Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1913-01-30
AUTO|sTs CAN FORCE
GASOLINE PRICE DOWN

That the cost OF gasoline rests, TO
great extent, on each individual
motorist. and that motoring in gen.
eral is under deep obligation TO
the big oil companies. is asserted by
Clement Studebaker, Jr.. First Vice
President OF the Studebaker Corpor-
alton.
II have recently noted several ar
ticles, quoting automobile manufac-
turers and others as deprecating the
recent increases In the price OF gaso-
line" said Mr. Studebaker. Some
have even professed to see. In the
advance. menace to automobile
popularity and industry. AS a mat
ter OF fact, the difference amounts
TO but fraction of cent for each
mile per car and should not, In a
seasons running OF 5000 miles ex-
coed a total OF s25.
"On the other hand, It Is high
time that motordom should consi-
der the debt IL owes the big oil COM
panies. without whose magnificent
organization motoring would never
have achieved its present popularity.
Before the internal-combustion
motor, gasoline was virtually a by
product. on sale at central stations
for perhaps ten cents a gallon. The
cost of delivery fell on the buyer
and often amounted to more than
this figure The oil companies were
glad to sell the gasoline at almost
any price. for this enabled them to
manufacture at a profit, greater
quantities OF oils, greases and Tub
ricants. While this condition pre-
vailed, the buyers of the staples paid
large share OF the Motorists fuel
bill.
But gasoline motor care multi
piled and eventually the demand for
fuel equalled that for the other pro-
ducts a year OF so ago. the old
balance was reserved Now the de-
mand for gasoline greatly exceeds
that for the staple oils and greases,
And, in place'o OF the old method OF
distribution. the oil companies have
established a system which covers
the entire country, bringing to the
very door OF each garage refined
product which has often travelled
thousands OF miles. When one con-
siders the cost OF drilling, pumping
transportation, refining and deliver
ing, he must admit that there Is no
manufactured product sold as cheap
" as gasoline Even at Its present
price, il costs the consumer less than
an equal quantity OF most brands
of spring water.
When the demand for gasoline
came to exceed that for the other
crude-oil products, the manufacture
ers faced a dilema. They could not
produce gasoline and throw away
the other products such process
would have made the fuel prohibi.
tive In cost To advance the price
OF gasoline and TO lower the price
OF the other products was the only
available means OF regaining the
balance. So now We pay more fol
gasoline and less for oils and greas
es
las a matter OF fact" Mr. Stude
baker continued, I'VE have all vast
ed gasoline; II has been so cheap. 4
little economy will hurt none OF us
Automobile manufacturers have
built wasteful cars-cars with mot
ors much larger than necessarily de
manded. cars that lacked efficiency
But the manufacturer Is seeing tbs
light The recent New York show
emphasized a new tenency-a ten
ency toward motors that yield NOR,
in miles per gallon But these carr
will fail to save gasoline unless theil
owners do their part
Just as a wasteful car raises th'
cost OF gasoline. so every motoris
who fails TO make his car efficient
makes fuel cost more Owners o
automobiles owe II to each other I,
start a united effort. keeping tract
OF gallon-miles. watching carbure
ton. learning the art OF controlling
car more by the clutch and les
by the brakes a campaign alon
this line will save enough gasolin
20 more than balance the recent In