Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-08-19
ID. {. Garages
Unable 10 Fill
Repair Calls
End Of Cos Rotioninq
Finds Shops Short
Of Auto Mechanics

The end of gasoline rationing has
started SO many automobiles limping
to District repair shops that it takes
longer today to have car repaired
than at any time during the war,
a survey of repair shops indicated
yesterday.
One garageman said getting the
job done promptly is about on a
par with obtaining your favorite
brand of cigarettes four months
ago-it depends on whom you know
or whether you're an old customer.
The survey indicated the supply
OF competent mechanics is at its
lowest ebb, that defense industries
have not yet discharged many of
them and that repair shop owners
are basing their hopes on the re.
lease of veterans.
We've been swamped with car
repair work for some time" said
one garage owner, but it's increased
tremendously since gasoline ration
ing ended. We've had to turn away
as much business as we've accepted
because we just can't get mechan-
les. We're trying hard to help our
old customers"
Two Weeks for Valves.
Looks like a lot of people are
figuring on hitting the road again
in their jallopies," said another.
They're flooding in here for re-
pairs and we just can't help them
as fast as they like. Do you know
a coupla' good mechanics looking
for work."
A reporter trying to have his 1897
car repaired found that it would
take two weeks to have valves
ground. Another repair shop de-
clined to accept the job" because
it's no use promising any time limit,
We just can't keep our promises with
certainty" The manager finally
accepted the car when he discov-
cred that his nephew and the re-
porter had met at the Bar of the
Hotel Alletti in Algiers. The job
was finished in 18 days. The labor
charge was for only IL hours work
by a mechanic
Helpless Without Mechanics.
The car developed other pains in
its old age. The horn became tenn
permental. Leave it here for about
four days, and we'll get to it." said
another garage mechanic. Sorry,
we can't get much help these days"
Brakes can be refined on a small
car generally in four to five hours,
but the foreman of one shop said
to telephone again in a week, and
III see if I can't run it through in
one day"
Il know all this sounds bad" said
the owner of one of the largest
repair shops in the District. But
we're helpless without a lot more
competent help. About all we can
do is be courteous and hope they'll
come back"
A few of the cars now appearing
at repair shops bear indications that
they have been unused for several
years, but the majority need re-
pairs only because of a strenuous
old age, garagemen agreed.
Average Age Now Eight.
A spokesman for the American
Automobile Association blamed the
increasing toll of passenger cars on
the fact that the average age had
increased from four years, before
Pearl Harbor. to eight years at pres
ent. To this should be added the
strenuous wartime use of most cars
because, he said. four out of every
five defense plant workers rode to
their jobs in automobiles.
The shortage Of garage workers
will not be relieved until several
million men are released from the
Army and Navy" he added.
The few garage owners VINO have
been able to obtain discharged vet
Grams agreed that their wartime
skills in keeping trucks, jeeps and
tanks of Americas mechanical
army on the battlefields was of in
estimable value in preparing them
l