Evening star., 1943-05-24
56Autos Cited
In D. C., 1900
In Maryland
Pleasure Driving Bon
Enforcement Here
Is Intensified

Police and OPA inspectors
in the District took the license
numbers of 1855 alleged pleasure
drivers over the week end and
Maryland cited nearly l,70O al
legged violators of the ban since
Friday as enforcement agencies
intensified their cam paign
against non-essential driving in
the face of the East's most seri-
Gus gasoline shortage since the
war began.
Reports coming in from District
OPA headquarters and from police
and OPA Offices throughout Mary
land indicated that police were
keeping a sharp watch for mo-
torists who somehow managed to get
enbugh gasoline for trips to race
tracks, night clubs, country clubs
golf courses and Joy riding.
District OPA inspectors over the
week end added 1856 license num-
bers to the so they reported Friday
The Maryland OPA office in Balti-
more reported today that a total of
1,484 alleged violators of the ban
had been turned into that Office.
This included 543 submitted by
police departments and GAL by OPA
inspectors who yesterday were
posted at every place where pleas
ure-seeking motorists were likely to
be found.
In addition, Maryland State police
at Waldorf, Md, said they had cited
$50 drivers Fifty more were re-
ported by Prince Georges County
police.
80 Cited in Virginia.
OPA authorities in Richmond, re-
ported that 80 motorists allegedely
engaged in pleasure driving were
cited by OPA inspectors and State
police yesterday, bringing the total
at that Office to more than $50.
None of those turned in thus far
was from the Washington Metro
politan Area. 1t was explained, how
ever, that authorities in Alexandria,
Arlington and Fairfax Counties are
beginning an intensive drive to end
whatever pleasure driving is still
going on in their jurisdictions.
The lack of forms, which officers
and OPA inspectors must fill out
and turn over to the owners of the
cars cited, was given as the reason
why officials in nearby Virginia
communities have not yet acted.
Motorists whose license numbers
have been turned in will be in
formed that their cases have been
referred to their local boards and
that their cases will be heard by
special panels set up for that
purpose.
No violations have yet been re-
ported by the Metropolitan Police
Department. but it was explained
that the forms required for police
men to make their reports to the
District OPA had just been received
and were being distributed this
morning.
Despite the large number of al
legged violators of the pleasure-driv-
ing ban, most streets and highways
were all but deserted over the week
end. Most drivers probably would
not have cared to risk whatever
gasoline they had left in their
tanks on a non-essential mission
even if there had been no pleasure
driving ban.
At the Glen Echo parking lot sat-
urday night, it was reported, there
were only two cars parked.
The total number of drivers cited
so far in the current ban is 406, in
Guiding so whose license numbers
were reported on Friday night.
The. District OPA said that the
156 cited yesterday were spotted at
the following places:
The Chevy Chase Ice Palace. the
Silver Fox Night Club, the Rock
Creek golf course and picnic
grounds. the tennis courts at Six
teenth and Kennedy streets NV,
the Zoo, Hams Point, the Tidal
Basin and at the Chevy Chase, Co.
lumbia and Kenwood Country Clubs.
81 Found at Clubs.
Fffty-four of those cited were
found at the country clubs, it was
reported.
Maryland OPA inspectors were as
signed yesterday to such places as
the Annapolis Ferry, where 30 L.
cense numbers were taken: the
Havre de Grace Bridge. where 121
drivers were cited: country clubs.
where 1923 were cited and to resort
places all over the State.
H. Leonard Burch. chairman of
the Prince Georges County Ration
ing Board, warned that violators of
the pleasure driving ban will be dealt
(See PLEASURE DRIVING, A-3D
L. Cl-I. H..