Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1893-12-15
Stubborn Facts.


taking vigorous action against the propos-
al TO put petroleum on the free list. From
Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Wyo-
ming and California protests are pouring
into Washington. Operators are becoming
thoroughly aroused to the danger that con-
fronts them, aud they do not mean to let
Judgment go by default. The meetings IN
Oil CITY and Pittsburg voiced the general
feeling, setting the ball rolling in good
style. Yet the movement has only start
ed. If success is to crown 1t, no effort
must be spared. The need is pressing, the
time is short and not moment should
pass unimproved. Deluge Congress WITH
petitions and remonstranees to show that
the oil interests do not intend to be placed
in jeopardy without manly struggle ior
self-preservation. Thst enlightened pub
lie sentiment will be heartily with them
when the facts are understood properly
cannot be doubted.
Never in its history has graver exigen-
cy menaced the oil industry. While more
oil was exported last year than ever before
low was this accomplished Look at these
figures, which give the exports for three
years:
Year No. OF gallons aiue, otc
1890 .692, ,042 S22 So. .210, 952
1891 .667. 297. .935 1881 80
1892 740'905, ,23I 42, 2S3, los
These figures are wonderfully significant.
Although the number of gallons Increased,
see how their value diminished. Compare
1890 and 1892. For forty eight millions OF
gallons more oil, sent abroad in 1888, ten
millions of dollars less were received. At
this rate of shrinksge, how long will it re-
ouired to drive American oil from for
eien markets. Is Russian oil not fUrmid-
able compeditori To-day is supplies Aus
tria with 100 per cent OF the kerosene used
in that country; Italy with 3S per cent,
Turkey with SO per cent, India with 62
per cent, France with % per cent, and
even England with 81 per cent. In the
face of all this, the Wilson bill eool!y pro-
poses to wipe out the tariff and let Russia
food the United States with oil free OF
unpatriotic be conceiveds The one fault
with the existing arrangement is that the
tariff is too small and ought to be made
virtu ally prohibitory.
II is idle to undcr-rste the quality Of
Russian oil, to talk of it as unmerchant-
able and to argue that America has no
thing to fear from the Baku fields. True.
the crude is inferior, as it comes from the
wells, to the Pennsylvania article. Its
average yield is about 81 per cent, one
half the average here. But its volatile
propensities can be evaporated easily,
leaving a distillate which yields ninety
per cent of water white oil, fit to burn in
any lamp on earth. Besides this, an ex-
cellent lubricant is obtained, equal to the
best in this Commonwealth, This dis
tilIate can be loaded on Russian vessels
and landed in New York at about the
price of pipesge from Bradford to the At
lantic COAST The Baku wells are sunk by
poor wretches whose wages average nine
teen cents day. Such is the labor with
which the petroleum clause of the Wilson
bill would have American workMen COM
pete! Isn't il time to call halt and
either let petroleum al ne or increase the
tariff upon it ten-foldf
Within the past month the three
wealthy. companies owning and operating
the Russian dis riots have beon practically
merged into one Their object is to pre-
sent a united front and secure complete
control Of the European aud Aslatic
markets Government assistance Is TO be
given, in providing adequate facilities for
transportation, to carry ont this project
and monopolize the trade Shall the
American congress help this scheme OF
spoiation by removing the sole barrier III
the way Of putting the oil producers OF five
States at the mercy Of the Rothschildsf
There might be some consolation for
DESTROYING the producers of this country.
were American consumers To derive cor
responding benefit. What advantage, it
any. would the latter gain from the i'm
portation of Russian OiI7 Go low is the
price of refined, owing largely to the utili
cation of refuse formerly wasted, that IL
could be- furnished very little cheaper, al
though crude sold for nothing. American
oil is rich in certain products which Rus
sian oil does not possess, hence it can be
refined more cheaply, because other vala-
able articles derived from it help to pay
| the cost of manufacture For this reason,
! among others, the difference in price co
the consumers would be really inappreci.
able Surely the most ardent advocate OF
| 'tariff reform" would not desire to bring
| into effect condition Of affairs utterly
| disastrous to the oilmeu, without compen-
sating profit to the masses of American
| consumers of American DetrOleQm
This is the situation in q nutshell
| Don't waste time and breath denouncing
| the movement as STANDARD job" :"
Producing oil is merely secondary branch
| of the Standards business, which is main
| ly refining. Ii Russian oil be brought to
| New York at price lower than American,
the Standard can buy it., refine il there
| and pipe the product to the interior Pro-
| ducers must not be rnisled by the raising
| of any false issue. II is upon them the
blow will fall, should petroleum be put on
| the free list and Russian oil be shipped 10
The Atlantic coast Tire crisis should be
met brayely, manfully and unitedly. Let
wisdom and quiet determination rule. Do
| quickly whatever is To he done to help the
common cause. Modifying the Wilson
bill, as announced in the Washington re-
ports is all right as far as it goes, but II
| stops short too souD. Russia would off
| set it at once by abolishiug its tariff on
| petroleum, which is really of no account,
| because not gallon of American oil can
ever 20 into land which produces crude
at three cents barrel Mark this well,
and don't rest satisfied with the modihca-
| ton Of the bill Producers, grid on your
armor and get on the right side immedi-
ately.-Derrick.