Evening star., 1943-01-02
Oil Pinch 10 Last
Until After War;,
House Unit Says
District Dealers
Seek to Bring In
Additional Supplies

While a congressional committee
warned the Nation not to expect any
relief from the full oil shortage un-
til after the war, Washington deal
ers geared themselves today to de-
livery system that would enable
them to reach the greatest number
of consumers with the reduced sup
ply on hand.
Fuel oil officials, reporting that
there was enough oil in the District
to last at least for several more days,
redoubled their efforts to bring in
additional supplies before the ex-
haustion point is reached.
Meanwhile Renah F. Camalier.
consultant to the OPA director for
the District, reported that the de-
livery system here, described week
ago as one of the principal draw
backs to the local rationing system,
was working more smoothly He con-
tinued his efforts to iron out other
difficulties reported to him in writ
ing by the dealers earlier this week.
Heavy Drain Cited.
The House Interstate Commerce
Committee issued warning on the
fuel oil situation, based on two years
of investigation by a subcommittee
and on the assumption that the war
would continue for two more years.
Heavy drains for war needs,
coupled with failure to encourage
the discovery and development of
new oil fields, the committee said,
have resulted in crude oil demands
exceeding production and decline,
during the last eight months, of
60,000,000 barrels in stored supplies
of crude and petroleum products.
Projected demands for 1943, the
committee added, are greatly in ex-
cess of estimated production"
The committee recommended that
the Government encourage in
creased production. that higher
ceiling prices be allowed for petro-
leum and its products, that greater
incentives be given to discovery and
exploration of new sources of supply,
that existing supplies be conserved
through rationing. and that the
public cooperate by cutting down
on the use of petroleum and its
products.
Reserves Abandoned.
Cost factors and lack of facilities,
the committee said, have led to
abandonment of substantial under
ground reserves. 1t suggested leg
islation to permit producers to re-
quire equitable compliance with
cooperative plan" for the conserva-
ton and production of oil from
underground reserves.
In the field of rationing, the COM
mittee commented, "all possible rec
ognition' should be given to the es-
sential needs of individuals and
localities
Supporting the committees warm
ing, Robert E, Allen, acting deputy
petroleum administrator, reported
that tank car shipments of oil and
other petroleum products to the East
resumed a declining trend in the
week ended December 26 He said
shipments in the week averaged
700,827 barrels per day, decrease
of 43.l96 barrels per day from the
preceding week.
Shipments Decline Steadily.
Except for small increase a week
ago. the trend of these shipments for
several weeks has been downward.
Mr. Allen added He said the prin-
cipal reason for the decline last week
was severe weather Flood condi-
tions hampered both the movement
and the unloading of tank cars.
In a brief reference to the rubber
shortage the committee said any
undue delay in providing rubber to
meet civilian and war needs might
in time be rated as national
calamity"
THE Nation looks hopefully to syn
thetic rubber production it said.
but the program "is, in part, held up
by the lack of approval of priorities
of materials rated as critical for war
purposes"