The city commissioners have ordered a “gasless Sunday” for Charlotte.
Acting upon instructions from the commissioners, Police Chief Walter B. Orr Saturday notified garages and service stations that the sale of gasoline would be prohibited on Sundays, effective today.
Drug stores and soda fountain stands were also notified by the chief that violators of the Sunday “blue laws” will be apprehended and prosecuted.
“We are not putting a new law on the books, but merely enforcing the old law, which prohibits the sale of cigars, sodas, and commodities considered unnecessary, and gasoline is included among these,” Commissioner George A. Page said.
Charlotte motorists who failed to have their tanks filled Saturday afternoon will be forced to limit the length of their rides or, if they should be entirely out of gas, the machine will have to be kept in the garage all day.
Mr. Page said the order affects the sale of gasoline in garages as well as service stations. The commissioners have no control over filling stations outside the city limits, and there are dozens of them on highways leading out of Charlotte.
The prohibition of gasoline selling on Sunday has been enforced in numerous smaller towns in North and South Carolina. At some places a “prescription” from the authorities to purchase gas on Sundays is necessary, this being for the purpose of supplying the fluid in extraordinary cases of necessity.
Gasoline service station men Saturday protested vigorously against the order of the commissioners and wee considering organizing for a fight on the ruling. They contend that gasoline is an essential, as automobile traffic is as necessary as railroad traveling.
Just what action the service men will take has not been determined by them. Within the next few days they are expected to hold a meeting to consider fighting the ruling taking the case into the courts if necessary, it is stated.
A committee representing the service station men appeared before the commissioners Saturday afternoon to protest against the ruling, and to request the postponement of the ruling for another week, at least, in order that the public might be notified of the order.
The request was denied by the commissioners, who contend that the sale of gasoline is in violation of the law and that it should become effective immediately. The order was passed earlier in the week, but a misunderstanding resulted in service station men not being notified until Saturday, it was said.
From the front page of the Charlotte News, Sunday morning, March 20, 1921
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