The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-16
BURN MORE OIL.
Natural Gas HASN'T Hurt Market
in Kansas.
Quarter Million More Barrels
Have Been Consumed.
BIG PROFIT TO STATE.
Total for the Year Amounts to
Over So, 900.
Mr.. Hussey MakesHis Settlement
With Auditor.
BIG PROFIT TO STATE.

Natural gas does not seem to be hurt
ing the sale Of kerosene and gasoline in
Kansas, as some have predicted it
would do. During the seven months
from April to October, 1906 nearly. $50, =
600 more barrels of kerosene and gaso-
line have been inspected in Kansas than
for the corresponding months of 1904.
State Oil Inspector L. T. Hussey, Of
Usage City, was in Topeka Wednesday
to file his monthly report. Concerning
the business OF his department for the
time he has been in office. he said:
From April to October, 1904, there
were paid in as fees from the oil inspec-
ton department a total of So. 761. Y.
The total expense of the department
for this same period was $4,000, leav-
ing a net profit to the state for the
seven months of $7.62L70.
During the corresponding seven
months of 1905, we have taken in as
fees a total of S15.1Ss.8S, and our ex-
penses have been $5,564.73. This leaves
a net profit for the state of $s,62473, or
50. 90 more than last year. Our ex-
penses have been a little higher, be-
cause some of the salaries were raised
by the last legislature, and for the fur
Their reason that every inspector has
been required to do a good deal Of
travelling. to make all the inspection
points. But I think we have not let
many barrels of oil slip into the state
without inspection. We are right after
them all the time.
THE general increase in the business
of the department, however, take to
be due simply to the increased consump-
ton Of kerosene and gasoline in the
state. This is rather a surprising com
dition in view of the fact that natural
gas is being used more extensively all
the time, and is now piped to the big
gest towns in the state. I would not
be surprised if the natural gas con-
sumption would gradually cut into the
receipts of this department, however. "
Mr. Hussey's report for the month OF
October shows larger receipts than Tor
any other months in the history OF MS
department The total amount taken
in in fees was 3.57S57, out of which the
EXPENSES of the department are paid.
The report shows that two new indie
pendent refneries took hand IN the
game last month. One is at Paola and
one at LOngton. The Paola refinery
placed 4O4 barrels Of kerosene on the
market last month, and the Longton
refinery 220 barrels. According TO the
records. the advertised Uncle sam
refinery did not have any oil Inspected
by the Kansas inspectors OF course
it may have shipped oil outside the
state. but there is nothing in the report
to show it. The Webster refinery at
Humboldt had 200 barrels of kerosene
None Of the Independent refners
are making any gasoline. Mr.. Hussey
says of this:
are now at work putting in stills FOR
gasoline. They have to have separate
machinery for the manufacture OF
gasoline At present this part Of their
crude oil is going to waste 1 think
that so far as quality is concerned,
the independent rehners are making
the best kerosene which is sold IN the
state.
thority to test the burning qualities OF
the oil which is offered for sale; an
we can do is simply determine
whether the oil Is safe-Whether II
comes up to the required flash test.
Since I have been connected with the
department there have been very few
instances where the oil failed to come
up to the test. The Standard Oil peo-
pie test all this oil themselves before
| It leaves their refinerfes, and conse-
quently there is never much douo1
about 1t being all right Once in a
while I have found oil which ran very
close to the Emit-only a degree or
two to spare-and have warned the
people handling this oil to not let II
occur again
Down along the DorQer OF the StatS
I suppose there is some oil slipped IN
without being inspected. 1t is impos-
sibIe to prevent a few barrels getting
in this way. It can be hauled across
the line in wagons and peddled out
among the merchants. But as a mat
ter of fact, the amount of oil which
( comes in without inspection is very
4 trifing.
ut looks to me as though some OF
these little independent oil reflneries
would make a success of It. Several
of them have a very nice equipment
for the manufacture of kerosene; they
have their own oil wells, and are
simply pumping their own oil and
putting it in shape for market. They
are able to paddle their own canoe
without any interference from the
Standard, and I can't see why they
should not make good money and
prosper"