Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-07
THE PEOPLES VOICE.
All Agree the Oil Producer Suffers
From Oppression.
SEVERAL REMEDIES SUGGESTED.
Restrictive Legislation and Government
Control Of Pipe Lines.
PRODUCERS SHOULD BE REFINERs

A great many communications have been
received by The DISPATCH on the oil situ-
alton, which we have been unable to pub
lish on account of space The DISPATCH
desires to give hearing to all in SO far as it
Is able, but, being a newspaper, it cannot
give up all of its news space to such a dis
cussion. What have been deemed the new-
est and most suggestive ideas of number Of
communications are presented below
OF three letters from Producer" of Tit
usville, Pa, the following is given:
Until recently they have refrained from en-
gaglng In the oil producing business simply be-
cause for years past they have secured the
cruoe oil from the producers at a price below
the average cost.
Why have they been able to do this? Simply
because the men engaged in the business have
been in hot competition with each other. and
nave concentrated their whole strength and ed
ucated themselves in only one branch of the
Dusiness-to drill wells No attention has been
pald 10 marketing the product or storing oil
after 1t was raised to the surface. An expendi-
tuIe of from 5000 TO $1,000 for each we'll
drilled, and from S2O0 to $500 for tankage to
holu the product: now if this order of things
was reversed for year or two, is any one in
sane enough to think it would otresuit greatly
TO the benefit of the oil producers and is it not
ueploraDie state OF things when thousands of
men are engaged in furnishing product with
practically only one buyer for it?
Remedy Proposed.
Can the condition of the oil producers be
improved? 1t certainly can be. The trst step
is to stop the drill until oil reaches price that
VIII yield profit-not to a few who are
fortunate enough to secure large wells, but the
average cost of the entire output
Find other means of disDosing of at least a
part of the product to parties who are not con-
trolled by or affiliate with the Standard Oil
Trust
When two or more persons or firms are en-
gagged in the business let them Join together
lay pipes to the nearest railroad and market
their oil direct-and save the pipeage, zoe per
barrel.
a correspondent from Allegheny, who
signs "a Nationalist" reeites the tendency
of the times toward great commercial COM
binations which swallow uD the individual:
ism of the past. He decries the injustice
done by the Standard Oil Trust, and sug-
gests remedy for the present condition
OF things in the following words:
Mr.. Producer. your grievances are not your
every American. When a great financial baron
rises up and declares that the money kings
are the real rulers of the world" it would, in
deed, seem that the time had come when the
patriotic citizen should don his thinking cap
and paste therein the idea that eternal vigil
ance is the price of liberty"
Would Have Government Control.
That terrible truth is conveyed in that state.
ment is plain, when we pause to consider thar
during the recent financial furry millions of
dollars were sent out from the Treasury at the
pull of the string in Wall street. Did ID ever
come to the relief of depressed labor, or the oil
producer? Right here is suggested a
remedy, let the independent oil pro-
ducers combine in cooperative effort
and pending the realizations of schemes for
immediate relief, demand that the Governments
assume control of the pipe lines of the country
at once, and then, with the means of transpor-
tation open to the honest competition of all wa
Only full realization lies in combined produc-
lion Of crude petroleum. Thus we will be
enabled TO establish refineries at points where
natural advantages render the refinery Of your
product most economical.
Surely the means of transportation of COM
modities Is as much function of this Govern
ment as the postal system, or the circulation of
its currency, and surely the proper adjustment
of the oil industry is of more widespread Inn
portancs than irresponsible gambling in Wall
street.
Let us cooperate ''The principle of the
brotherhood of humanity is one of the eternal
truths that govern the worlds progress on lines
which distinguish human nature from brute
nature"
Legislation Is the Way Out.
Mr.. j. w. Witherop, of Titusyille,
formerly an independent rehner, but now a
producer. writes that this is an opportune
time, in his estimation, to secure beneficial
legislation. He sees much encouragement
in the result of the late election, wherin the
people of the oil producing counties en-
phasized their disapprobation of Senator
Delamater's opposition to the Billingsley
bill He thinks the opportunity should not
be lost to ask for the passage OF bill, SINH
lar in its provisions to the amended Bill
ingsley bill.
Mr.. Witherop refers to the late disastrous
shutdown movement which enabled the
Standard Oil interests to dispose of the
stocks of Pennsylvania oil that they might
the more easily acquire control of and
handle the Ohio product. He thinks the
reduction, by law, of pipe line charges
would remove much of the indueement now
existing to wage ruinous wars against co,h-
petitors in order to retain monopoly of the
business.