Evening star., 1941-06-18
Converting Furnaces
To Coal Suggested
For Oil Shortage
Keystone Auto Club
Advisory Boord Hears
Dr.. H. G. Dickinson

Conversion of domestic oil-burning
furnaces for coal was advanced by
DR.. H. c. Dickinson of the National
Bureau of Standards last night as
an aid to the conservation of
petroleum in view of the threatened
shortage this winter in Eastern
States
Speaking at a dinner meeting of
the Advisory Board of the keystone
Automobile Club at the home of
Mark Lansburgh, Dr. Dickinson eX-
planned that the substitution of a
coal furnace for one burning oil
would be equivalent to eliminating
one automobile.
Such a substitution. he added,
would be comparatively simple in
the cases of most modern oil burn
ers, since the essential construction
of the furnaces would not have to
be changed.
Sees Higher Cost on Rails.
Asked whether the transportation
of oil by rail would solve the antici-
pated shortage here, DR.. Dickinson
said it would, but that it would take
$4,000 railroad tank cars to haul
the amount of oil shipped in so tank
ships. He also said shipping oil by
railroad would add 2 cents to the
cost of gallon of gasoline.
One of the steps being taken to
replace the loss of the so tankerS
being used to take Oil to England,
he said, is the construction of two
pipelines from Oklahoma to Will
mington, Del These lines, however,
will not be completed in time to
bring additional oil here this winter,
he declared.
A legislative program for the year
ending July l, 1912, containing pro-
posals ranging from Endorsement of
The Stars anti-noise campaign to
opposition to any increase in the
gasoline tax to finance compre-
hensive program of highway engi-
neering projects for the District
was adopted.
Ask Cafeteria Court"
Proposals include opposition to
any diversion of motor vehicle tax
funds; a recommendation for the
removal of reflector arrows directing
motorists to drive to the right of
loading platforms; establishment of
a cafeteria traffic court" where
all except chronic traffic offenders
and those accused of serious vio-
lations could sign a written plea
of guilty, a written waiver OF trial
and accept a uniform penalty with
out the necessity of appearing in
court, and opposition to any pro-
posal to set up citizen traffic OBJ
servers" or 'vigilantes.'
The group also opposed abolition
of all parking in the downtown
business section until adequate OIL
street parking facilities have been
provided: recommended addition OF
suficient police personnel to AID IN
reducing the mounting number OF
traffic fatalities, and asked the re-
examination of all motor-vehlcle
operators involved in accidents re-
sulting in personal injury or fatal
fly
Kutz Attends.
among those present were Brig.
Gen. Charles w. KutZ, Engineer
Commissioner: Col. David McCoach
former Engineer Commissioner;
Representative Davis, Democrat, OF
Tennessee; Traffic Director Will
liam A. Van Duzer, Assistant Traf-
fic Director M. o. Eldridge, Capt.
H. c. Whitehurst, director of high
ways; Inspector Arthur E. Miller.
head of the traffic division Of the
Police Department; Irving c. Root,
yuperintendent of National Capital
Parks; District Assessor Edward A.
Dent and District Auditor A. r. Pill
kerton. /
Luther c. Steward, president OF
the National Federation of Federal
Employees, presided.