Evening star., 1942-11-17
Fuel Oil Ration Stats Struggle
Vo|iontIy With VoriobIes
1t Might Really Be Easier to Convert
Than to Understand Complex Formula

average season and divide the
product by each of the constants.
That gives you the ration range.
You're getting somewhere now, but
you still haven't any real oil that
burns and gives out heat.
The next step is to take the
amount of fuel oil you used last
year. adjust it to normal by compar-
ing last years degree days to the
normal degree-days and making
proportionate cut in the gallonage
of fuel used last year. Then you
take two-thirds OF this amohnt and
if the figure comes out within the
previously determined ration range
you have the amount of oil you're
going to get this winter.
To the greater glory of the OPA,
let it be said that the volunteers
don't have to 60 through all this to
get the rationing allowance for every
consumer. They are provided with
a set of tables, given a. couple of
hours of instruction and turned
loose.
Where the Figuring Begins.
On the second page of your ap-
plication, just below the box in
which you recorded your floor area,
is a space which you weren't sup
posed to fill in. This is where the
volunteers 60 to work.
First they put down the dwelling
area, which they get from the total
you provided. Then they put down
the AREA ceiling" which is the
maximum amount of floor space
permitted for any given number of
occupants in a house. For two
people the area ceiling is $500
square feet; for three people, 1900
square feet; for four people, 5000
square feet, etc.
After that the volunteer turns to
another table and records the max
lmum, middle and minimum range,
which is determined by the floor
area. Then he sets down the "his-
torical heat and hot water" which
means the total amount of oil used
last season for heating both the
rooms and the water. This figure is
obtained from the application. The
next figure comes from another
table-the historical hot water" It
represents that part of your fuel oil
last year which the OPA figures
you must have used to heat water
If your water is heated by oil.
The next figure, the historical
heat" is determined by subtracting
the historical hot water" from the
historical heat and hot water"
BY taking the figure opposite
historical heat" and applying it to
another table the perspiring volun-
teer finds two more figures-the
base" and the special base" To
the base, If it falls within the min
imum and maximum ranges, are
added rs gallons for children under
4 years of age and another figure
for hot-water allowance, obtained
from still another table. From this
sum Is deducted the amount of oil
you had in your tank on October
1-or on the date of filing the appli-
cation If 1t was sent in after No
vember l.
Conversion Inducement.
The result, at long last, is your
fuel oil ration for the season. That
Is, unless more variables get into
the picture, in which case some
more figures must be adjusted
and -.
Oh. well, maybe it would be
simpler all around if you just con-
verted to coal.
Perhaps a hypothetical case will
help. The floor area reported by the
applicant isl 400 square feet. There
are six persons. living in the house,
so the AREA ceiling" is $500 square
feet. Since the actual area is less
than the ceiling, the $500 square
feet can be promptly forgotten.
BY using the 1,400, however, you
md In one Of the tables the maxi
mum range, 1,125: middle range,
994, and minimum range, 1863. The
The historical heat Is then recorded
as 1900, the number Of gallons you
reported you used last season. From
this you deduct 540-a figure found
In another table and based on the
fact that there are six people In
the house who use hot water the
year around. The result Is 1850.
This last figure. with the help Of
another table, will get you the base,
which Is 974 and the special base,
which Is 1,242. Since the base falls
safely between the minimum and
maximum range, it Is written down
as the preliminary heat.
Added to this is Is, assuming there
= at least one child under the age
Of 4 In the house. Another $50 is