The San Francisco call., 1903-01-28
THE OIL INDUSTRY.

annum less thdn IN the len-yedT COdl
period that has been considered.
THE OIL INDUSTRY.
Astonishment which may result from
this showing from figures Of unquestion-
ed accuracy and prepared by authorities
who are disinterested. the most of them
being complied long before fuel oil in
California for general uses was dreamed
of as a possibility. will also, very likely,
be supplanted with amazement when the
extent Of the oil producing industry
alone. which the flash light legislation in
Sacramento and before the Supervisors
Of San Francisco is likely to seriously
cripple, is shown from equally authentic
sources. Here the reader is directed to
the figures compiled by the California
Petroleum Miners Association, which
were published in a pamphlet after they
had been read to the last annual meet
ing of the California Miners Association
as conveying information about an allied
branch of the mining industry of the
State. The pamphlet was written by DR..
c T Deane. who is the secretary of the
California Petroleum Miners Association,
and was published, supposedly with the
authority Of the association that he rep
resents in an official capacity.
According to the pamphlet of Secretary
Deane there are now 25O0 producing oil
wells in California, situated in fourteen
districts. The total consumption of oil
in California in 1900 was 100000 barrels.
in 1901 it was 5000 600 barrels, in 1902. part
ly estimated, it was 12.O000O0, and the
estimates of Secretary Deane run to the
extent of 20000000 barrels for the con-
sumption for the present year. AS to
the use that San Francisco is making of
crude fuel oil under existing condi-
tions the facts are luminous, especially
when the great falling off in the annual
fire losses is considered. Here the state
ments of Secretary Deane are given in
full as follows:
THE factories, railroads, electric light
companies-gas is now made exclusively
from oil-in and around San Francisco
will certainly use 100000 barrels. Fire
Marshal Towe informs me there are more
than three hundred boilers daily using
oil in San Francisco"
USE BY RAILWAYS.
That showing is certainly sufficient
within itself. but there are several inter
esting statements relating to the of
crude oil outside of San Francisco, es-
pecially relating TO the railroads, when
given entire are as follows:
1.-The increase next year will be largely
due to the railroads burning oil exclusive
~ The reason they have not done so
heretofore is the delay in placing tank
age. WHICH Is rather d SiOh pIOteSS, IL De-
ing necessary to place an oil tank wher-
ever there is now a coal bunker, about
fifty miles apart along the whole line
have calculated very carefully the
amount the railroad companies will use
and taking a very conservative view 1
cannot make it below 100000 barrels,
equal in amount to what the whole State
consumed in 1901. have had this estimate
confirmed by several experts. both rail-
road and oil men. One of the very best
informed of these gentlemen makes it
10 1900 900 barrels. which certainly places
me within bounds. Prophesying is a
thankless task, but from careful con-
sderation of all the facts which are
daily brought TO my attention ii is safe
to conclude that before the end of 1906
we will be producing and marketing so =
600 600 barrels of oil per annum. but for
the present 2O.OOO,OOO is a safe estimate. .
The legislative bill, which proposes the
establishment of flash test of $50 de-
grees for fuel oil used in making steam,
also includes the following provision:
This section applies only to cities and
does not apply to boilers used at the
wells for operating purposes or to rail-
road locomotives"
A long list of San Francisco concerns
burning oil indicates the disturbance to
business and manufacturing which would
follow any legislation tending to increase
the price of fuel oil, either by throwing
IL all into the hands of the Standard OIL
Company TO refine or by decreasing the
output Of companies that have no refining
facilities and no pipe line to bring their
product to San Francisco cheaply: Fol
lowing is the list of concerns now burn
ing oil.