Evening star., 1942-12-15


away himself, David Lawrence.
fuel oil has to be delivered by tank
wagon. The entire distribution sys-
tenn built up over the years, based
on experience, involves the delivery
of about 180 gallons to a customer
per trip or else it is not economical
for the dealer to maintain delivery
But under the rationing system,
the dealer can only deliver so gal
Ions in each period out of the $50
that may be allotted for . whole
season.
This IL because the regulations
require that the coupons must be
used within each of the five heat
ing periods extending from the au-
tumn through the winter. The
weather may be colder in one Pc
Rod than another but, under ex-
sting regulations, the user cannot
get delivery except within the fixed
period.
The dealers are swamped with
requests for delivery. People who
have their coupons are finding that,
although the oil is available, stocks
are not being pooled and deliveries
are slow because they have been
multiplied. Not only have the num-
Der Of deliveries been increased
three to five fold but the time con-
sumed In making the deliveries has
been materially heightened.
Red Tape Troublesome.
Tank drivers who worked long
into the highland some of them
all night over the week end-are
worn out with the delays incident
TO the red tape needed to fill out
certificates after they deliver the
oil. But the worst feature of the
whole situation is the large num-
Der OF persons who have the cou-
pons but cannot get the oil.
A tank driver at 1890 last Sat-
urday night told this correspondent
he had been working since 7 o'clock
that morning and he had at least
10 more places to go, because the
citizens had been without oil for
"a hours or more.
The oil dealers have lost person.
mel due to the draft and other war
time conditions and they have no
way of getting more tank wagons
and more tires and gas for what
would mean at least twice as many
vehicles for delivery. The ration
bureaucrats evidently forget that
the dealers have manpower prob
lem or that they operate on the
basis of a limited number of trips
during the winter season so as to
keep everybody supplied promptly.
1t Is essential that the tank wag-
ons be permitted to deliver more
than the amounts allotted in each
period. This means that it should
be permissible to use the coupons
on flexible basis 50 that the con-
sumner can use up all his oil in one
period If he feels that he can't
keep warm otherwise. In the case
sf the citizen who has been cut so
per cent or more and who was given
no warning that such a cut would
Be forthcoming, it is likely that he
will be out Of oil before the end
ef the heating season.
If the regulations were amended
10 permit consolidation of coupon
periods, 1t would give people more
time to convert to coal If they
found they could. In many cases,
crates or stokers are not obtainable
ut any price. In some instances,
the WPB has frozen the kind of
equipment needed. But this phase
Of the red tape might be ironed out
4 the citizen could keep on using
his total supply till he could get
soal.
Earlier Deliveries Curbed.
The difficulty about transporta-
Aon and delivery cannot be cured
BY insisting that citizens convert to
eoal. The average length Of time
Nat many people say will be neces-
sary before the conversion can be
completed is about two to three
weeks. In the meantime, there must
be some way to provide homes with
oil. A relaxation OF the regulations
to permit such conversions would
help the situation immeasurably.
As for deliveries. the dealers want
ed to put more oil in the tanks dur
ing October and November, but were
prevented from doing so by the bu-
reaucrats. The fact is that tank
wagons were idle and huge guam
titles of oil were actually available
last month, but the instructions is
sued by the administration were
that tanks could be only partially
filled.
The oil-rationing scheme is
fragrant example Of bureaucratic
theorizing which figures things out
on paper and doesn't take into ac-
count the practical aspects. Rather
than admit anything is wrong. Of
dcials defiantly insist they are proud
Of the job done. Sometimes it is
better to acknowledge error and
start over again than to inflict harm
on innocent bystanders.
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