The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-01-06
Director Bo1Ules Appeals For Conservation OfFueI No Alarmist Nor Pessimist but Present cond- tions Warrant Serious Appreciation of Facts
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and the ups and downs of our cain- paign in North Africa.
 So let us now turn to the second part of our program the prob- lem of cutting down on our use of fuel oil to the greatest possible de- gree. The first way to cut down the supply of oil was obviously through rationing,- and rationing plans are already in effect. As you well know, the rationtng program has forced drastic cuts in the amount of oil that Connecticut home owners are accustomed to use.
 Another vitally important method of saving oil is to induce the great est possible number of industrial plants, public buildings, commercial establishments and homes, to burn coal instead of oil. This Federal conversion program has been under way since last summer in fact, ever since @ very hot night last July when over this same radio sta- tion I first urged the conversion of industrial and home units.
 Let's first examine the progress we have made in converting indus trial plants and commercial and public buildings, ninety eight per cent of which can burn bituminous or soft coal.
 Three Federal agencies are CO., operating closely on this prgram I. the O.P.A., the Office of the Fuel Administrator (that's MT. Ickes) and the War Production Board.
 Plants Checked ..
 The Petroleum Administrator engineers check each heating plant to see whether or not it can be con- verted. The War Production Board rushes grates and other equipment. The OPA limits the ration of oil to an amount only sufficient to pro- vide for the period before the con- version is completed. Under a sep arate plan, the Army Ordnance De- partment, working with a special staff of engineers, is pushing the conversion of all plants with Army ordnance orders, which includes g heavy proportion of those within our state limits.
 Exactly what are the results of our conversion program SO far? To our personal knowledge, forty-two hun dred Connecticut plants and com- mercial and public buildings have either converted to coal already or are now in the process of conver- sion. The total amount of fuel oil saved by these conversions will amount to at least torty-thre rnil- lion gallons. That's erough oil to heat thirty-flye thousand average sized Connecticut homes. In addi- tion, there are many hundreds, and even thousands, of conversions that have not come specifically to our attention.
 We will continue to push this con- version program with the utmost speed. The following telegram, which I received this morning from Leon Henderson in Washington, H. illustrates that We have no time to lose. Let us read It to you.
 "In view of increasingly serious fuel oil supply situation, it is im- perative that all buildings other than private dwellings in your state be compelled to convert to coal or lose their fuel rationS. Only the most conclusive proof that property is not convertible will be acceptable It is the responsibility of all War Price and Rationing Boards to see that conversion is made at the earl- jest possible date and that the final ration allotment for oil is sufficient only until this date. Far more oil must be saved in the next two months. Please instruct each Loca1 Rationing Board in your state al once to apply this policy vigorously even if it means heatless buildings. Signed - Leon Henderson.
 There never has been any serious question about our supply of bit luminous coal. MT. Ickes and other authorities in Washington, as well as all the coal dealers in the state agree that the supply of hituminous can readily take care of the big gest conversion program that w can put through in the next two months. Twenty-two large plants which we called today reported an average supply on hand sufficient for six months.
 Conversion Problem
 Now let's consider the conversion problem of the heme owner who is now using oil. The rationine registration for home fuel oil indi- cates that more than three hundred thousand homes in the state use either fuel oil or kerosene for heat ing and cooking. One-third of these homes have central oil-heat- ing equipment which distributes the heat tot he various rooms by steam 0r hok air The remaining two