The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-10-20


 Nominee for governor, Issued the following statement today:
 A Democratic political leader has charged the mayor of Bridgeport and the common council with re- gponsibiiity for an imminent fuel 9hortage, because he says we have blocked the installation of oil stor- age tanks, which would make 1t possible to store an adequate supply
 Governor Hurley said the other day tn Greenwich, "Those people who burn oil are going to be cold There Is not one days reserve sup- ply in all New England" He Sug- Rests that the only solution is to convert furnaces to coal, and de- UCribes as "slackers" all those who pould but do not convert their equip ment SO as to burn coal instead of oil.
 Governor Hurley's interest in the fuel oil situation in Connecticut has come about since the election cam paign began. If he had displayed as much interest in keeping the people of this state warm months ago, when it was first apparent to me and to everyone else, that the fuel situation this winter would be critical, he might have something better to offer now than the futile frustrated prediction that "the peo- pie are going to be cold"
 Although the governor was show gng no interest in what our people might suffer during the cold hard winter ahead, I have been steadily ct work since last June, and have made numerous trip to Washington and elsewhere. What results have been attained at all, have come through the pressure Of the Ma tional Conference of Mayors, and particularly the executive commit- tee, of which I am member, in as- sociation with Mayor LaGuardia oi New York, Mayor Tobin of Boston and other mayors. We have made every possible effort to get some ef- fective results from the various agencies of the federal government that are taking hand in the fue oil situation
 We have learned enough about oil Co know that the shortage whicf already is upon us, Is a shortage which could have been prevented to large degree, by prompt, in' telligent, and well-timed efforts bl all of the officials who have hae or are having something to say or the subject now.
 There is no shortage of produc' ton. There is Q shortage of trans portation, but 1t could have beer largely minimized by early and n' tensiye use of the inland waterways and carly diversion of all available tank cars, to fill up the tanks her' on the eastern seaboard. All of thl! was strongly urged by our commit tee of mayors, to a congresslona committee, and also to goVernmen departments.
 oil is scarce on the Atlantic sea board today, for political and econ ornic reasons, oil is scarce becaus' the Federal government hasn't beer able to make up it's mind whict of a half a dozen jealous and com petinR agencies should be given tul authority to deal with this proDlen as 1t must be dealt with.
 One thing above all else, is cer tain, Even if the Democratic poll ticians and the Republican. poll ticians had succeeded in thelr un remitting moves to make tam town" out of Bridgeport, the situa lion would be no different, although the fire hazard in the event Of hornbing or other disaster, would p' greatly increased. ..o,
 We are suffering, or shortly shal suffer, I am afraid, not rom shortaee of tanks, but from a snort age of oil.
 Taking the Bridgeport area as al examnle. there is available here, ca nacity for between 25,000 900 ana SO' OOO. GOO gallons of fuel oil. The sup nlv on hand, however, Is not nor fhan 3O per cent of this capacity Ali over the state, on the average fhe tanks are 70 per cent, empty.
 Governor Hurley says that any me who can convert his furnace t' coal and does not do so is a stacker Hut if everyone who burns oils wer' to start burning coal, the coal sup ply on nanu AeTc WOul0 DS SAle" inadequate. Today, am reliaol! advised, the coal mines are tw' months behind in their orders. T' me, it does not appear that there l anything more warming to the sou or the body, about a coal shortage than there is about an oil shortage
 The executive committee of tn mayors conference suggested con version to coal as one substitute To oilfl months ago, but at the sam time we continued and are contin uing a steady battle to get more oil
 Too much time has been waste' by now, to permit all of the fue supplies needed by the eastern state to be shipped in. But this coul' have been done if, last summer. ou committee's proposal had beel needed. This suggestion was tha M,i auLnor1sy oves Che production and distribution of petroleum prod ucts be centralized in the hands Q one competent official or agency.
 Governor Hurley's constituent would not be in for a cold winter Supplies of oil sufficient ot assir