Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1915-08-15

product is so vast that the mind can
not grasp it. Where the producing
area is measured by few square
miles the consuming area Is measured
10y a corresponding number of com
munities thousands of miles in eX-
tent, and 1t is also worthy of note
that the consumption Is so widely cX-
tended and so minute in its quantity
that statistics which will give any re-
liable estimate Of its volume are al
most beyond the range OF possibility.
Naturally, it takes time for the
shrinking supply to dry up the little
pools of supplies covering this vast
territory from MainC to California and
from the Gulf OF Mexico to Hudson
bay and the price response must be
slow and fitful as compared with the
change I'm the restricted production
area That it will come is as certain
as any other cause resulting from any
other certain effect. The refiner who
has not held himself so well in hani
that he can wait the response to the
inevitable law has hecn is now and
always will be unwisc. There Is no
business fact better established than
that on n rising market producer,
manufacturer and dealer must lOgi-
cally profit for the reason that every
change brings to him profit on the
goods in hand i'm addition to the profit
usually and properly received while
operating on stable market While
it Is perhaps true that the amount of
crudc handled by Independent re-
finers will have to suffer some shrink
age IT is quite within the bounds Of
reason to believe that a wider margin
of profit will undoubtedly. on account
Of the increased strength Of the de-
mand. reCOup the rcfincr for the loss
in gallCnage. If the present situa-
tion carries with il any real danger
for the Independent refincr 1t Is be
cause the producer, allowing himself
to be guilty Of incOnccivablc folly
shall deliberately willfully and un-
necessarily choke to death the insti-
tutons that in his extremity, came
to his relief, and which are this mo-
mcnt. whether he is willing to admit
ii or not, maintaining that influence
in this field which Compcls n service
to him that has never been cqualled
in the history of oil production be
fore There are in the city of Tulsa
today Independent rcfineries which
sh uld be a matter of intense civic
pride to every inhabitant. Every in
fluenCc that In any way Tctards their
growth or prosperity every state
mcnt which tends to make their bur
dcus harder or more difficult merits
and should receive the seycrcst con-
domination. It would be hard to CON
Ccive of an ocCurTanCe which would
bring with 1t greater pathCs than that
these splendid industries should be-
come a thing Of tho past. deserted
ruin which should tell Of the rcccdinG
instead of the present Importance Of
Tulsa in the comm merCial life Of our
state. If we could just bear in mind
that these splendid institutions belong
not alone to their owners but are I'm
broader sense the property of us
all that from them we receive the
revenue to build our churches, our
schools, our libraries, our public ia
Cilities our paved streets, that from
them not a few but Thousands of
men, women and children receive the
things that bring thcm comforts. edu-
cation and make them desirable and
intelligent citizens, that the loss Of
one OF them means more to the COM
munity as a whole than the loss of
one of our splendid citizens, we would
he less likely to make them the tar
get of thoughtless. undigested and
misleading statements that can bring
nothing but harm to them, and indi-
reCtly to those who are the authors
Of these articles The just and rea-
sonablo view for the producer to take
in this matter is that as the indepen-
dents were a tower of strength to him
when he was in need, that they now
shall have. not as a matter of charity
or on better terms than others but
as matter of absolute right and fair
dealing. the same proportion Of the
production in the field as he received
when there was no other outlet for
1t. 1t is perhaps too much TO hope
that the rules OF entire fairness.
which govern even In a prize fight. |
should he applied to business matters.
but II the producer is willing TO be ]