U.S. fuel rationing may be imminent

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33381, 13 November 1973, Page 1

U.S. fuel rationing may be imminent

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

WASHINGTON, November 12.

Americans today face the grim prospect of petrol rationing for up to two years because of the growing energy crisis and the more recent Arab oil embargo. < <5

A warning that petrol rationing, last used in World War 11, could start in January or even earlier, came today from the Secretary of the Interior (Mr Rogers Morton). He said in a television interview that the chances were more than even that rationing might last from one to two years.

America devours 17m barrels of oil a day, and some analysts predict less growth in output, more inflation, and high unemployment because of reductions in factory production caused by oil shortage and oil price increases. Part of the blame for the fuel shortage can be attributed to the Arab oil embargo in retaliation for Washington’s pro-Israel policy, but a fuel crisis has been developing in the United States for some time because of increasing demands for energy and conservation measures

curtailing the use of "dirty” fuel. Mr Morton said no exact plans had been drawn up for petrol rationing, but he emphasised that special arrangements would be made for those whose living depended on driving. More fuel for heating homes could be found by curbing the use of petrol, he said. Mr Morton also spoke about the possibility of higher taxes on petrol and large cars, which burn more fuel. However, none of the measures had been actively considered. Smaller cars The need for smaller cars was emphasised by Senator Charles Percy (Republican,

Illinois) in another television programme. He said the energy crisis could have been avoided in spite of the Arab embargo. The Government had been slow to react to the energy problem, he said, but he described President Nixon’s appeal for Americans to drive slower and less often, and to use less fuel in their homes, as an efficient plan. Mr Russell Train, director of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, has given a warning of energy shortages in the United States for the next five or 10 years, and said conservation measures might have to be eased because of the fuel problem. Untapped coal An estimated 500 years supply of coal still in the ground in the United States would have to be used, and ways would have to be found to burn it more cleanly, he said.

Mr Train, who appeared on the same programme as Mr Morton, said many factories which had converted to using oil in place of coal to meet cleaner air standards would have to go back to coal. Even before the Middle East war- and the Arab move to curtail oil shipments to the West, it was predicted that there would be a 7 per cent shortage in home heating oil. ‘Lavish spending* In Tokyo today, the Prime Minister of Japan (Mr Tanaka) called on the people to change the pattern of life from lavish spending to resources economy. His Government is completing legislation for extensive reductions in supplies of oil to Japan’s main industries and a national campaign for economising on petrol. Japan depends on imports of nearly all her needs, more than 80 per cent coming from the Middle East.