Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-12-22
Few Alexandria
Oil Users Get
Quick Relief
About 300 Complain;
Regional OPA Chief
UphoIds Board

About 800 persons stood In line
at the Armory Hall in Alexandria
last night, some for nearly four
hours, to complain about the in
suhiciency Of their fuel oil allotments
and to have computations in their
ration applications checked by mem
beers Of the Alexandria Ration Board.
A second open house for fuel oil
consumers who have complaints will
be held in the Armory Hall tonight,
beginning at 7:30.
Few of those attending last nights
session were able to convince the
rationing officials that they were
entitled to additional fuel Oil
coupons. According to H. W. Zim-
norman, OPA fuel oil rationing ad-
ministrator for Is counties of North
ern Virginia, who assisted board
members in hearing complaints, most
applications were found to have been
correctly processed" by the Ration
Board.
Some errors discovered were made
by applicants who had failed to in
clude closets and halls in arriving at
the square feet of floor space figure
on which fuel Oil rations are based
Some Get Extra Coupons.
In the few cases where the Ration
Board had made mistakes, additional
coupons were distributed Immediate
". Applicants who had made errors
were told how to correct them,
being instructed in most instances
20 put the accurate information in
writing and submit it to the board.
Some persons, still dissatisfied after
all figures in their applications were
found to be correct, were referred to
Mr.. Zimmerman, who informed
them of the steps they might take in
further effort to obtain increased
fuel allotments. Among these were
persons with i'll people or small chill
dren in their homes and those whose
fuel oil ration was less than their
neighbors who had houses of the
same size.
The compliments gathered about
7::30 pm, forming two long lines
which moved slowly throughout the
evening. Some dissatisfaction was
heard because all persons had to file
ny one Of the two board members
who were checking computations in
the applications-H. D. Kirk, fuel
Gil administrator, and j. S. Douglas,
chief clerk. Each case required sew
tfal minutes to hear.
In contrast with an Arlington
County complaint session last week,
at which oil consumers wishing
hearing had to stand in line in the
cold, Alexandria's fuel oil users
waited indoors, where coal heating
Kept the temperature at between rs
and 30 degrees. Alexandria officials
took precautions against a repeti-
ton of the Arlington County situa-
toin by yesterday shifting the hear
ing, originally scheduled to be held
in Ration Board Offices at SIG Cam
eron street, from the board Offices
TO the much larger Armory.
Agent Complains for Tenants.
One Of the major protests OF the
evening was made by L. H. Glenn
ents, who said he was speaking for
himself and 81 other tenants of
Alexandria Village, a recently COM
pleted defense housing area in the
200 and 300 blocks of Buchanan
street.
Mr.. Clements, rental agent for the
Village, produced letters from an
engineer with the American Heat
ing Co. which estimated that to
maintain 70-degree temperature
during seven months of average
Washington weather 875 gallons of
fuel oil would be required for corner
houses and 625 gallons for the in
side houses. Rations allowed the
tenants, the rental agent said,
ranged between 200 and $40 gallons.
Several defense workers living in
the Village plan to move to a warm
er climate unless they can get oil
to heat their homes properly, he
said.
In his own case, Mr.. Clements de-
clared, only $40 gallons were al
lowed. Prior to issuance of ration
coupons he purchased 370 gallons
of oil, giving promissory note in
stead of the coupons, he said. Now
he is unable to give the fuel Oil
dealer the coupons he has promised.
Balks on Surrendering Coupons.
Another consumer told Mr.. Zim-
norman that because his oil ration
was not enough 'even to run cook
stove" he did not intend to turn
over coupons due his fuel oil dealer
il he found on investigation that
the dealer would be powerless to
prosecute him.
An Army lieutenant told the
board that he had only a 48-gallon-
per-month allowance as compared
with Ito gallons month he used
last year. Out of oil for the last
three days he has to send his wife
and 15-month-old child "out visit
ing" in the daytime so they will
stay warm, he said.
Mr.. Zimmerman described the
Alexandria situation as the major
Headache" in his Is counties. The
Alexandria Ration Board has done
a fine job" he said. but a greater
percentage Of the people use oil for
heating in Alexandria than else
where, complicating problems Of the
Ration Board.