Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1914-09-10

lBy Geo. N. Summer. !

has been brought to tie oil producers
of West Virginia by an order OF the
Interstate Commerce Commission, er-
tered on Friday through the efforts
of Senator Chiffon, former Senat II
Watson and Congressman Nicely.
Since the beginning OF the war in
Europe, the purchasing agencies have
ceased or almost ceased to buy iii
from the producers. With no market
and no place to store the Oil as it Is
produced, the producer has been
greatly embarrassed 1t was ascer-
tanned that there is storage capacity
at Olean, N. Y, for about 100000
barrels of oil, but that pipeline trans
portation charges to that point and
the further charges from there to
New York, when the oil may
shipped on to the seaboard make Q
prohbitive rate. With representa-
tiyes of the oil producers, Senat y
Chiffon, Senator Watson and NJ
Nicely went before the Interstate Corr
merce Commission and asked that a
rate by way of Olean be made tie
same as by the direct route 10 Nea
York, with the privilege Of storing il
transit Pipe line officials concurred
in the request and the order was is
sued. 1t is believed this will taIe
care of practically all the oil produc
ed in West Virginia until the resump-
ton of foreign shipments and of pur-
chases by the agencies.
Former Senator G. w. Watson, after
travelling in five European countries
after each had declared war, has
reached home again. He was COM
PEELED to abandon in automobile ii
Germany and says that any West W.
ginian who desires to go and get it
may nave it SC far as he is concerned
lie was held in Germany few hours
under suspicion of being a British
spy, even his passports signed by
William J Bryan, secretary of state.
being questioned in small place
where the fame of the Great Common
er had not reached. Senator Watson
is of the opinion that the United
States will greatly increase its for
eign commerce as result OF the
European war, but that at the en1
6 ~ Iof r. In
sary for this country to fight to
maintain it's increased commerce, and
that we are not now prepared to dc
so. His ideas of the war, as it may
affect us, are that we should go at
Ter the commerce which is being lost
by countries in Europe, and that W
should prepare ourselves to defend
the trade so gained, by force of arms,
# necessary. While people in this
country do not feel that there is any
probability of war, Senator Watso
sand that three weeks before war WIS
declared by Germany, fnanciers ana
bankers in Berlin assured him that
here was no possibility of European
war. The Senator IS not an alarmist
nor does he predict a war in whic z
the United States will be involved,
but having seen now quickly condi-
tons changed in Europe and the pre-
paredness of EuroDean nations when
the war came. he believes it the duly
of the United States to be better pre-
pared than it is now for emergencies
which may follow our capturing TIE
commerce of foreign nations.
Putting into practice his belief that
Americans have great opportunity
before them to get and hold conf
merce that now is held b European
nations, Senator Watson and his as
sociates in the coal business n Wet
Virginia have undertaken TO open Of
fees of their company in many of tire
principal cities of Europe w. I
Coe and CHI Kalklnan have been
sent to Europe to establish these o.
noes. SENATOR OIllltOu HOt Olliy BY
them passports. but Letters from TIE
British, French, Italian, Spanish and
Portuguese embassies, as to the high
personal standing Of the two mel.
which should prevent them from hay
ing any trouble even in the war zon
With short day in Congress OF
and Labor Day coming next
to Sunday, practically three days
vacation was provided for Senator'S
and members OF the House. Oppor-
tunities like these will not be plenti-
full during the campaign and most OF
the congressman who live within 4
few hundred miles of the capital take
advantage of every opportunity Of tie
kind to get into their districts for =
few hours and see how siings are
going.