Evening star., 1942-12-21
Fuel Oil Given
Honle0wners
Lacking Tickets
Temporary Rotion
Policy Revision
Forced by Weather

Technically violating rationing
regulations to protect their custom
ers from the cold spell, local fuel
oil dealers today we're delivering
small emergency supplies to home
owners who have used up all their
second-period ration coupons and
are out of oil.
This policy has been adopted, ac-
cording to Lester Scott, head of the
oil heating division of the Mer-
chants and Manufacturers Associa-
ton, to prevent suffering from lack
of heat and to decrease the posi-
bility of heating plants being dam
aged by freezing.
Exchange Method Slow.
The Once of Price AdminiStra-
ton said Saturday that oil users
who exhausted their ration for the
second period might buy oil with
coupons valid for later periods. The
procedure, OPA said, was for the
householder to apply at his ration
ing board and exchange coupons
for the next heating period-those
numbered "3"-for coupons re-
deemable at once.
This method, Mr.. Scott said to-
day, required too much time for
householders who found themselves
facing severe cold without oil. so the
dealers decided to make deliveries in
emergency cases" that would enable
persons to go through the cold spell
without undue discomfort.
THE ration boards were closed
yesterday and have been heavily
loaded with work." Mr.. Scott ex-
planned. IN some cases it might
take 48 hours to make the exchange
of coupons through the board
He defined emergency cases" as
those where persons depended on Oil
for heating and we're entirely out
of fuel. He said "a good many" de-
liveries were made yesterday to take
care of such cases.
Other Coupons Needed.
In instances where customers have
exhausted second period coupons
and still have several days sup
ply of oil in thier tanks, dealers
are not making deliveries until the
exchange of coupons is made
through the ration board, he said:
You can't let people go with
out heat or oil in this kind Of
weather. Mr.. Scott declared in re-
porting that he had advised dealers
to commit the technical violation
of OPA rules.
There is danger of heating sys-
TENS freezing and bursting unless
there is little heat, it was pointed
out. Householders running COM
pletely out of fuel and unable to
get immediate deliveries from deal
ers were advised to drAin all the
water out of the heating system, or
to call a heating contractor.
Mr.. Scott said that so far as he
knew there was sufficient supply
of fuel oil on hand in the District
and vicinity to take care of present
demands. Any dealer who gets into
trouble through shortages and de-
mands from customers is to call
him. Mr.. Scott said. He has re-
ceived no calls.
Authorized to Act.
An OPA spokesman, informed of
the action by dealers, declared that
ration boards are authorized to do
any one of several different things
to prevent people suffering and are
in position to take very quick &C
ton on real emergency cases."
The OPA is checking up on some
eases suspected of not being true
emergencies, he said. He cited one
case of two elderly persons who
reported to an oil company that
they were out of oil, suffering, and
needed attention Immediately. An
OPA investigator checked up and
discovered their oil tank was half
full, and that the ladies had re-
fused to put storm doors or wealth
erstripping on their house.
Mr.. Scott is to confer today with
John G. Neukom, chief of the
Fuel Oil Rationing Division of
OPA. to discuss findings in
survey of the problem of local fuel
dealers made last week by two OPA
investigators. Minor changes in ra-
tioning regulations as they apply to
the District may be made as
result of the survey and todays
conference, it was said. The OPA
investigation was an attempt to
learn first hand the difficulties
faced by local dealers and to check
charges by Mr. Scott that the fuel
oil distribution system here has
broken down under the weight of
rationing.
A major change in the fuel oil
rationing set up may be the ultimate
result of meeting today between
Price Administrator Henderson.
Petroleum Co-ordinator Ickes and
Economic Sterilization Director
Byrnes and Joseph B. Eastman, di-
rector of the Office of Defense
Transportation.
The meeting was called Saturday
by Mr.. Byrnes to discuss the posi-
nility of greater coordination be-
tween Government agencies dealing
with fuel oil and gasoline and posi-
BILE, Improvements in the rationing
system.
Vacant House DAMAGED