Evening star., 1943-04-04
Rationing Of Fuel Oil
Cut East Consumption
To 50 Pet. Of Normal
Sacrifices Permitted
Military and Industry
To Get Full Supplies

The fuel oil rationing program
In the District and II Eastern
States from October l to March g
cut consumption Of oil for heatine
purposes to so per cent of norma
and made it possible for the mill.
tary and war industries to get al
the supplies needed, the OPA an.
nounced last night.
At the same time, the OPA ad.
mitted that the oil rationing pro.
gram Contained some awkward
features" but promised that ef.
forts would be made to eliminate
them before the next cold season
begins.
100000 Consumers Rationed.
1T should be remembered, how
ever" the agency said, that we had
no precedent to guide us in setting
up the procedure for rationing the
approximately 100000 Eastern
consumers who use fuel oil for
heating We had to take care of
the giant office building and the
one-burner kerosene heater. The
influence of the weather on heating
needs had to be taken into account"
OPA pointed out that the expert
ence gained in administering the
program during the 1923 season
would be helpful in ironing out the
rough spots in oil rationing.
1T is our aim to eliminate, wher-
ever we can" it said, "those features
OF the plan which the consumer, the
industry or the local boards have
found to be excessively time-con-
suming or troublesome"
1t was reported that not single
plant producing essential war ma
terials was seriously hindered by
lack of oil. The OPA also said that
the mounting demands of the mill
tary, greatly accentuated by the
African campaign" were met in full.
1T can be fairly stated that fuel
oil rationing during the past winter
accomplished its major objective" !"
the OPA said.
September Ends First Year.
Consumption of oil for heating
purposes, it was reported, was cut
from a normal $500, 900 barrels for
the six-month period to about
SO, ,300, 900 barrels. Consumers orig
inaIy received coupons emitting
them to an aggregate of 9o,978, 900
barrels of oil for the entire heating
season, which began last October l
and which will end next Septem-
ber 80.
The critical supply situation in
January, February and March, the
OPA said, made it necessary to cut
the value of Nos. and coupons
from 10 to 9 gallons in the District
and to eight gallons in other parts
OF the East, resulting in saving of
100000 barrels during this period.
The OPA said the reduction was or
dered TO equalize distribution, de-
spite the fact that temperatures,
especially in the New England
States, were abnormally low.
The reduction imposed on non-
residential buildings, bringing these
allotments down to so per cent of
normal, it was stated. saved house.
holders in the East from a further
cut.
." Reserve Margin Small.
During January and February"
it was said, "rationing operations
were on an uncomfortably small
margin Of reserve. During these
weeks, a reduction of as little as
25,000 barrels a Gay in supplies of
heating oil in the area would have
meant severe suffering approach
ing actual catastrophe in many of
the large population centers of the
Atlantic Seaboard."
Another 100000 barrels of oil
was saved, OPA estimated, as a re-
suit of the campaign to get con-
sumers to convert from oil to coal
The petroleum administration
said recently that supplies would
be in better shape next winter,
although it has repeatedly warned
the improvement would not be suf-
fcient to warrant abandonment of
the rationing program.