Page Two THE NEW BERN MIRROR, NEW BERN, N. C. Friday, November 9, 1973 SINATOR SAM ERVIN ^ SAYS ■* * The nation’s oil situation has worsened. A clear United States energy policy has become a prime need and concern of millions of Americans. Foreign oil is no longer cheap. Higher crude oil prices are raising daily the prices that consumers will pay for virtually all petroleum products. The im mediate prospect is that regular gasoline retail prices will jump to SO cents or more a gallon in the weeks ahead. Home heating and industrial fuel oils are undergoing rapid price increases. Spot gasoline shortages are New Bern Loan & Jewelers Your Reliable:-' ' Diamond & Watch Store. 215 MIDDII ST. ESSOTANE GAS SERVICE FOR COOKING, HOT WATER « HEATING TANKS FURNISHED FREE Scott Gas Co. 221 Middle - Ph. 637-3179 (Product Humble Oil Co.) PIANOS TRY BEFORE YOU BUY $10.00 a Month Rents a New Wurlitzer Piano. Rent Applies to Purchase If You Buy. FULLER'S MUSIC HOUSE 216*/? Middle Street New Bern, N. C. JOE ALCOKE LINCOLN-MERCURY 420 Tryon Palace Drive affecting agriculture in some areas and prospects are that next summer there will be another criticial gasoline emergency. For months the White House has been toying with proposals to present to Congress on the energy crisis. Last week it appeared ready to ask for emergency powers to reduce fuel consum^ion by curtailing the use of heating oil and electricity. Office buildings, stores, shopping centers, restaurants, theaters, it was said, would be asked to close earlier than usual. A nationwide highway speed limit of 50 miles per hour has been proposed. Energy experts have suggested hundreds of ways for industry and individuals to conserve energy. The Administration is beginning to recognize that we face a major rearrangement of our daily lives if this situation worsens. At stake are thousands of jobs, a stalemate in our econ omy, and the prospects of thousands of unheated factories and buildings. All of this, of course, depends on the severity of winter. Hie Administration is said to be considering a whole range of suggrations, including rationing of crude and heating oil. increasing the production of Texas oil we^, and changes in. clean-air standards to allow utilities to burn other types of coal. The relaxation of-en vironmental standards would permit power companies to burn coal or high-sulfur oil which is in greater supply. Environmental regulations now require many electric utilities to burn large amounts of scarce low-sulfur oil. As this is written it is unclear just what emergency powers the Administration will seek from Congress to curb non- essential uses of fuel. This much is certain. Industry is scram bling for oil supplies as never before. Airlines are cutting back on many flights to con serve fuel. Ail transportation may be affected. Locally, the Washington Metro transit system is struggling to obtain diesel fuel to prevent a shut down of bus service which serves thousands of govern ment workers. In North Carolina, the shortage of natural gas is having a major impact. The Federal Power Commission has entered an KEYS ^ Ernul's 7^ 2 Sport m ^ Shop 5 KEYS order which will cur tail by about 27 percent the amount of natural gas available to many industries. That order is scheduled to go into effect next week. The Arab oil embargo has contributed immensely to this situation. What had been ex pected earlier to be a "tight” oil siq>idy situation has turned into a potential nightmare for our economy and all Americans. The Senate Interior and In sular Affairs Committee has been giving intense con sideration to legislation to provide for the development of contingency plans for petroleum consumption in this country, in the situation we now face, though, it will require the best efforts of the Ad ministration, the Congress, the oil industry, and consumers to get us through the cold months ahead. Nardis of Dallas 1300 Corinth Street Dallas, Texas STYLE 3205 Pii^ Haze .. Cloud Blue ... the colors tell our story in this inspired Nardis three-piece pant suit in a divine paisley print. Tailored of 100% Pol yester doubleknit. 6 to 18. I ''- (ft ^ ^ AND lOAN ASSOCIATION ^ ■ilj j'tHI f/ utlH* CkO(lt.‘ ,hl60 I'T; h P