The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-06-24
NELSON REJECTS !
.|CKES' REQUEST
RatiOning Power Over Fuel
Oil, Gas Denied PetrO=
leum Administrator
BY ARTHUR F. DEGREVE

UNITED Press Staff Correspondent
Washington, June 24.-(UP)-
War Production Board Chairman
Donald M. Nelson has rejected Pc
troleum Administrator Harold L.
IckeS' request for Yationing power
over fuel oil and gasoline but was
reported today to be planning new
ter-governmental group with
broad supervisory powers over dis
tribution of those commodities.
The group, it was said, would in
clude Representatives of the Petrol
cum Administration for War, the
Office of Price Administration and
the Office of Defense Transporta-
ton. There is possibility Ickes may
serve as chairman of the committee,
but final decisions in case of dis
agreement would continue to rest
with Nelson in whom President
Roosevelt vested original authority
to ration scarce commodities.
There is general recognition in
government circles that statements
and speeches by officials associated
with the fuel rationing problem
have created unnecessary confusion.
For example, while Ickes was telling
delegates to the governors confer
ence at Columbus, O., that fuel re-
strictions in the east would con-
tinue in force for the duration, Nell
son told a congressional committee
that "relief" was in sight for the
shortage areas.
A WPB spokesman subsequently
explained that Nelson did not mean
that more supplies would be avail
able for motorists and home own
erS, but was promising relief from
confusion surrounding administra-
ton of the program.
When agitation rose in the east
ern and New England States to eX-
tend the pleasure driving ban and
new restrictions on gas usage to mo-
florists of the midwest on a share
and-share alike" basis, Ickes said
the proposal was unsound. He said
there were not enough tank cars to
bring supplies from the midwest in
ouCll qudllIlVACo do w JUSTLY Gllc
action.
PAW officials also contended thai
transportation facilities were made
quate to handle additional tank
cars at that time. Subsequently,
Ickes said that when additional tank
cars could be obtained and trans
portation facilities were adequate to
care for them, more supplies of pc
troleum products would be siphoned
from the midwest.
BY September, 1913, PAW Off
Gals hope that pipelines will be
bringing into the eastern area $4,000
barrels of petroleum day! water
ways 211,oOO; gulf tankers 10000
barrels; and tank cars 1876 900 bar
rels. That would represent receipts
far in excess of peacetime but at
the same time officials warned that
it does not mean more gasoline and
fuel oil to civilians.
1.-THE more, we get the more the
military demands an official said,
"And we have to meet those de-
mands first"
Ihe consensus among officials to-
day was that civilians in the short
age areas could not expect any i'm
mediate change in the gasoline ano
fuel oil situation. OPA officials
said no consideration is being given
at this time to revising the value of
the A B and G coupons and some
circles expected no basic change in
the new period which starts on
July %.
The pleasure driving ban will be
continued in the east, it was said
until the situation is improved
greatly over that of today There ap-
peared to be no immediate plans to
extend the ban to the midwest anG
other sections of the nation.
Barring unforeseen developments
according to PAW spokesman,
home owners in the rationed states
will get approximately the same
amount of fuel oil this ,yinter which
they received last winter. Owners of
small houses and other hardship
cases will receive additional supplies
this winter, but no general increase
will be granted.