Evening star., 1944-09-29
Black Market Sales
|0f Gas Increasing,
ID. E. 0PA Reveals
Investigators Hompered
BY Change in Method
Of Checking Coupons

Use OF black market gasoline IN
Warrington has increased during
the past three months and District
Investigators are hampered In
stamping out OPA violations be-
cause coupon surveys have been
transferred to the regional ONCE
In New York, 1t was learned today.
While District OPA officials ad-
mitted the delay in receiving
counterfeit reports hampered their
investigations, they were reluctant
to criticize the new program until
1t has had time to prove itself.
Previously the coupon sheets
turned over to local banks by gaso-
line station operators were picked
up once 4 week by the local ONCE.
Special stan workers ct the District
ONCE checked every coupon, and
Investigators began work immedi-
ately on cases showing counterfeit
coupon trade.
Cut Operations Greatly.
Under this system, the local ofIlce
reduced black market from 7 per
cent of the 900 District stations in
February to l per cent in-June.
On June is a directive from the
national ONCE ordered all coupons
sent to the regional ofiice for ex-
animation. Under this system sta
ton operators still turn in their
coupons into the banks, which In
turn forward them to the regional
ONCE.
At first shipments of Cancelled
coupons by local banks were limited
to 10 pounds every two weeks, but
as q weeks pickup Of one grade
Of coupon often exceeds 10 pounds
this system soon was dropped and
the bimonthly shipments now in
clude all the banked coupons, with
70 pounds just limiting the size OF
the packages.
First reports returning to the
District once under the new pro-
gram did not arrive until some
time In August and since that time
they average about q month late
Investigation on reports a month
old is very difdcult, omcials declare
Can't Determine Degree.
While the reports indicate the
number Of counterfeit coupons
passed at certain station, there
Is no way of determining the de-
gree OF violation. For example, II
IN one weeks review there are only
q few counterfeits In comparison to
the amount of trade, the station
Is not held for violation.
Under this new system, however
the bulk of the business and the in
take OF q station in dollars and
cents is not included in the report
The delay in the reports reach
Ing the local office might be ex-
planned In the fact that while the
regional of1ce employs a large stat1
to handle the coupon examina tions
this region covers as per cent of
the Nations population and reports
flood the central oflice.
ntrel More ~.
believed that complete ex-
aknatlon of -Asery coupon sheet
Is impossible nnfer the new system
and consequently the control over
the black market is more lax. Sta
tion operators, 1t was believed
realize the laxity in supervision
and consequently counterfeit opera.
ton has increased.
While the voiding of the A-l2 cou.
pom November Is expected to curl
the black market trade, oficials be.
lieve there are a great number O,
counterfeit ALL coupons still on thu
market
Local OPA officials pointed out
however, that the system OF check.
ing every coupon by the local ONCE
was unique to Washington and thai
probably other districts were bene.
flted more by the neu svstero