Evening star., 1942-11-13
Lower Ratio ofCut
In Essential Gas and
Fuel Oil Foreseen
All Petroleum Products
To Beur Part Of
Reduced Consumption

Curtailment in consumption OF
petroleum products to meet the new
and rapidly developing oil shortage
IN the East will be distributed over
the entire field of petroleum use
although oil for home heating and
gasoline for essential driving prob
ably will suffer less than other uses
spokesman for the Office of Price
Administration said last night.
Meanwhile, the War Production
Board frightened control over the
delivery OF natural and manufac-
tured gas by extending the prohi-
bition against new gas deliveries to
residential customers after Novem-
ber 80 to all gas heating equipment
Heretofore the prohibition in effect
IN Washington and other sections
OF the country did not apply to small
unit heaters supplying less than so
per cent of the heating requirements
Of the premises.
New Equipment Banned.
WPB also prohibited after No.
vember 80 the installation of gas
equipment by either residential or
non-residential consumers if the
delivery Of gas for operation of the
equipment is not permitted under
the order. A spokesman said this
action was designed to prevent sit
uatlons such as developed in the
Northeast Washington community
OF River Terrace recently where new
home owners found they were un-
able to obtain gas for their furnaces.
WPB forced removal of the gas
burners and substitution of coal
furnaces
Greater centralizat ton and Gov
ernment control in handling petro-
leum problems can be expected soon,
1t was indicated today in a letter
from President Roosevelt received
by Federal Judge William P. Cole,
jr. who released it in New York.
Il share your view," the President
wrote, that further centralization in
the administration of oil matters is
desirable. AS matter of fact, this
subject has been under considera-
ton for some time and I expect
that decision will be announced in
the near future"
Reply to Judge Cole.
The Presidents letter was in re-
sponse to one sent to the President
by Judge Cole shortly before he re-
tired last month after nine years as
chairman of the petroleum subcom-
mittee Of the House Committee on
Interstate and Foreign Commerce.
His letter, the judge explained
was personal report to the White
House in advance of the commit =
tees formal report next month.
The OPA spokesman said the oil
supply situation. on the East Coast
was under study and that announce
ment would be made early next
week as to just where the necessary
cuts in petroleum consumption would
fall. He intimated there must be
sizable curtailment in use of gaso-
line. though OPA was working on a
plan to ease the blow on essential
users Of automobiles He said it
was highly unlikely that conSump-
ton Of oil for home heating would
be reduced much below the current
Is per cent curtailment.
OPA plans a breakdown" on
"black market" gasoline and oil
operations which, he said, have been
responsible for sizable leak in
rationing regulations. 1t is also
planned to enforce strictly the Gov
ernment's warning to heating oil
users to convert to coal wherever
possible. Commercial, industrial
and institutional oil heat users al
ready have been told to convert or
be denied oil this winter. This
ultimatum will be enforced, the
spokesman said.
Tank Car Deliveries OFF.
Petroleum Co-ordinator Ickes said
yesterday that consumption of pc
troleum in the East must be re-
duced 10000 barrels per day. A
cut of 10000 barrels, he said, must
be made in gasoline consumption
and the remainder in fuel oil use
because tank car delivery had