Evening star., 1951-06-27
Chapman Says Steel
Reduction May Lead
To Oil, Gas Rationing
By Froncis P. Douglas


Secretary Of the Interior Chap
man has warned that unless more
steel is allotted to the oil and gas
industry. 1t will be impossible to
avoid rationing of petroleum prod
ucts, it was learned today.
His pessimistic predictions were
contained in letter to Edward T..
Gibson, defense production admin
istrator. protesting the steel allot-
ments for the oil and gas indus
try for the three months beginning
July 1.
The total amount allowed was
cut well below the volume of steel
asked for.
Secretary Chapman. it was
learned, did not say that the ra-
tioning he feared would come this
winter, but merely specified that 1t
was danger for the future.
He is said to have advised Mr..
Gibson that unless steel is pro-
vided for pipelines, in some areas
frigid spells will see homes which
rely on natural gas remain cold
and factories and defense plants
shut down.
Wilson Urges St0ckpiling.
In another warning. issued pub
hcly, users of coal and oil were
advised to stockpile those fuels for
the coming winter. This came
from Defense Mobilizer Charles E.
Wilson in a statement occasioned
by the possibility of "a critical
transportation bottleneck this fall
or winter"
In view of the demands for
transportation expected from ex-
panding defense production, he
urged spreading the transporta-
ton OF coal, oil and other fuels
over the summer.
Mr.. Chapman protested that
steel allotmentS were based on the
oil industry's use of steel in the
first quarter of 1850. He asserted
that in that period the consurnp-
t1on OF steel goes down because
weather delays oil and gas lines
and other construction work is
subnormal.
In other fields, officials have
been warned that unless more
critical metals are provided for the
electric power industry it might
be necessary to ration power-using
household appliances.
About 80 members Of the Elec-
trical Utilities Defense Advisory
Council have just completed a
meeting with Clifford B. McManus.
Defense Electric Power adminis-
traitor. They discussed the cur
tailed allotments of steel. copper
and aluminium made available to
the industry for the July-Septem-
ber quarter.
Concerned over the cuts in the
metals, members Of the council
yesterday called on MIR. Wilson.
It Is understood the power off,
cials told Mr.. Wilson to control
electric power consumption short
OF shutting down industries is to
curtail the purchase of additional
power-consuming devices used in
households.
AllOtments CurtaiIed. b
The Defense Production Admin
istration allotted the industry rs
million pounds of aluminium for
the third quarter, as compared
with 40 million pounds in the Sec
ond quarter. The copper allot-
ment was rs million pounds or III
million pounds less than the Sec
ond quarter supply. The industry
asked for 337, 900 tons of steel for
the third quarter, but received
100000 tons. This is at the rate
of 10000 tons a month, the same
as in May and June.
Mr.. McManus said failure to|
obtain necessary materials now
will result in impairing the gen.
eral power situation this year and
in 1852 and 1858, when many ad-
ditional plants built as part Of
the industrial expansion program
come into use.