Evening star., 1943-09-21
Oral Argument Slated
In Steuart Oil Case
Here Next Month
Testimony Completed
With Recall to Stund
Of General Manager

Oral argument in the case of l.. p.
Steuart 65 Bro, Inc, fuel oil dealers
accused of 227 rationing irregulari-
ties by the OPA, will be heard in
October.
= Clifford Snyder of New York, OPA
hearing commissioner, adjourned
the case late yesterday after con-
clusion of the oil distributors testi-
mony, and allowed two weeks for
the preparation of briefs.
Mr.. Snyder said that while it will
be possible for him to give a deci-
sion on the basis of the briefs and
evidence which will be sent to him
in New York, he expects to ask for
oral argument, and will return next
month to hear it.
Testimony in the case was ended
yesterday. with the recall to the
stand of Curtis Steuart, secretary
and general manager OF the concern.
Mr.. Steuart testified concerning his
firms facilities in a continuation of
the evidence offered by the firms
attorney, Renah F. Camalier, to
rebut the Governments contention
that suspension Of the firms license
could be ordered without placing
undue strain on other District
dealers. @
Mr.. Steuart said that rival Pc
troleum dealers were importing five
carloads of gasoline for every car
load of fuel oil they brought into
the District during the height of the
fuel oil shortage last January.
This testimony was given under
questioning by Carl w. Berueffy,
OPA enforcement attorney. who was
seeking to learn how the Steuart
company came to have large sup
ply of oil at a time when other
dealers had exhausted their stocks.
Mr. Steuart said his firms large
supply could be traced to the fact
his company had concentrated on
getting in fuel oil supplies from the
minute it appeared that a shortage
would be likely. Beginning the pre-
vious spring, he said, the company
had followed the recommendations
of the petroleum administrator for
war and constructed railroad sid
ing capable of handling a trainload
of oil a day.
With these facilities, he said, the
company was able to handle 29,-
511,918 gallons of fuel oil during
the season. Asked whether he had
refused to sell the oil to dealers but
had been willing to sell 1t to their
customers, he said that had been
his policy.
II refused to sell at a financial
loss to keep my competitors in busi-
ness" he said.
He explained he had offered use
of his firms facilities to other deal
ers, however, at a trade meeting
before the opening of the season,
but his offer had not been taken up
Earlier in the afternoon. an OPA
employe assigned to the State De-
partment told how last January, he
had co-operated with a State De-
partment ceremonials officer in ar
ranging shipment of oil to the
Oxon Hill estate of Sumner Welles
former Undersecretary of State. The
oil was supplied by the Steuart
company, as was later emergency
delivery to the Soviet Embassy.
Raymond M. Florance, certified
public accountant with Offices in
the Earle Building, testified that a
count of 100 of the 211 envelopes
of fuel oil ration coupons which
formed the basis of the OPA
charges, showed discrepancies be-
tween his count and the OPA count
in "a envelopes Mr. Florance tes-
titled the OPA count was short
s,187 coupons representing 1850
gallons.
Earlier in the day representatives
of various District institutions had
testified the Steuart company had
supplied them with oil when their
regular dealers stocks run out.