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This Copy For PRESIDENT RICHARD M. NIXON'S NEWS CONFERENCE #36 Held in the East Room At the White House Washington, D.C. February 25, 1974 At 7:30 P.M. EDT (Monday) Official White House Transcript THE PRESIDENT: Won't you be seated, please. Ladies and gentlemen, before going to your questions, I have a brief report on the energy situation, the progress we have made to date and also the problems that we have in the future. You will recall that last October when we saw the energy crisis developing as a result of the embargo and other matters, that there were dire predictions that we would have problems with home heating oil and even fuel to run our factories. As a result of the cooperation of the American people -- and they deserve most of the credit -- and also the management on the part of Mr. Simon and his organization, we have now passed through that crisis. The home fuel oil, as far as it is concerned, as we know, has been furnished, no one has suffered as a result. As far as our plants are concerned, all have had the fuel that is required to keep the plants going. The major problem that remains is one that was brought home to me when I talked to one of the sound men before coming in. I asked him if he was having any trouble getting gas. He said, "Yes, when I went to the service station this morning, they wouldn't give me any because my gauge was wrong. They thought that I had more than half a tank. Actually, I had zero in the tank."