*-uts in uii imports ASKea: Miner: carter Must Act on un imports
The new chairman of the Federal Reserve Board said yesterday that President Carter must act on his own to reduce U.S. imports of oil if Congress fails to agree on an energy bill within the next few weeks.</br></br>G. William Miller told the Senate Budget Committee that reducing oil consumption and getting an anti-inflation program in place are essential if the strength of the dollar is to be restored.</br></br>He said the president should impose oil import fees or quotas and said he personally favors putting additional levies on each barrel of oil imported into the United States. He did not specify how big the fee should be. Sen. Ernest F. Hollings (D-S.C.) suggested $5 a barrel.</br></br>Miller testified that It would be preferable if Congress were to shape the nationÛªs energy policy. House and Senate conferees have been at logger-heads for months trying to reach a compromise on a bill designed to re- duce domestic oil consumption, stimulate domestic production and encourage a shift from oil and gas to coal.</br></br>But Miller told reporters later that the president should ÛÏnot wait very much longerÛ before imposing fees or quotas on imported oil. ÛÏI donÛªt think he has a great deal of time,Û Miller said.