Evening star., 1943-01-15
D. {. Stores, Schools
Plan Full Schedules
Despite Oil Shortage
One-Duy Suspension
Of Similar Buildings
Expected in Baltimore

Schools, stores and other build
ings not essential to the war effort
will remain open on full schedules
here despite the fuel oil shortage, it
appeared today, unless they are
later forced to curtail their activities
by official action. Meanwhile, in
Baltimore, similar establishments
were warned that proclamation
may soon be issued asking them to
suspend their activities one day a
week
Although all but one of Washing
tons large downtown department
stores are heated by oil, store Of
ficials here said they already were
doing everything possible to con-
serve heat by cutting down tenn
peratureS and improving the ef-
flciency of their equipment. Most
of them doubted that closing the
stores one day week would effect
savings commensurate with the sac
riflce, since even an empty store
must be heated to certain degree
to prevent damage.
AoPooC 4>AS ShVPpAi6s
Because of the peculiar conditions
here, they said, it would be feasible
to keep the stores open two nights a
week, instead of only on Thursday,
enabling more Government work.
ers to do necessary shopping. This,
they said, was impossible now be-
cause of personnel problems. 1t was
also pointed out that if stores here
were closed one day a week the
problem of keeping employees would
be intensified.
There was no immediate reason
to expect that such establishments
as schools and department stores
would be compelled to cut down
their hours of operation. 1t ap-
peared almost certain however, that
under the preferential list being
prepared by the Office of Price Ad-
ministration to conserve fuel oil
supplies, such places as bowling
alleys, night clubs, cocktail lounges
and even theaters would find it
necessary to curtail their activities
during the next six or eight weeks
of cold weather.
The list is expected to be an
nounced shortly. 1t will replace the
priorities list formerly in operation
under the petroleum administrator
for war. This latter method of de-
termining the order in which scarce
oil supplies were to be distributed
was abandoned by the PAW We'd
nesday in anticipation of the new
and more detailed system.
Proclamation Due Soon.
The warning that non-essential
buildings in Baltimore may be
called upon to forego heat one
additional day week came after
a conference yesterday of city,
State and rationing officials. These
officials said a proclamation may
be forthcoming soon.
They said the proclamation had
not been prepared yet for consider |
alton of the Governor and Mayor
because precise information as to
the extent of the shortage was not
available.
In the District, the supply of fuel /
oil appeared to be somewhat i'm
proved, with most dealers report
ing three or four day supply on
hand. Officials warned, however,
that there was no indication that
the situation was permanently i'm
proved. They said that a severe
drop in temperature would prob
ably plunge the Metropolitan Area
i,1t
A bill which would authorize the
installation of pipeline from
Chicago to New York to meet the
critical Oil shortage in the East will
be introduced soon by Represent
ative Curley, Democrat, of Massa-
chusetts, he said yesterday.
Mr.. Curley has been seeking the
construction of a concrete pipeline.
His bill does not specify concrete,
but directs that the line be Of suffi-
cient capacity to supply the needed
oil. The congressman said that If
the War Department would put from
100000 to 100000 to work at once
on the project, it could be completed
within 45 or 60 days.
At his press conference yesterday,
Secretary Ickes discounted the value
of concrete pipelines as a means of
overcoming the lack of critical ma
terials. He said that nearly as much
steel would be required in the line
and in the equipment needed to
build it as would be used in pipe
line of all-steel construction. In
addition, he said, concrete lines
would permit considerable leakage.