The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-09-26
ARE BURNING OIL:
WHIP COAL TRUST
Kansas Farmers Find an Es-
cape From the Exac-
tons of Miners.
NEW FUEL IN FACTORIES
GREAT ECONOMY IN OPERATION
HAS BEEN REPORTED As A RE.
SUIT OF THE cHANGE-oiL
RATES ARE LOW,

Topeka, Kans., Sept. 25.-Kansas
farmers are using the Standard oil to
hammer the coal operators. They are
installing oil stoves for cooking pur-
poses and hundreds of them are even
putting in Oil furnaces for heating pur-
poses.
Notwithstanding that Kansas has
some OF the largest coal mines in the
central west in its eastern border coun-
ties and the Colorado mines are only
short distance from its western
boundary. the price of coal is regarded
as excessive. especially in central and
western Kansas. From Hutchinson
and Salina west the people pay as
much for soft lump coal as eastern peo-
pie pay for anthracite
Two years ago suit was brought be-
fore the interstate commerce commits
| sion to reduce coal rates, and after a
hearing a so cent per ton reduction
was ordered on Colorado coal The
railroads put in the rate, but the state
railroad board says it has information
from the western farmers that the coal
companies have now lifted the price o.
coal to so cents ton, which simply alb
serbs the amount the freight rate was
reduced. 1t also contends that the
coal mines are owned by the railroads
although operated by independent CON-
panies and it is investigating the mat
! ter with view of laying the facts be-
fore the interstate commerce commits
sion.
OIL Company Well Satisfied.
In the meantime the farmers are
| switching from coal to oil for fuel. This
is satisfactory to the oil trust. Kan
sas has extremely low freight rates on
oil, both crude and refined. They
were fixed by legislative enactment
| some years ago. when the agitation
against the oil trust was at it's height
and when the railroads were believed
to be in cahoots with the trust. The
rates bring little profit. but the roads
never have taken them into the courts.
Since the advent OF the automobile,
and of gasoline street lighting lamps
the oil trust has had trouble supplying
the demand for gasoline. At the same
time the kerosene had been piling ua
at its western refineries until it hadn't
any more space to store it in. What
to do with kerosene had become a prob
lem with the trust. 1t had evolved
all sorts Of schemes, patent lamps. pat
ent stoves and patent everything else
that would tend to increase the con,
sumption of OIL
| II hod hoporooreA 1cpo ord hord $~
sell its oil. And 1t was meeting with
only Indifferent success until the coal
operators lifted their prices, especially
in the western half of Kansas. That
solved the question in large measure
The farmers began to buy oil stoves
and ranges and the coal business was
dull.
Crude Oil Largely Used.
"The crude oil trade is developing
even faster than the refined OIL saii
State Oil Inspector Joseph Longshort
today. "The farmers are using OF
burners in their homes, which consume
refined oil. but the manufacturers art
using crude oil in their factories. One
factory alone, the Garden City sugar
mill, reports that it is making a me-
saving of $3.50 a day during its cam
paign by using crude oil as fuel in
stead OF coal.
the big flour mills are installing crude
oil burners. With the new avenues
for trade opening up the oil trus
should soon be able to get rid of it
surplus products stored In the oil fields
of Kansas and Oklahoma, and whel
this happens. oil operators ought Il
receive an advance for their output"