Evening star., 1943-01-11
|0PA Threatens Force
To Garry Out Ediet
On Fuel Oil Sales
License Suspension or
Placing Inspectors at
Plant Held Possible


Plant Held Possible
Unless District fuel oil suppliefs
and dealers agree to sell their GUS
toners as much oil as they want
within the limits OF their ration
coupons, the OPA will step In and
force action, a spokesman an
nounced today.
The OPA official said such action
would be in line with Leon Hender-
sons order designed to end favor
itism.
The statement followed an an
nouncement Saturday by the oil
Arm Of L. p. Steuart d Bro. that
any consumer who was out of oil
could obtain 100 gallons from that
Arm. Under the OPA ruling, any
consumer, whether he had been a
regular customer of the dealer be-
fore or not, could obtain as much
oil as he wanted within the limit of
his valid ration coupons.
company OOmpllCS.
Curtis S. Steuart, secretary and
treasurer of the Steuart Co., said
today, however, that customers were
being given oil In any amount for
which they had coupons. provided
they brought the coupons into the
once to be detached. He said the
100-gallon restriction, announced in
newspaper and radio advertisements,
had been imposed on the supposition
that many persons were out Of oil
and the Arm hoped to spread its
supplies by limiting quantities.
Instead of being swamped as he
expected, Mr.. Steuart said his firm
received only II calls yesterday from
persons entirely without oil and up
to 1890 o'clock this morning, only
two calls had been received.
The Steuart Co. and the Petrol
Co., described as tenant and sup
plier" of the former concern, FIRST
ran into difnculties with the OPA
Saturday when the Petrol Co. al
legedly refused to supply several
other dealers with oil while Steuart
trucks were being loaded. Later
oil was promised to the dealers on
the basis Of 100 gallons for each
customer Of their reports of need
for emergency deliveries.
Allotted 25,o0o Gallons.
Joseph Richards. jr., vice presi-
dent of the Columbia Speciality Co.,
Inc, Chevy Chase oil dealer, said
today that his Arm had been al
lotted $4,000 gallons of Petrols oil.
He said $500 gallons had been
picked up over the week end to
bring relief to distressed customers
and the remainder was being COL
lected today. He said, however,
that by tonight his firm would be
In the same position as it was in
Saturday morning and that unless
oil was available elsewhere it would
again make demands on Petrol un-
der authority OF the OPA ruling.
Mr.. Richards said the Grifnth
Consumers Co. had voluntarily Of
fered his firm 5000 gallons Of oil
from q barge-load expected today.
He said the normal demand of the
Columbia Specially Co. was $4,000
gallons day. Oil obtained from
the Petrol company over the week
end, the oil dealer said, was allotted
to consumers in quantities of so
gallons for small homes, rs gallons
for medium sized buildings and 100
gallons for large places.
Mr.. Richards admitted any Of his
customers, under the Henderson
order, might have demanded de-
lveries to the full value OF their
valid coupons, but he said in vir-
tually all cases they were willing to
cooperate by accepting the small
quantities and thus allowing for q
further spread OF the supply.
Proceedings Outlined.
The OPA ofncial said that "any
effort by any company to defy the
Government in regard to the anti
discrimination regulations will re-
suit In immediate proceedings to
stop the violations and make the
oil available"
He said ofncial action would prob
ably follow these general lines:
If q supplier or dealer refused to
abide by the order, the OPA could
suspend the license of the violator
and take over the ALLEGATION of the
oil supplies.
An inspector could be placed at
the oil plant to make sure customers
were given all the oil for which
they had coupons.
Referring specifically to the Steu-
art company, the OPA official said
that If this oil firm allows only 100
gallons to a customer who asks
for more and who has coupons for
more, 1t will be violating the OPA
order. He said further that con-
sumers did not need to present cer-
tif1cates that they were entirely
without oil, as required by the
Steuart firm.
The same ofiicial said that. while
the Steuart company's operations
might be proper in times Of peace,
such procedure as has been adopted
had no place in . wartime emer-
gency.