that the i'm
provement in our transportation
situation has made it possible to
increase the daily gasoline ship
ments to the Eastern seaboard." He
added that strict compliance with
the pleasure driving ban would
lead to an increase in basic gaso-
line ratiOning to two gallons
week in the East on Sept. l.
On Aug. 90. however, a new gas
Oline famine. described in official :
quarters as the worst since June,
developed in New York and the
territory. By Aug. 80
official word from Washington that !
the pleasure driving ban on the
East Coast would finally be lifted {
on Sept. l was accompanied by an ,
number of mo Gas
signs in service stations in many {
of the Eastern States.
If the gasoline shortage is now
as grave as Mr.. Ickes declares it
to be, why did the PAW and the
OPA not foresee this shortage? If !
we were really heading toward
serious shortage, it was inexcus-
able to make promises to the East
larger future gas allot-
ments, thereby encouraging a less
careful use of gasoline. OPA and '
PAW have been contradicting 10th
each other and themselves. The !
public is still bewildered by these {
and by the absence j
Of any clear and balanced explana- ,
Lion of just what the gasoline sit {
nation is.