Minutes 03/26/1948 - Laserfiche WebLink

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~a~y~or Le~iis T. Fox, Po~ tsmouth, Va. Dear Sir: On ETth Jamary, 1948, ~0~000 gallons of No. ~ Fuel Oil was allocated the City and two districts (~estern Branch and Deep Creek) for emergency use, On ~Sth January, 1948, six certificates totaling ~75 gallons were issued. On E9 January, 19~8, twenty-four certificates were i~sued totaling l~°00 gallons. The greatest single days issuance was on S February, a total of S~78 gallons being issued. Toward the end of February, the daily total issued was approximately 900 gal - lone including some re-issuances. Du~ing the early part of i~arch, the issues dropped to about ~00 gallons daily uutil the 9th of ~iarch on which date no calls were received. The recurra~uce of cold weather on l~ ~a~ch brought a few new requests amounting to only ~00 gallons spread over a period of six days. Unless something unforeseen happens within the next $0 days, it is believed that the Fuel 0il emergency in this area will be over. '~2~nergency Fuel 0il expended, $4,7~$ gallo~; on hand 18,BT~ gallons. There were many elements a~d circa~nstances, as well as tb~ ~uuusually cold wea- ther, that contributed to this fuol oll shortage. One impressive set of figures given by the Sele6t Committee on Small Business of the 80th Congress is illuminating, namely: The large in6rea~o in the number of space heaters used for domestic heating. ~u~ing 19~7, fac- tory shiDments of space heaters amo~dnted to 1,~ 0,000. The average consumption of range oil by a space heater du~ing a year amo~auts to about 800 gal lone c~ half the amount consumed by an oil bdz~hing furnace. It is estimated that the consumption of fuel oil for space heaters has almost doubled since 19~$. Those facts coupled v~lth the l~V% price rise in~t0ker coal in the past seven years wouldseem to indicate that the emergency can and will arise du~ing -2 the wintSr of 1948-49, From the experience gained during the curren~ crisis, it is the opinion o f th. undersigned that it would be well to have a plan of operation worked out and ready to take care of future possibilities or until the oil situation becomes ~noz~al~ if and ~aen it doe~ It is believed that~a co~aittee composed of a deputy co-ordinator, to act as referee, to be assisted~by a committee from the oil industry, should see the City tim~oug~k a similar emer- gency as-the one just passed. The industry committee should be represented by at least thre, levels~ nsmely, one to be selected by the various 0il Companies to represent all of them; one to r&present the local distributors aud c~_e to represent the small dealers and "peddlers all appointees, of course, to be acceptable to the ~[ayor of ~ortsmouth. Our records indicate that the people hardest hit by the emergency were those who depended on space heaters for homo heating and who had only a limited storage capacity (50 to 100 gallons), The industry should take steps to divide up the-demands and needs of these small users of oil so that no one family in t~_is area need be without heat because some dealer refused to or is ~mable to ~take off" new customers. The Sinclair and Standard Oil~ Companies have cooperated 100% with this office during this recent crisis. In closing, i wish to s~y tha~ I doubt very rauch that a shift to coal bur~ing equipment is the answer to our problem. Yours truly, w.T.H. Galiiford, Deputy Fuel 0il Co-Ordinator." ~otion of ~r. Howard to receive and file and that the thanks of the Council be extended ~o ~Lr.~ Galliford for his service, was adopted. ~r. Howard stated that two lots owned by the City in Pinner.s Point, namely,~10 Hill Ave. and ~ ~eab&ard~Ave., and a piece of land between 0gg's Stone Yard and the~Cemetery, s. hould be sold~ and on his mo~ion, same was referred to the acting City Eanager~ to advertmse the proper~~ for s ale, Er. Houghton of the Committee on Better Bus Service in the a~uexed ter- rito~y,~stated that in re-arrangin~ the ro~te,~the route would have to cross the Atlantic Coast Line tracks at Caroline Street~ and a signal lightis needed and his motion that the Atlanti~ Ccast Line be require~ to~insball~a s~gns~ at this point, was adopted. On motion hdjou~ned. Approved ~ resident. · ~mty Clerk.