Evening star., 1948-01-12
Young Proposes
Hardship Case
Fuel Oil Plan
13 Major Dealers
Urged to Set Up
Reserve inventory

IA pam AVA oCVeiiS colOC d lCScl We
inventory of approximately 10000
gallons of fuel oil and $4,000 gallons
of kerosene for use of hardship cases
here was put forward today at a
conference of District officials ano
representatives of 13 major oil dis
tributors in this area.
Commissioner John Russell Young
suggested the plan at meeting ir
the District Building. The COM
pany Spokesmen indicated they
would adopt it but asked for further
details on its operation and some
time to discuss it with others in the
industry.
The recommended arrangement
as outlined by Mr.. Young, would moi
be a pool" He described it as g
cushion inventory" whereby each
of the 13 major concerns would sci
aside 10000 gallons of it's inventory
of No. fuel oil and 1000 gallons
of kerosene.
Before any of this would be dis
tributed among hardship cases,
he said, there would be a thorough
investigation and express authorize
ton in each case by the Districts
special co-ordinating committee
headed by Superintendent OF
Weights and Measures j. Thomas
Kennedy.
Shortage Appears Serious.
Reports received by that COM
rnittee as well as by the Commis-
lsioners, Mr.. Young declared, indi-
Gated a rather serious shortage of
kerosene for heating and cooking
purposes here. This particularly af-
fects families living in temporary
dwellings or persons who moved
Into dwellings not covered by earlier
dealer allocations, it was pointed
out
The fuel oil situation does not
amount to any acute shortage here,
speakers at today's conference said.
Commissioner Young told the COM
pany representatives the Commis-
sioners accordingly have not yet ap-
pointed a District fuel oil emerg-
ency co-ordinator as has been done
in many States.
The District, however, will send
a representative to the Interior De-
partment conference to which Off
cials of % States and the District
have been invited. The representa-
tive has not yet been named.
Requests to Be Probed.
Mr.. Kennedy said he believed his
office would be able to investigate
all hardship" requests for kerosene
or fuel oil if the reserve inventory
plan is set up. IN
Besides discussing the current fuel
oil and kerosene supply in the Dis
trict, today's conference also studied
ways of preventing or easing pos
sible future shortages here.
Industry spokesman said the Dis
trict faces a particular problem in
lack of oil storage space for more
than a week or 10 days supply.
One official said his concern and
several others have not been selling
oil burners for several months de-
spite heavy demand for them.
The demand for the burners prob
ably has contributed to increased
demand for kerosene, he said.
Strike Settled.
Settlement of the Today strike
of Texas City oil refinery workers
will not result Immediately in ship
ments to Baltimore and the Dis
trict because the first tankers were
headed today for New England and
New York.
This, however, will lift some OF the
pressure on this area within another
five or six days by allowing the re-
turn of supplies that had been di-
verted from the Washington market,
industry officials explained.
Several distributors reported today
they had to stretch supplies" the
last two or three days, while await
ing deliveries to retailers yesterday
and today for the second Today
period of the January allocations.
CONSERVATION OTSeu.
They declared that with consumer
cooperation, comparatively good
weather and other favorable factors,
the new deliveries should provide
enough fuel oil for the next week Or
10 days. The oil is not allocated or
rationed to retail customers but is
delivered on an ALLEGATION basis by
distributors to retailers, they eX-
planned.
Elsewhere the ending of threat
ened strike of oil barge and tanker
crewman in New York cheered Off
cials of that city in the face OF still
acute fuel oil shortage. The tanker
crews who normally bring 80 per cent
of the city's oil from New Jersey re-
fineries accepted 10-cent-an-hour
wage increase. The settlement came
only half an hour before the Satur-
day deadline set for strike. Mayor
ODwyer had said a strike OF the
harbor workers would paralyze the
city.
20 More Tankers Asked.
With New York Citys current
oil supply estimated to be from
100000 to 100000 gallons daily
needs of 100000 to 10000, 900 gall
Ions, municipal authorities asked the
Maritime Commission to assign 20
additional tankers for service to
East Coast cities in January and
February.
In another move the National
Petroleum Council appointed COM
mittee to suggest steps toward VOL
untary industry agreements for
orderly distribution" of petroleum
products. Such action might be
taken under the anti-inflation law,
the council stated.
Washington men on the COM
mittee are Russell B. Brown Of the
independent Petroleum Association
of America and Fayette B. Dow of
the National Petroleum Association.
Giant Squids Reported
Found Off West Africa
Giant squids of nightmare proper