Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-14
Two Barges Loaded
With Fuel Oil Ease
Shortage in D. {.
Supplies Shipped Here
From Baltimore THROUGH
Special ODT Permit

SPeCioi wi Kermit
Two bargeloads of fuel OIL
representing enough to last two
OF the large suppliers in this
area for three or four days, were
being unloaded here today. it
was reported.
Officials of the companies receiy-
ing the shipments were reluctant to
say exactly what quantity of oil was
being added to the Districts supply
as the result of the barges' arrival.
but they believed it was sufficient
to relieve temporarily the shortage
here.
Shipped From Baltimore.
The barges were shipped from
Baltimore through special permis-
sion of the Office of Defense Trans
portation which permits unlicensed
movement of oil barges only when
the cargo is being transported north
ward.
Meanwhile, Lester Scott of the
Merchants and Manufacturers As
ISOLATION said he was determined
to make every effort" to end con-
fusion in the local fuel oil situation
and, in his report to the Senate
Oil Committee, he said he would
"let the chips fall where they may"
"At the suggestion of Senator
Barbour of New Jersey" Mr.. Scott
said, 'I am preparing for Senator
Maloney, chairman of the special
committee investigating fuel oil and
gasoline rationing, a set OF recon-
mendations which I feel will help al
leviate the critical fuel oil situation
in the Washington Metropolitan
Area.
Regulations to Stand.
"At the suggestion of Senator
Burton of Ohio, my recommended
lions will be drawn up with the
idea that the suggestions per-
petrated therein might be appro-
PIRATE to other metropolitan areas:
I expect to be able to submit these
recommendations late tomorrow or
early Saturday. I am determined
to make every effort I can to cut
the confused fuel oil situation down
to some plain facts and let the chips
fall where they may"
While Mr.. Scott was attacking
the problem from his angle, Renah
F.. Camalier,. consultant to Whitney
Leary, District OPA director, today
reiterated his contention that there
is no fuel oil problem here other
than the basic one of supplies.
Give us the OIL" he said. Wen
deliver it. Some people are talking
about changing the regulations
They think that will help. But its
not the regulations. Our only trou-
BILE is that we haven't got enough
oil in this area.
Were under rationing and we're
going to stay under it. I don't like
it any better than most people, but
we may as we'll get used to it be-
cause we're in a war"
Camalier to Discuss Problem.
Mr.. Camalier will speak on local
oil problems at $50 o'clock tonight
over WINK during the meeting of
the Reciprocity Club in the May
flower Hotel
Mr.. Scott appeared before the
Senate Oil Committee yesterday and
suggested centralized control of the
petroleum in one agency and the
pooling of supplies entering this
area.
After the committee recessed its
public hearing yesterday afternoon,
Chairman Maloney said the COM
mittee would continue to gather in
formation in executive session for
the next few days
Senator Maloney asked Mr.. Scott
II he is familiar with the new OPA
nti-discrimination order, under
which a primary supplier may not
deny available oil to a dealer who
presents the necessary coupons.
Mr.. Scott said he is familiar with
the order, but believes it creates dis
elimination instead of eliminating it.
In response to committee queS-
tons as to how fuel oil distribution
could be improved, Mr.. Scott pro-
posed that committee be called to-
gether, consisting of one representa-
tive of OPA, of ODT, the Office of
Petroleum Administrator for War.
the local ration Office, a representa-
tive of the industry and an expert
on consumer distribution. Such a
group, he said, should be able to
work out constructive suggestions
that would improve the situation.
Multiple Deliveries.
The multiplicity of small deliveries
dealers must make in dividing a con-
sumer's total ration for the season
into heating periods has created
much of the difficulty, Mr.. Scott said
Mr.. Scott said oil in consumers
tanks has decreased steadily to a
point where "a very large number
of home owners are going to run out
of oil at the same time and 1t Is
going to be physically impossible for
the dealers to catch up on deliveries
because there are not enough trucks;
and then it won't make much differ
ence if we have plenty of oil in the
bulk terminals, because We still have
the problem of getting the oil to the
consumer, and the dealer cannot
keep up with deliveries under the
present ration regulations.
The witness predicted that many
small fuel oil dealers here and at
other points in the East, ARE faced
with the necessity of closing shop
unless the present ration program is
revised"
Cnke far Cenfennrinn