Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-03-08
Fuel Oil Experts
1oUrgeChanges
In Ration System
Meet With OPA Chiefs
March 1917 on Plans
To Insure Supplies
By NORMAN kAHL.

BY HUFFMAN NAIL.
Substantial reforms in the method
of rationing fuel oil next winter will
be sought by dealers representatives.
at a meeting with OPA officials here
on March 16 and II, it was learned
today.
1t is generally known that OPA is
anxious to induce fuel oil consumers
throughout the East to fill their
tanks during the summer and thus
relieve some of the pressure when
the cold weather starts next fall.
Such plans make it necessary that
the rationing system for the 1884
heating season be devised early,
since no one is now permitted to
buy oil without coupons
Although period S coupon is re-
deemable through September 30, it
was not expected there would be
many persons with coupons left
after the current cold season.
Householders who use oil to heat
water during the summer are ex-
pected to set aside enough coupons
from the current allotment to tide
them over until October l.
Major Changes Sought.
The meeting here next week will
be attended by about two dozen in
dustry representatives. who are mem
bers of the OPA's Advisory Fuel Oil
Council. This meeting will follow a
preliminary session which was held
last week between OPA representa-
tives and members of the industry
in New York, at which time ration
ing experience of the current season
was discussed and proposed changes
in the rationing system were pre-
sented.
Two major changes are being
sought in the regulations by the
dealers, it is understood:
/. Elimination of coupons and
the substitution of certificates which
must be filed with the dealers.
2. A change in the opening date
of the next heating season from
October l to July l.
Elimination of coupons, the dealers
explain, would automatically wipe
out the heating periods which, they
contend, were responsible for much
of the difficulty experienced during
the current season.
Want Accurate Estimates.
Under this system, consumers
would file their certificates for the
seasons allotment with their dealers
at the beginning of the rationing
period They would not be compelled,
1t was pointed out. to maintain an
account with the same dealer for the
remainder of the season, but could
ask to withdraw their certificates at
any time and place them with an
other firm
This method, the dealers claim,
would provide the industry with an
accurate figure as to the exact
amount of oil that will be needed in
a given area during the ensuing
season, and advance arrangements
could be made with each dealer to
assure delivery Of the amount
needed. 1t would also enable the
Office of Defense Transportation, it
was said, to gauge the amount of
transportation that would be re-
CURED to move the petroleum into
the area.
This season, the industry repre-
sentatives said, primary suppliers
had no idea how much oil was re-
CURED by the individual dealers and
consequently there were occasions
when some dealers ran out of oil
while others had excess stocks.
ID. c. Dealers Swamped.
BY moving the opening date of the
next heating season up to July !,
the oil men said, the OPA would
bring its rationing season in line
with the dates long used by the in
dustry. 1t would also make it pos
slble, they emphasized, for con-
sumers to obtain oil during the sum-
mer in readiness for the winters
cold weather
Oil dealers in the District were
still sWamped today with orders from
customers wanting to redeem their
No. 5 coupons which became valid
Yesterday. According to Lester
Scott, director of the oil heating
division of the Merchants and Man
ufacturers Association, it will be at
least week before the dealers are
able to fill all the orders that are
piling up.
Mr.. Scott said the supply situa-
ton in the Metropolitan area had
improved and he criticized the OPA
for not advancing the validity date
of No. coupons so that dealers
might have budgeted their deliv-
cries, beginning early last week.
Meanwhile, Robert K. Thompson
District OPA director, warned con-
sumers not to use their oil extrav-
agantly, even though it appears
they may have a surplus by the
time the cold weather finally ends.
He said that no auxiliary rations
would be granted to persons who
ran out of oil before the end of
the season. He also advised con-
sumers who heat water with fuel
oil during the summer to make pro-
visions now for the warm months.
lnaSmuch as no additional oil will
be allotted for this purpose.