Evening star., 1943-01-09
No Solution Found
To Fuel Prob lem in
Queens Chapel Homes
Plea to Susscer and OPA
Fails to Bring Oil to
HyottsviIIe Subdivision
Ry i. r, ZATMAN,

Dy p' IN AVAA.N'
Approximately 60 families in the
Queens Chapel Manor subdivision
near Hyattsville, Md, today were still
uncomfortably low on fuel oil de-
spite an appeal by five of the home
owners yesterday to Representative
Sasscer, Democrat, of Maryland and
to OPA officials.
Temporary relief was provided
later by one fuel oil dealer. resi-
dent said. who let the families have
enough fuel to last about three
days" Before that their tanks had
been "absolutely empty" Still no
provision had been made, however,
for providing oil when this supply is
exhausted, it was said.
Children's Health Periled.
The families, who said the health
of their children is threatened by
the lack of heat, had been unable to
obtain No. l fuel oil from distribu-
tors for almost week. Some fami-
lies had been able to buy small
amounts of kerosene for fuel and
others had used small electric heat
ers. neither of which provided much
heat, one resident said.
They had been told by the dis
tributor with whom they deal that
his tanks were dry, while other fuel
oil dealers refused to deliver oil be-
cause they aren't regular Gus
TONER'S"
Give Up, Finally.
After spending hours from their
work, first comforting with Repre-
sentative Sasscer and later with
OPA officials, the five homeowners
finally gave up after one official
told them he was unable to do
anything.
The five, P. E. Paxton, G. w. Moon,
Browthen, thought they had their
problem solved after meeting with
Mr.. Sasscer. Also at the meeting
was Walter F. Mulligan, president
of the Prince Georges County Fed
Grafton of Citizens Associations.
After describing the situation to
the Congressman, the group was told
that there is an anti-discriminatlon
clause in the OPA regulations which
compels oil dealers to serve all per-
sons without oil. regardless OF
whether they are regular customers.
provided they live in an area served
regularly by the dealers.
When Representative Sasscer was
assured that Queens Chapel Manor is
served regularly by dealers who re-
fuse to sell No. fuel oil to the fami-
lies without OIL he directed the men
to an OPA official who, he said,
would work out the details of an
order directing the dealers to sup
ply the families.
OPA Less Optimistic.
|. The OPA official, however. was
less optimistic. He said such an
order would come under the en-
forcement division of the OPA, but
added that he would try to do some
thing for the group.
The OPA official in charge of en-
forcement was out. So the men
went to another official in the en-
forcement division.
Here they were told that, While
there is such an anti-discrimination
clause, it is impossible to enforce
when oil stocks of dealers are low
throughout the city.
He did admit, however, that in
similar case recently, threat by
the OPA obtained satisfactory re-
suits. But he insisted that such
a proceeding would not work now
Shrugs at Hearing Plea.
Even if the case was presented
to the Department of Justice for
prosecution, he said, hearing would
not be held for at least two weeks.
And that wouldn't help the Queens
Chapel Manor families.
But. the group suggested, wouldn't
that help if similar case arose
in the future? The official shrugged
and reiterated that he didn't think
the oil companies would comply with
such an order.
In most of the so homes. the
families have 50-gallon tanks which
must be refilled at least twice a
month and more often in cold
weather. The howeowners who
have oil, it was said, have 275 or
350-gallon tanks. which do not need
refilling so often.