Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1915-09-22
THE SITUATION OF GASOLINE IN
IOWA.
Hawkeye Oil Representative Explains
the Old Game Of "RObbing
Peter to Pay Paul'-The
Gasoline Situation
i'm Iowa.

That the gasoline situation i'm Wa
terloo. and in Iowa generally. is
something out of the ordinary and
name to produce disastrous results
10 local Oil concerns, was brought
out In an Interview with a represen-
tatlve OF the Hawkeye Oil company
yesterday.
The following will be very interest
ing to auto owners and other gaso-
line users:
Q.-Why should there naturally
De an advance on gasoline?
A.-Because crude oil has adyanc-
ed about 200 per cent since Nav. this
year. Southern crude was quoted in
May at 80 cents. 1t is now 90 cents.
Crude has advanced in all fields. This
advance is due to the fact that the
production in some of the fields has
fallen off fifty per cent. In the face
or this decreased crude OUTPUT. the
Standard bought up nearly seventy
hve per cent of the crude in some
fields, paying a premium for it
Q.-Why should an advance in
crude necessita.e a higher price on
gasoline and refined oil?
A.-Because most of the indepen-
dent refiners buy their crude, and
when the raw material advances, the
refners must advance his price, or
go out of business.
Q.-How does this affect the indie
pendent oil companies?
A.-The price to US has advanced
about 21a cents per gallon, on
straight distilled gasoline, which, if
sold at the price of common tank
wagon gasoline, would mean loss.
Q.-Can the Independent Oil COM
panies afford to sell at loss?
A.-No. Unless they can get q
reasonable price for quality gasoline
they will have to discontinue selling
it, and thus competition would be de-
stroyed.
Q.-Have there been any advances
on the price of tank wagon gasoline
in Iowa during the past year?
A.-No. AS the cost of crude adj
vanced, the price of the finished pro-
duct was forced down
Q.-Is this condition general
throughout the country?
A.-No. In the eastern states and
other sections where there is but
little competition, the Standard has
advanced its prize to correspond with
advances in crude. Even in our
neighboring state of Nebraska, these
advances have been made while the
| iowa price was forced down. In the
New England states, Kentucky, Tex
as and other states, the price is 13, / 4
| and 3 cents.
Q.-What is the object of this
price manipulation?
Am the last few years, strong
gasoline competition has developed
| in Iowa and the Standard appears to
be making an unprecedented effort to
crush it out of existence by cutting
prices in Iowa and making up its loss
| by advancing the price in states
where competition is not so keen
Q.-Through such tactics, can the
Standard put you out of business?
| A.-No. The Standard alone can
not put any Independent out of bust
ness, but the Standard and the pub
lie together could do so. This, how
ever, is unlikely as the American con-
Stunning public usually favors the un-
der dog, or, at least, demands fair
play.
Q.-What does your company in
tend to do in the matter?
A.-There is nothing we can do at
present. We shall leave the matter
entirely in the hands of our custom
crs and friends, most of whom want
better goods than the common tank
wagon goods We shall continue TO
handle Straight Distilled gasoline,
and shall offer it at absolutely the
! lowest price at which it can be sold,
relying on the belief that our reputa-
ton for honesty, service and quality
will not only hold the patronage OF
our old customers, but will increase
our gasoline business as it becomes
more widely known that there is real
| " difference and that our gasoline
| is the cheapest in the end.-Adver-
tisement, from Waterloo, Iowa Times