Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1948-12-03
Say! There's Hardly Room for Anything EIse"
HopeYou'reWa hisWinter
by Bradford v. Carter
LPA COIumniSt

In the days when people wchcraft seriously
belief that could make with the devil
your for something which only superhuman be-
ing could provide No less than the devil could conral the
weather for instance and sometimes thought he could
to get lots of rain for his during drought year
and make himself rich
Hardly in for that sort of thing these days
resigned ourselves the idea that it's going
to can't stop it. We might well money
There are still characters tho who think they
the weather under control Are asking yourself who could
be foolish? Well won't keep you guessing They're the
heads of the big oil companies who despite the fact that there
have been accurate predictions by weahermen count
ing on mild winter.
Terrified they might subjected to government
trolls which might slightly cut down their anastcay enorm
profits the oil assuming that there won't be any
spells this winter that assumption
predicting that there won't shortages hardps like there
last They haven't deal with the devil but they've
got deal with each other and singing in unison about
the beautiful supply situation leaving whenever they
the part about "if everything goes we'll"
It's reminiscent of the old nursery jingle:
Come again another day
Standard Oil wants TO play
While profits zoom to new al-tme highs they Groom
everyhngs eveythngs rosy" hysercally,
"Puleez controls 1t would ruin the industry"
Dr. Robert E. Wilson, chairman of the board of Standard
Oil of Indiana told meeting of the American Petroleum In
stue this month that competition the vital factor
overcoming scarcity He neglected to mention that there isn't
much competition in the oil industry right
Had the government stepped in and started pooling and
ratonng supplies Wilson, call
tive for rival companies oudo each other would have died.
He failed add that if there had been raonng schools and
factories wouldn't have been closed down people frozen
their homes.
maniac the subject of
his fights IVA declare that this country possibly
of oil unless there undue interference The
Senator didn't explain how the would the oil
supply.
official spokesman for the Dept last
week that the situation this winter better than last
year to adequate supplies admitted how
ever that this won't be if any the following four
things happen unexpected cold weather. 2ncreased military
demand 3--strikes IA bottleneck transportation.
1t cnch that of these four things could easily
happen The weather. NuH said Military Berlin
China situations cklish enough anything hap
pen Strikes? prices up way they are workers may
have strike for higher wages Transportation? Oil tankers
may be diverted by charters abroad
Asked whether there plans the these
emrgnce the Interior replied that Attorney General
Tom Clark and Interior Secretary Joseph Krug have approved
the industry voluntary alocaton plan event"
these things would only local shortages" small
comfort If the local shortage is where happen to be-
One possibility added the clnkers in
supply situation by Raweigh Warner, chairman of Oil
Co. Speaking in Chicago last month"; Warner said
winter of severity installation of home heating
equipment beyond servcng facilities anticipate
situation nearly difficult last years"
That means that if there too oil burners the
supply might around Journal of Commerce reports that
oil burner sales 1879 in September another
in October And the boys will keep selling them even
haven't the oil to them Proof of little
appeared in LPA last February:
"The American oil industry spent 81 100000 year
sales campaign which resulted than purchases
of oil burners They sold $4,000 burners in November
alone the month that Standard of New Jersey quietly
converted its Bayawy N. plant from oil to coal"
Maybe there won't be oil shortage this
everything will out all right I'm predicting
taking bets it, and certainly hope there isn't
there will be because the oil industry was so afraid
controls that 1t painted unduly picture didn't pre-
pare for emergencies