Evening star., 1943-04-18
0PA Plans 10 Ration
Fuel Oil Next Winter
On This Years Basis
Amount in Tanks at Sturt
Of Season Will Be ...
Considered as Bonus
BY JAMES Y. NEWTON.

BY JAMES 7. NEWTON.
The Once of Price Admins
tration plans to ration fuel oil
next winter on the same basis
as this year without a general
recalculation of needs, it was
learned yesterday. However,
there will be numerous changes
designed to simplify the plan for
both home owners and dealers.
Although there has been no
formal announcement regarding the
necessity for rationing next season,
1t is held to be nearly certain that
there will be such controlled dis
tribution. In any event, OPA does
not intend to be caught short as
1t was last fall, when quickly con-
ceived plan brought chaos to con-
sumers and dealers alike.
Under current plans applications
for new rations will be available by
June /. Coupons will be in con-
surners' hands by July and those
for the first heating period will be
valid as of that date. Home owners,
and other users, will be urged to fill
tanks during July 50 that full ad-
vantage may be made of every avail
able storage space.
While the basic ration generally
will be the same as in the current
season, thrifty consumers actually
will have more oil to burn next
season. The amount of oil in the
tank at the beginning of the new
season will be a bonus and will not
be measured and deducted from the
annual ration, according to pres
ent plans.
Coupons for small users Of oil or
kerosene, or those having unusually
small storage capacity, will retain
the value of 10 gallons each. The
intermediate class of consumers, in
Guiding most home owners with
storage tanks Of 275-gallon capacity
or larger, will receive coupons with
par value of 50 gallons each. Con-
sumers of from 1000 to 10000 gal
Ions a year, including generally
apartments and commercial estab-
Ishments, will get 250-gallon cou-
pons. Oil will be doled out to users
of more than 10000 gallons on a
delivery receipt basis as at present,
OPA plans to carry on a campaign
In May to explain the new system
to the public Renewal applications
will be simple. probably in the form
of a card to be obtained from the
dealer or ration board, filled out
and mailed to the board. The card
will provide for declaration of mo
change" or a decrease in the ration.
Special forms will be available for
those who desire an increase. Only
those who have moved to new houses
will have to fill out the complicated
forms of last fall. ~
Although the heating season again
will be divided into five periods,
sixth of the old allotted each Gus
toner will be held in special cate
CORY to serve as an inventory
cushion" Coupons for this oil will
be valid all during the heating sea-
son and may be cashed at any time.
This oil will serve as margin of
safety to tide the consumer over
unusually cold periods or may be
used to level off dealer deliveries.
Heating Period Idea Retained.
Current plans call for period cou-
pons, once validated, to remain good
for the remainder of the season.
Many home owners reported losses
this season due to invalidation of
stamps at a fixed date. OPA be-
lieves the new idea will encourage
consumers to save early in the sea-
son. The heating period idea is re-
tanned. however, so that it will be
possible to reduce or raise coupon
values as the supply situation re-
quires.
Rations for non-residential users
of heating oil. including stores,
office buildings. theaters, which
were cut drastically last winter,
will be restored to last falls max
imum. Reductions will be made
later, however, if the need arises
Officials believe that deliveries of
oil to consumers, and other dealer
operations, will be restored to as
near normal as possible. Dealers
hope that next year they will be
able to resume the automatic
delivery system which they used be-
fore the war. Experience gained
the past winter. added to the filling
of consumer tanks in summer and
the early start of the plan, all