European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 19, 1973, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 28 d the stars and stripes monday november 19, 1973 contingency rationing plan drafted by Roberta Hornig Washington win the Nixon administration has drafted a heating Oil rationing contingency plan that would re quire suppliers to Cut Back households by 15 per cent and commercial establish ments by 25 per cent to Deal with the worst shortage in . History. According to rough calculations in the contingency plan such cutbacks would re quire a reduction of about 6 degrees in Home temperatures and 10 degrees at Busi Ness establishments. President Nixon refused to Rule out the possibility of gasoline rationing this win Ter but said it was his goal to avoid it. During his appearance before 400 news paper editors at Orlando fla., the presi Dent said he Felt the american people would resent rationing very very much in peacetime without the loyalty and self defense pressures of wartime. Our goal is to make it not necessary he said but he added i m not going to pledge. That rationing might never be  he said that he tried to take his smaller tristan Jet on his trip to Florida to save gasoline but could not do so because it did not have the proper communications equipment. But he added he did travel without his customary backup plane. If this one goes Down it goes Down he said referring to air Force one. Then they Don t have to  the proposed rationing program which covers heating Oil diesel fuel and Jet fuel will be presented to president Nixon s Cabinet level emergency Energy action group monday night. Drafted by the office of management and budget and the Interior department the draft plan projects heating Oil Short Ages amounting to 550,000 barrels a Day. The administration has been warning of total Oil shortages in the Range of 2 to 3 million barrels a Day. A congressional study indicates an even More severe total Oil shortage this year 6.1 million barrels a Day or about 35 per cent of the daily consumption of 17 million barrels. The study done by the Library of Congress is based on prospects of an exceptionally cold Winter and continuation of the Arab Oil cutoff. The draft proposal would let the general Public Bear the Brunt of impending fuel shortages so that major industries utilities and transportation facilities could continue As normally As possible. This policy planners believe would Lessen the eco. Nomic Impact. If further reductions should be Neces sary the draft says some could be achieved by shortening store hours reducing work weeks to four Days and closing schools. Considerable savings can probably be achieved Here without undue Impact on either health and safety or economic out put the plan says. The rationing plan would be administered by consumer supplies and its opera Ting responsibility would be left to the states with training and financial Aid provided by the Federal government. Administration Energy officials Are con ceding privately that fuel rationing is one of the first measures Likely to be imposed and that a final plan would Likely be Sim Ilar to the draft proposal. If the actual Oil shortage turns out to be twice that projection the plan says the required reductions in Home heating uses belgians take to roads on foot Brussels up Belgium became the second european nation to Institute a sunday driving ban. Clogged streets emptied. Entire fam Ilies Rode bicycles in Brilliant autumn weather or marched Down the Middle of roads. Horses chopped through the ancient grand place. Cutbacks on Oil deliveries from Arab nations forced the Netherlands to Institute the ban two weeks ago. Belgium joined sunday and West Germany is expected to follow suit in a week. Belgium is one of the world s most motorized nations with four million cars one for every two people. Over the years sunday trips to the North sea coast or the ardennes Forest have be come traditional. All that stopped sunday. About 13,500 exemptions were handed out to doctors taxi Drivers Streetcar operators ambulance Drivers journalists emergency repairmen and the like. Everybody else stayed Home or walked. The government set fines from $75 to a whop Ping $750,000 for violations. Police checked 4,276 vehicles but there were Only 84 offenders. The week end Accident average was Down from Between 500 and 600 collisions to 14. The traditional Flower and Bird mar Ket in the grand place was jammed by people. One Young woman said it is so Nice to be Able to walk through the  but the Flea Market normally Jam med on Fine fall Days was nearly deserted. Driving however was neither easy nor fun. Restaurants and Gas stations were closed and pedestrians wagged fingers and Shook fists at cars this Street in Brussels was jammed saturday but empty sunday. A photos would be too Large to be consistent with reasonable health and safety. Iri that Case the program would have to include reductions besides Home owner heating and recommends the following As examples of users that would have prior Ity in getting fuel commercial and residential establish ments whose heating is essential to health and safety a category including hospitals and nursing Homes. Industries that have an important effect on the Economy. 1 diesel transportation where reductions should be achieved mainly by Conser vation measures. Again economic Impact of any mandatory cutbacks beyond conservation measures would be Large the plan says. The plan Calls for retail distributors to administer the rationing program which would be adjusted to take care of Geo graphical differences such As areas with severe Winters. The suppliers could impose the rationing of heating Oil in one of three ways to deliver Only what the customer should be consuming and to warn the con Sumer not to overheat his Home or to face the danger of running out. To fill a customer s tank but impose some Type of Sanction to cover excess Gal Lons such As a tax surcharge a Fine or a warning followed by a Fine. To warn the customer and then to re Duce future deliveries. While the recommended program would be administered by the Federal govern ment its organization would be left largely to the states acting through a nationwide system of local boards. These local organizations would handle problems including unusual needs because of hardships health and age. The draft plan said a Quick Survey by the general services administration of Gover nors offices in several states revealed a Basic willingness to cooperate with the program to have organizations in place within a Short time after the Federal government agreed to Supply extensive train ing for personnel establish policies and give financial support. The local boards the plan says should be made up of volunteers from the local Community appointed by the governors. Also each state would need at least one coordinating office. Their duties would include "considera-1 Tion of hardship exceptions assignments of new purchasers to suppliers compliance monitoring sanctions for non compliant Consumers investigation of complaints and operation of a Public in formation program to encourage com  the plan say s that the Cost will be Large perhaps several Hundred million dollars a year. Pro football Cincinnati 20, new York jets 14 new England 33, Green Bay 24 new York giants 24, St. Louis 13 Denver 23, Pittsburgh 13miami 17, Buffalo 0 Washington 22, Baltimore 14 president greeted by cheers and Boos in Georgia continued rom Page 1 Nixon stepped toward a Chapel for the cer Emony honouring retired democratic rep. Carl Vinson and the University s Walter f. George Law school. Resign urged several signs. Impeach the president said others. The official reason for the visit was Cere monies marking Vinson s 90th birthday and the 100th anniversary of the Law school. Earlier at the Airport Nixon received petitions of support bearing More than 37, .000 signatures. I am terribly grateful to you. It s a great Job he said. The president plunged into a round of Campaign style handshaking along the fringes of the crowd at the Airport. Twice he was stopped with hugs and kisses from pretty girls. White House Advance men had worked with local Nixon backers in efforts to pro Mote a show of support for the president. Nixon made no direct reference to watergate in his remarks at the Airport concentrating instead on his accomplishments in foreign policy. He said the communications he opened with the soviet Union helped defuse the Middle East crisis saying that the two superpowers had decided to talk about their differences rather than fight about them. Because of better relations with Moscow and peking Nixon said i believe we can build a peace that lasts. For a generation or More to  but he added that America must remain Strong in spirit patriotism and love of the greatest civilization in  during the motorcade to Mercer Nixon stood in his open topped car occasionally waving to the crowd. The president was described by advisers As buoyed by reaction to his Satur Day news conference and with results of his series of private meetings with con Gressmen last week. On the presidential Jet in route to Georgia presidential chief of staff Alexan Der m. Haig or. Said there has been tremendous reaction to the news Confer  he said in reference to Nixon s watergate problems we be got to take them on. We can t go on the Way we Are with the whole world watching events in the United states