Evening star., 1942-12-13
cent Of all. oil used by consumers
here. asked that immediate action
be taken to relieve this pressure.

cent Of all oil used by consumers
here. asked that immediate action
be taken to relieve this pressure.
Calls Conditions Critical.
In a statement to The Star yes
terday, Mr.. Scott said that con-
ditions here are even more critical"
than they were portrayed to the
Government officials.
Il have checked with a large
number of fuel oil dealers in the
Washington Metropolitan Area
this morning." Mr.. Scott declared
and their situation on deliveries to
consumers is becoming even more
critical than was indicated in MY
telegram to Mr.. Ickes petroleum
Administrator Mr.. Henderson
price Administrator and MI.
Eastman Joseph B. Eastman, De-
fense Transportation Director on
December 10.
Delivery requirements are piling
up at an alarming rate and there
are not enough tank trucks and
drivers to meet the situation under
present fuel oil rationing regula-
tons A million gallons Of fuel OF!
in storage on the Anacostia River.
plus coupons. plus cash does not
mean fuel oil in the tank where
it is needed to provide little heat.
"OPA regulations plus jurisdical
sQuabbles between Government
agencies and industry committees
are preventing consumers from OBJ
tanning much needed Oil when there
is oil at hand. There is a solution
and it should come about quickly
if unnecessary suffering in thou
sands of homes is to be avoided"
Three Major Steps Urged.
Oil dealers have proposed three
major steps which they believe
would alleviate the breakdown
which appears to be inevitable
under present methods:
l. Elimination of the OPA's
heating periods and substitution of
system whereby consumers could
use any or all Of their coupons at
any time throughout the heating
season.
2. Government action to compel
operation of the pooling arrange
ment set up in directive No. SO of
the Office Of Petroleum Co-ordi-
nator, thus allowing all dealers to
have equal access to existing stocks
of oil now lying idle here
3. Inauguration of shuttle"
transport system to spread oil
stocks from central reservoirs to
dealers bulk plants. located In more
than 40 places throughout the Met
ropolitan Area.
Henderson Defends Program.
At his press conference late Fri
day Mr Henderson defended the
fuel-oil rationing program and in
dicated that no action was con-
templated along the lines suggested
by the oil dealers. He said con-
sumers could figure out by them
selves how much oil they can af-
ford to burn each period by adding
their coupon values to their in
ventory as of October / and divid-
ing the result by five.
The problems the dealers face
under the five-period plan is far
more serious, however In the first
place, the paper work involved In
their offices has already forced most
Of them to increase their Staffs nv
Is per cent. Even if they can afford
this additional expense-and most
Of them say they can't-it is diff
cult to get new employees and train
them for the complex job that must
be done.
At the same time. truck drivers.
whose job once consisted simply of
delivering oil into consumers tanks,
are quitting their jobs with the pro-
test that they have no intention of
becoming bookkeepers.
Bookkeeping Job.
Drivers are now compelled, when
they put oil into a tank. to tear of
exactly the right number of cou-
pons. If the customer has not writ
ten his ration number on each of
the coupons the driver must wait
10 or Is minutes while this is done
Then he must write in the date of
delivery, the number of gallons of
gas put into the tank, the number
OF unit coupons he tore off, the
number of gallonage coupons he