The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-08-18
RIVAL OIL DEALERS
KEEP PRICES
Bartles Company Says Stand.
ard Oil Reductions Are on
Inferior Product.

y y . . o o o . . o o o q
The statements of the Standard o
Oil company concerning it's cent o
and half drop in oil the last o
month are misleading in every re- o
9 spect. o
90 . @ o 8 o 8 8 9 8 o o o o o o o
These were the words of MIR. Chas.
Bartles, manager of the Bartles-D Dakota
OIL company. this morning in an inter-
view with representative of the
Evening Times relative to the oil and
gasoline situation in this city.
Mr.. Bartles also said that when the
Standard Oil company makes a reduce
ton it advertises it around in a phil
anthropic light, when, indeed, selfish
motives alone underlie the reductions.
Just at this time of the year there is
a great accumulation of oil of all
kinds and, wishing to move a large
quantity, a reduction in price is re-
ported with the result that much is
disposed of. OF course, this is strictly
a business proposition, but in view of
the reports sent broadcast, an explain
alton Is made necessary.
The Standard Oil company is now
selling the Ohio and Indiana product.
which Is supposed to be much in
ferior article to the PENNSYLVANIA
product handled by the Bartles COM
pany. Actually in the last month the
price Of Pennsylvania oil has in
creased one-fourth of a cent so that
the Bartles-Dakota company are now
retailing 1t at IA cents a gallon. Ac-
cording to Mr.. Bartles even at their
price of 12A cents, the Standard Oil
company is selling at too high rate.
Today In Minneapolis the product is
retailing at 8 cents a gallon and it
costs but $1.7S to get it here, leaving
a margin of about 2k cents. The
reason that the Pennsylvania oil is not
erected by the Standard oil price Is
that 1t is SO far superior to the Ohio
and Indiana oil that there is no COM
parison between the two. And it com
mands good price in any market.
There is one Pennsylvania product,
however, that is in a way effected by
the Standard and that is the White oil
OF export, but that never comes into
the west. In most northwestern cities
the rockefeller company has been
gradually raising its price on gasoline,
but the presence of the rival company
ASAS Aoe ~ AdT kept tle price down.
Law Stringent.
Mr.. Bartles further stated that at
tempts had been made repeatedly to
compare the prices in Grand Forks
and Crookston and other neighboring
towns in our sister state, but this can
not be done with any degree of cor
rectness. The North Dakota laws in
regard to the specific gravity of oils
are SO stringent that much better
quality of oil must be handled here
than in Minnesota. why" he said,
lin St. Paul today they are selling
gasoline with gravity of 65, while
the North Dakota law will not per-
init of gravity test of less than 6S.
H. c. Harvey is the local inspector of
oils"
The new company intends to start
an agitation this fall for a law to
license the sale Of ruby oil. The law
as it now stands discriminates against
Independent concerns. MIR. Bartles
thinks that the using of the colored
oil will do away with all accidents,
for 1t is fact that accidents are few
and far between where this red oil is
in use.