NAB reports (Jan-Dec 1942)

GAS AND TIRE RATIONING Merging of the gasoline and tire rationing programs into a single system to control mileage of the nation’s passenger autos according to essentiality of use was announced today by Price Administrator Leon Henderson to become effective throughout the country probably about Nov. 22. The rationing of gasoline will follow the plan now in operation for the seven and a half million autos in the East, with each of the nation’s 27 million cars getting a basic A-book allowance of enough gas for 2880 miles of family necessitous and occupational use for a year. Addi¬ tional gasoline will be allowed only on proof of need and in quantities strictly limited to the degree of essentiality to the nation’s war effort. This gasoline rationing system will then be meshed into the tire rationing program to bring the overall mileage of America’s autos within the limits of the available rubber supply, with use of tires being limited to essential transpor¬ tation needs of the country. Observance of a 35 mile per hour maximum speed limit will be a basic requirement in both gasoline and tire ration allowances. The new nation-wide mileage rationing plan has been under intensive development in OPA in anticipation of the need, since publication of the Baruch Committee’s rubber conservation report on September 10. These advance preparations make it possible to have the system in opera¬ tion some two weeks sooner than otherwise would have been possible, Mr. Henderson said. Some 20 million passenger cars outside of the present gasoline rationed area will be brought under mileage ration¬ ing when the plan goes into effect. Mr. Henderson said. He estimated that mileage rationing would cut the use of private cars an average of almost 60 per cent from normal. Owners of cars in the as yet unrationed area will be required under the plan, to register and will receive a basic gasoline ration for their cars allowing 2880 miles per year at the present value of the coupons, assuming 15 miles to the gallon. The time and places for this regis¬ tration will be announced later. Additional mileage up to 470 miles a month may be obtained by the motorist v/ho can show that the “A” book is not sufficient to meet his occupational needs, and who shows either that he has formed a carsharing club to keep his car filled to capacity while in use, or that he has been unable to do so and that there is no other means of trans¬ portation available to him. A special “preferred mileage” category is provided for 14 types of occupations deemed essential to the war effort and to the public health and safety. These I'ations issued through a “C” book, are tailored to meet the proven need, without a specific ceiling on the mileage. Tires on all cars must be submitted to OPA for on-wheel inspection every 60 days to insure proper care. The deviations from the present ration system in the East will not be great, since the East Coast plan was designed for possible nation-wide extension as a mileage rationing plan. It already has reduced average passen¬ ger car mileage near to the objective of 5000 miles set by the Baruch report. The changes required for the rest of the country will be incorporated in the Eastern plan when nation-wire mileage rationing becomes effective so that all cars throughout the country will be operating under a single set of rules, Mr. Henderson said. The rationing of gasoline to the 20 million additional cars in the nation will require manufacture of thousands of tons of safety paper, a major printing job, and the set¬ ting up of an extensive nation-wide machinery to issue the books and handle the supplementary applications. Local War Price and Rationing boards will be asked to augment their staffs with temporary volunteer workers to handle the extra work, and instructions for doing this will be sent to them well in advance of the registration period, Mr. Henderson said. Supplying the necessary coupons and forms and organ¬ izing for the gigantic undertaking is a task that will re¬ quire more than six weeks to complete, Mr. Henderson estimated. He said orders have been placed for the safety paper and the printing of 60 million books of gasoline ration coupons, 91 million gummed sheets for preservation of the coupons as the service stations receive them from the motorists, 60 million application forms, and some 100 mil¬ lion copies of audit control forms, regulation books, and instruction guides and other necessary forms. Sales SALES MANAGERS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETS The Sales Managers Executive Committee, advisory body to the NAB Department of Broadcast Advertising, met in Chicago on September 23 and 24. In addition to Chairman John M. Cutler, Jr., WSB, the following Committee mem¬ bers were present: Arthur Hull Hayes, CBS, New York; Frank R. Bowes, WBZ, Boston, Mass.; William Malo, WDRC, Hartford, Conn.; Dietrich Dirks, KTRI, Sioux City, la.; Donald D. Davis, WHB, Kansas, City, Mo., and George H. Frey, NBC, New York. Invited to attend were Sherman Gregory of NBC, Wil¬ liam Gillespie of KTUL, Tulsa, and Walter Johnson of WTIC, Hartford. Sheldon Coons, retail advertising con¬ sultant, also attended. Methods of securing a larger share of the retailers’ advertising budget were discussed. Important plans will be revealed shortly. Lewis H. Avery, newly appointed director of the De¬ partment of Broadcast Advertising, was introduced to the Committee and attended all of the sessions. Mr. Avery will report to his new position on October 1. A general discussion regarding the effect of the war upon broadcast advertising took place, and reports in¬ dicate a most healthy condition. Problems growing out of the criticism which has been leveled at radio by certain magazines and newspapers were discussed at length. The Committee felt that while most of the criticisms were unfair and to some extent exag¬ gerated, there is need for careful scrutiny on the part of all stations as well as commercial managers of the content and length of commercial announcements. As the result of a general discussion of a practice that appears to be growing more prevalent, the Sales Man¬ agers Executive Committee adopted the following resolu¬ tion which is self-explanatory: Whereas The Sales Managers Committee of the National Associa¬ tion of Broadcasters is charged with the duty and responsi¬ bility of fostering and developing revenue-producing ideas for radio broadcasting; which duty and responsibility also involves an observation and analysis of practices which can have a deleterious effect on the future of our several businesses, and Whereas There has been noticed an occasional tendency on the part of some radio broadcasters, either deliberately or inadvertantly, to couple two or more announcements in the same spot on a schedule and Whereas This is against the best inte’rests of the listener, the advertiser and the station, and provides a further op October 2, 1942 — 579