Hoy newspaper reported yesterday on a serious shortage of propane gas in many barrios of Santo Domingo. Reports of rationing and long searches for the principle cooking fuel indicate that most of the centers that refill household propane tanks were out of the product. Reporter Fernando Quiroz says that heroic deeds were necessary in order to obtain a refill at the Gloria Comercial propane station in Villa Juana, the only place that had the gas, but only for three and a half hours. Quiroz commented on the wild assortment of people looking for propane: women with rollers in their hair, professionals, motoconcho, publico and taxi drivers, and homemakers. According to the report, some of these people had already visited as many as 15 other places before arriving at Maria Montez Street in Villa Juana, where some waited as many as four hours for their tanks to be refilled. Of course, politics and politicians were frequently mentioned in the queue. One group asked the Hoy photographers to take their picture for ?the good times,? an allusion to President Mejia?s campaign slogan. Others were less sympathetic.