Evening star., 1916-10-04
GASOLINE IS HIGHER
AS OIL SUPPLY FAILS
Visible Quantity Exhausted in
Thirty Years, Says Dr.
rector Van H. Manning.

Members nfss the Retail Merchants
Assdciation and lEoyernpept officials
whoAhave beens assisting them to study
the problem Of gasoline prices and
aduiterated gasoline product were told
today. that the increased price of gas
oline is partly due to the fact that the
production of gasoline crude oil in the
Cushing field has dropped from 100000
barrels a day a year ago to less than
$4,000 barrels day .,ow.
This information was communicated
by Van H. Manning. director of the
bureau of mines. in an address at a
luncheon at the Commercial Club, at
tended by the merchants ana COVER
ment officials, beginning at 1890
o'clock. r
Visible Supply for Thirty Years.
1--WE are today facing a serious con-
dition in the petroleum industry" Mr..
Manning said. I'VE have probably
reached the summit Of our crude oil
production. in this country. Our future
supply of petroleum is only sufficient
to last us from twenty-seven to thirty
wears at the present rate of consump-
ton.
Notwithstanding the decline in the
production of gasoline the demand has
steadily increased, due primarily to the
increased use of automobiles. January
l, 1916, there were 2,225,0O0 automo-
biles in use in the United States. 1t is
estimated that there will be 3,225.000
in use by January, 1917, and the fol-
lowing year more than 4,500, 900 in use.
Mr.. Manning explained some of the
technical things in connection with the
manufacture of gasoline and the method
by which the refiners are now supplying
a low-grade fuel. which, he said, will
explain some of the difficulties people are
having with the character of fuel used In
their automobiles"
Advance Long Expected.
Calling attention to the fact that year
ago gasoline sold for IL cents gallon,
Mr.. Manning said that his bureau has
long anticipated the present heavy in
crease in price, because Of a knowledge OF
conditions He said the bureau is now
preparing gasoline specifications (for a
standard product) for the general supply
committee Of the federal government
These specifications will be made pub
lie in sixty days, he said.
Ne issued this warning:
mo specifications should be drawn up
which would exclude certain materials
now being used satisfactorily, for, IL
eliminated, this would correspondingly
restrict the supply and automatically
increase the price. Also, any specifica-
tions that would restrict the use Of
some of the low grade oil resources
would at once stop any further effort
toward Improvement In engine design" :"
Scientists to Speak.
. It is expected that DR.. S. w. Stratton.
director OF the bureau of standards, and
w. A. Williams, chief gasoline technol
oxist Of the United States government.
who is connected with the bureau of
mines, will also speak this afternoon at
the luncheon, which Is likely to turn
into a long session, because of the wide
range Of the subjects discussed. R. p.
Andrews, president Of the Retail Mer-
chants Association. and chairman of the
'.pure gasoline committee" Of the asso-
ciation, presided at the meeting.
Among those present were the follow
ing members Of the merchants COM
mittee. in addition to Mr.. Andrews: d
c. Graham. Claude e. Miller, M. A.
Bayles, r.. H. Harper. Charles "
SoYnmes; s. II. Horner and ]. A. .Hamii-
ton In addition to the governmenf
scientists mentioned, Conrad Syme. cor
poration counsel of tho District OF Co
iumbia, was present to represent the
District Commissioners. A draft Of an