Sistersville oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1896-1901, 1898-08-24
The Petroleum BiIl-Legisiation De
ferred.

The Petroleum BiIl-I.egisiation De
Nearly all persons connected
with the trade in petroleum oil.
whether active or passive in their
desires for new legislation, Will
have learned by this tine that
since the Oil Trade Review was
last published. the Select Com
mittee of the House of Commons,
appointed to inquire into the matter,
have issued their official report.
with the following recommends
tons.
st. That the present law affect
ing petroleum spirit, not being
adequate Tor the public safety,
should be amended in the manner
specified in this report. 2. To
adopt flash point of 100 deg.
| ABEL close test as the dividing
line between petroleum oil and the
petroleum spirit. 5. Legislation.
as specified in this report to control
the storage, transport and sale OF
petroleum generally and admiX-
lures of the same with other SUBJ
stances, certain heavy oils being
exempted. 4. To provide for an
efficient system Of testing. S. To
provide Tor adequate super
vision and administration by local
authorities. 6. That official in
Quiries be made into the causes Of
accidents arising from the storage,
transport or use of infamable Il.
guilds. 7. Statutory powers to Gu
able the secretary OF state to issue
orders affecting the manufacture
and sale of lamps. s. To spread
information among the public as
! to the nature Of petroleum and the
management of petroleum lamps. "
These are the conclusions the
committee have come to, though
not unanimously, after hearing and
sitting all the evidence on the sub
iect brought before them; and we
: cannot say that their examination
OF multitude of witnesses has re-
vealed many fresh facts OF interest,
such, we mean, as would serve as
sure guide to useful reforms IN
the landing, storing, distributing
and using of burning oils. Most OF
what the committee recommended
was thoroughly we'll known and
acted upon many a year ago, and
liz did not need body OF M. p. s to
drive a complicated question
which they had TO learn unexperI-
mentaIly-about the nature and
properties of petroleum oil and the
secrets OF its trade merely 10 tell
the public the same truths
over and over again. The
main point in the committees re-
port, and one which is more vital
than any, is that relating to the add
option of fash point of 100 deg.
label close test, which, as we ven
tured TO state in our last monthly
review, was decided upon after
much wrangling by the Insignia
cant majority of one. A recon-
mendation SO feeble and indecislve-
Ilv expressed could have no weight
with an intelligent body in or out
side Parliament, and nobody was
surprised to hear, in answer TO the
query put to The government by
Mr.. Ascroft the other evening
"wheIher they would at once in
troduce a one clause bill raising the
fash.point in accordance with the
instructions Of the Select Committee
on Petroleum." that the Home Sec.
rotary replied with an emphatic
I"No, sir"
Traders in infammable oils. who
dislike being disturbed Oh needless
" interfered with, will, therefore,
receive with satisfaction the as.
Isurance that no kind of meddle-
some legislation in mineral oils villa
be attempted this year at least aud
they may proceed as briskly as
ever in their several lines OF BUSH
ness without fear Of molestation or
interruption from official quarters.
1t is also very probable that the,
fussy disclosures manufactured or
otherwise artifcially got up by out
siders will indirectly serve their
purpose in putting the consuming
public little more on their guard
by awakening them to full sense
of the danger of the commodity
they are handling even at the best
of times. and that it is, always nee
essary to use the utmost care IN