The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-11-03
The Federal Commission to
Make Full Investi-
cation
TRANSPORTATION
AND PRODUCTION
Pipe Line Cost a Feature of
the Desired Infor-
nation

Washington, Nov. ga complete anC
thorough investigation of the oil bust
ness of the United States is being made
by the federal trade commission, accord
ling to an announcement made yesterday
lby the commission. 1t states that the
Investigation was begun in response to
resolutions passed by the Senate which
was introduced by Senators Owen and
Gore of Oklahoma.
"The information called for by the
resolution" said the announcement, "ne-
cessitates careful and complete inves-
!tigation of nearly every phase of the
production, transportation, refining and
marketing of crude petroleum and its re-
fined products in this country. The work
OF investigation under these resolutions
has been continuously carried on by the
federal trade commission. The commits
sion is soon to issue report dealing
with one phase Of the investigation,
the cost of pipe line transportation of
crude petroleum. No authoritative in
| formation dealing with present condi-
tons on this subject has been available,
and it was necessary for agents of the
commission to obtain it not only from
the books of the pipe line companies, but
in some cases from the original expense
vouchers. 1t is the purpose of the fed
eral trade commission to issue reports
dealing with one, or more features of the
industry as rapidly as information on
those subjects can be collected and pre-
pared
at is quite apparent from the inyes-
tigation already conducted that there is
a wide difference between conditions ex-
isting in the several parts of the United
States and that the petroleum industry
is at present undergoing mpid changes,
and certain branches of it, due TO the
European war, have been in an abnormal
state. New processes for refining oil |
have recently been installed, and this is |
leading to marked changes in the re-
iineries situation"
In its statement, the commission sets
forth that many complaints have been
received as to conditions in various
branches of the oil industry. The state
ment says that the commission has al
ready sent out agents to investigate
charges of price discrimination in the
sale of gasoline in various parts of the
Recently there have been numerous
filed with the commission all.
eging discrimination between localities
in the sale of gasoline" said the an
Complaints have been re-
seiyed from California, Georgia, Idaho,
and other states
"These recent complaints alleging price
between localities in the
sale Of gasoline have led the commits
iion 10 send out agents to gather first
iand information on this subject. The
'esult of such inquiries will guide the
in determining II the al
eyed conditions are prevalent in the
jnited States at large. and whether il
will be desirable TO take up that subject
or immediate investigation, or whether
I will be more advantageous for il to
Concentrate its efforts, As far as possible,
o the completion OF the reports on the
Whole situation, as directed by the Sen
te resolutions in which exhaustive in
estigation OF the matters now made the
ubject Of specific complaint would nee
ssarily be included"
The commission has received COM
laints from persons engaged in produc.
~ oil from wells; from companies en-
aged in buying and Transporting crude
u, from oil refiners, from oil iobbers.
rom retailers, and from consumers.
ONE of the complaints alleged unfair
rsctices by former subsidiary companies
the STANDARD OIL company; others are
irected against officials Of the so-called
These complaints come
ON all parts Of the country and are
ten Of a conflicting nature.