Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1915-04-04
OIL MEN FAVOR 1T
REFINERIES OPPOSE

HARRISBURG Pa, April SOL
men not only from Pennsylvania but
from different parts of the country
appeared before the senate judiciary
general committee today on the bill
introduced by Senator Phipps, OF
Nensngo county. requiring products OF
crude petroleum and its compounds 10
be so branded as TO indicate the klhd
and grade OF such petroleum from
which the same are derived or manu-
factured. The bill was introduced at
the instance of oil producers OF ths
state. The committee took no action.
The hearing developed the fact that
the producers are almost unit in
favor Of the bill and that the reuners
are largely opposed to it, The pro-
ducers declared that Pennsylvania
crude oil was of such quality that
IL brought $40 a barrel while Okla
hOma crude was sold at 40 cents a
barrel and other western oils az
prices lower than Pennsylvania crude
They insisted that the consumer in
purchasing crude petroleum or It's
products should know whether ne Is
getting the Pennsylvania product or
the product Of another state.
The refiners declared that 1t would
harass the business to compel the re-
finer or manufacturer to brand all
petroleum and that in certain cases
1t would be impossible to compel the
diyulgence of trade secrets.
r. G. Brcene, representing pro
ducers in the Oil City region; John E.
Gill, of Pittsburgh, a producer IN the
NenangO district and j. {. kllgore, OF
Franklin, producer and consumer,
supported the bill They declared
there was no harm in telling customers
what they are buying If seller mas
no desire to deceive. the customers.
The innocent consumer, he sald,
should be protected and he should
know whether he is getting Pennsyl.
auia oil If he asked for it. The bill
does not work an injustice, he said
Rcfncrs Raise Objection.
Those who appeared against the bill
were Charles a. Carpenter, Phlla-
delphia. representing the Pennsylvania
| oil Trade association; c. ID. Chamber
| lain, Of Kansas City, secretary OF the
National Petroleum association; Ira
! G.. williams, Philadelphia, represent
! ing the Atlantic Refining company, a
| Standard oil subsidiary; former state
/ Senator Francis S. Mcllhenney rep
resenting the Sun company; L. q
| Lyons, OF Warren, representing the
! ConewangO Refining company ano
| Guy Stevens, New York Of the Texas
| Company
Mr.. Carpenter objected to the bill
because II would compel the diVul
gence Of trade secrets. Mr.. Chamber
lain said the bill would compel re-
finers to give up trade secrets. H'
admitted to the committe that the
Standard Oil company fixed the price
. ! nj, oil
elman, Dauphin, wanted to know
whether the price of the Pennsylvani'
product was fixed high in order tC
boost the selling OF the Oklahoma
crude. Mr. Chamberlain said HI
would let Mr.. Beidclman draw hi
own conclusion.
Mr.. Williams, of the Atlantic Re
filming company, told of physical oh
, iections in filling the requirements o
the bill. He said the Atlantic Refin
ing company pipes oil to Philadelphia
from nearly every state in the unlol
where oil Is produced. Oil from DIFF
ferent states is run into the same tanl
sucCessively. he said, and 1t would b.
impossible to tell, for example, tn
different oils from which gasoline wa
| made. Oil is sold on specifications
he declared, and the consumer doe
not care where the oil came from s.
long as II comes up to specifications
Mr. Stevens, of the Texas Company
whose conern refines oil drawn fror
Texas, Louisiana and oklahoma, sug
gested that his company would hav
no objection IL the bill were amende
so as to provide that crude o
branded as having been produced /
PENNSYLVANIA must be Pcnnsylvani
oil exclusively.
Senator Bcidleman and Senate
Burke. Of Allegheny county, aske
many questions, the former insistin
that he wanted to know what harr
there was in telling a customer wher
the oil he is buying came from.