Evening star., 1948-02-08
New Oil Stocks
Due This Week
To Boost Pool
Committee Prepares
To Take Care of
Emergency Colls


With scanty fuel stocks on hand
but more expected this week, the
District Fuel Oil Co-ordinating
Committee today prepared to meet
another week of emergency calls
from householders.
Yesterday the committee, headed
by j. Thomas Kennedy, handled AT
least 300' emergency calls before it
quit for the weekend. Mr.. Kennedy
said his office would be closed today
because we're all so exhausted
we're got to get some rest"
Mr.. Kennedy said last night there
were about $4,000 gallons Of fuel oil
left in his emergency pool, plus
something under 10000 gallons of
kerosene. At noon yesterday the
fuel oil figure was about $4,000
gallons.
One barge which had been ex-
pected here yesterday with 100000
gallons of fuel oil turned up instead
IN Baltimore, consigned to the
Petrol Corp. a major Washington
supplier. Mr.. Kennedy said the
Petrol firm had informed him the
oil will be trucked into Washington
but this is a much slower process
than barge shipment.
Was Part Of Deal.
This shipment was part of a
$500, ,000-gallon deal arranged be-
tween the Senate Small Business
Committee and three oil companies.
About half of the shipment is ex-
pected to come to the Washington
area from the Sinclair Refining
Corp. and Cities Services Corp.
Despite these promises, Mr.. Ken
nedy said the situation remains
tight" and probably will for some
time, depending on the weather.
The Weather Bureau had little
hope of break in the low tempera-
lures, reporting a fresh cold ways
blanketing the Midwest and moving
eastward.
Mr.. Kennedy called yesterday "as
bad a day If not worse" than any
since the committee was set up.
Phones rang most of the day while
investigators checked the reported
hardship cases and filled out GER
tificates.
Shipments Due Today.
TWO shipments on the way and
due in this afternoon should bring
$4,000 gallons each of No. 2 oil
and Kerosene. Both are coming
from Baltimore for the Standard
Oil Co. here, officials said.
Also due in this week is a new
loan of 100000 gallons of Diesel
oil arranged with the Navy and ex-
pected to arrive tomorrow or Tues
day from Norfolk. Diesel oil may
be burned in some home furnaces.
This loan was negotiated at q
meeting of Assistant Navy Secretary
Mark E. Andrews, gMr. Kennedy and
William H. Press Of the Fuel Oil
Co-ordinating Committee and Al
bert j. Wolken of the Senate Small
Business Committee.
Some Dealers Ask Contracts.
Meanwhile, there were reports
that some local dealers were taking
advantage of the competitive situ-
alton to sign up new contracts with
home owners and other fuel oil
consumers.
One homeowner reported that
when his own regular dealer was
unable to supply him, he phoned
several other firms and found one
who offered fuel oil if he was will
ing to sign a contract for regular
deliveries.
Another case came to the atten-
tion of Mr. Kennedy and resulted
in the dealers metaphysical eviction
from the fuel co-ordinator's office.
Mr.. Kennedy said the owner OF
bowling alley came to him about
the middle of last week and said his
regular dealer had refused to sell
him any fuel oil, stating that he
was low and wanted to keep what
he had for home delivery. The
bowling alley owner asked Mr.. Ken
nedy if the dealer had any right
to do that and Mr.. Kennedy told
him the dealer was doing the right
thing.
Got 450 Gallons.
The owner then asked If Mr..
Kennedy could get him any oil
from the emergency pool Mr.. Ken
nedy said he would not and the
owner said he would get 1t some
how, from a dealer.
Mr.. Kennedy found out later that
the owner of the bowling alley did
get $50 gallons from a dealer on
condition that he buy all his fuel
oil in the future from this dealer.
The dealer who sold the $50 GAL
Ions then came into Mr.. Kennedys
Office on Friday and said he was
without oil to supply his customers.
He asked Mr.. Kennedy for an emer-
gency order on the pool.
Mr.. Kennedy's reaction was that
i almost threw him out of the
office. He didn't get any OIL"
The oil co-ordinator pointed out
that the dealer could have delivered
so gallons of oil to 9 homes with
what he sold the bowling alley
owner.
GROUP BACKING Wallace