Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1904-09-02
MORE EXPENSIVE KEROSENE
Why South Dakota Consumers ray
More for II Than Other People
western Oil Excluded by Statute

sioux city Tribune: II wonder how
lone the people of South Dakota WIZ
continue to pay this extra 3 or 4 cents
a gallon for their kerosene, Wllhou,
getting any greater safety or DETER
service" commented a traveller az hc
looked UP from his newspaper.
One of his listeners remarked thaS
consumers probably would W. 80 pay
whatever producers might denlalu.
perhaps that's true, as a genera
proposition" was the reply. Particu-
larly is il true where a less expensive
produce is barred from the markets.
AS / understood it from som neWspa-
per reading / have been doing, inns eA-
ira charge of 3 or 4 cents a gallan 10
peculiar to South Dakota, and II ~ que
entirely to a law passed by n last less
islature, that cuts out of the market Oh
this state all the oil from the grsal
fields of Kansas and Indiana, WhicIl
can be furnished at q cheaper rale
than now charged, and compels the
people to buy Pennsylvania oil, when
Is more expensive"
rs the Kansas or Indiana oil just as
good?'
THAT is what the experts say. They
declare it to be just as safe, and that
it furnishes absolutely as good hluml-
nation, and is as satisfactory IN every
pdINiCQIdIs .ty-t.
Then how can 1t be furnished more
cheaply?"
Because the crude supply is much
more copious, and the methods or re-
fining are less expensive, n the
freight rates are lower from either the
Indiana or the Kansas fields than from
Pennsylvania"
But how can this South Dakota
statute cut these Kansas and Indiana
ofIS n..t Df The - Vlyaf aud pnranpl the
people to buy the expensive Pennsyl-l
vania oil?"
We'll. you see, the Pennsylvania oil
is slightly heavier than the others, and
the gravity test fixed by the statute is
just sufficient to let it in and keep
the less expensive Kansas and Indiana
oils out. The small difference in gray
ity. amounting to only one or two
degrees, cuts absolutely no figure what
ever in the safety or the suficiency of
the oil. The difference in the gravity
of the eastern and western oils is due
wholly TO the difference in the crude
petroleum as it comes from the ground,
and not at all TO any difference in re-
fining-just for instance, as the soft
wheat grown in South Dakota differs
from the hard wheat OF North Da-
kota.p
you think, then. that his law
against selling the lighter oil is on a
par with legislation prohibiting the
sale of soft wheat flour, thus compelling
consumers to buy the North Dakota
product instead Of the South Dakota
product?"
Precisely. 1t is all right to enact
laws to prevent sale Of unwholesome
or fraudulent flour. or unsafe or adul-
terated Kerosene, or anything else hat
may be dangerous or counterfeit. But
it isn't right to enact laws which do
not afford any such protection, but
merely compel people to pay more for
the light they use in their homes, OFF,
ces and stores"
You suspect then, that the South
Dakota legislation OF 1903, regarding
gravity test OF kerosene must have been
lobbied through by somebody who
wanted to open up an exclusive market
out here for oil which on it's own merits
and price couldn't compete with the
Indiana or Kansas oils?"
We'll, / don't believe that any leg
islature, entirely on it's own original
motion. would enact a law which bene-
fits nobody. but those who deal *
clusively in high priced oil, and which
law compels to buy hat or
nothing, but still gives nc additional
safety or service"