The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1916-04-13
CUT IN GASOLINE
PRODUCING OIL IS
ONE COST FACTOR
Independent Concerns Charge
More Than Standard Oil Co.
Federal Trade Commits
sion Finds.
HINT AT PRICE JUGGLING
10 Per Cent of Output Exported
Foreign Trade Shows Big
Gain-No Conclusion
Reached.
HINT AT PRICE JUGGLING

Washington. April 1.-THE federal
trade commission today presented to
congress a preliminary report on its
investigation of the high price Of gaso-
line. The report carries a mass Of sta
tistics on production and prices. but
draws no conclusions as to the cause
of the increase of the latter.
OF alleged price determinations,
which the commission is charged with
investigating under a Senate resolu-
ton. the report says:
IF prices are found to have been
raised to higher levels in some sections
than in others, making due allowances
for quality Of product, freight and
marketing conditions, 1t may be in
ferred that an element Of artificial
manipulation has been entered into the
advance"
Prices East and West.
One table submitted with the report
shows that tank wagon prices, higher
in the west in January, 1915, than they
were in the east were higher a year
later in the east. The same relation was
shown between prices in the east and
west after freight was deducted. No
mention was made Of differences in
marketing conditions in the two sec
tons.
Suggestions that increasing exports
have been partly to blame for higher
prices are considered in a table that
shows 1915 exports amounted to Is
per cent Of the entire gasoline content
of all the crude petroleum produced in
the United States within the year. Ex-
ports of the year Of gasoline naptha
and benzine totalled S4,500,000 gallons
against 23S,500, 900 in 1914 and 1S8,000,-
900 in 1913.
Gasoline Content Less.
The tables take up first crude oil
production in 1915 and show that while
production virtually was unchanged
throughout the IL months, the produc-
shows the highest gasoline content of
all, dropped from more than 100000
barrels in April 1915 to 100000 in De-
cember. Increases in production in
the Healdton field, which produces a
small percentage of gasoline, kept the
total crude production up to a normal
The effect of decreased production
in the Gushing field in gasoline terms
is given in footnote, which says the
gasoline content of oil from the Cush-
ing field fell from 100000 gallons in
April to 100000 gallons in December
The gasoline content Of all the oil
produced in the United States de-
creased during the year. The estimate
of the years total gasoline content for
900 gallons. Crude oil stocks increased
during the year from $4,000, 900 barrels
in January, 1915, to 100,000,O0O in Jan
uary, 1915.
Standard UnderseIIs.
Standard Oil companies, the table
shows, produced about so per cent of
the years gasoline output; their total
was 6S1, 100000 gallons, and that of the
independents, 400, 100000, in round fig
ures. Gasoline stocks held by refin-
cries decreased steadily from last May,
when the total is put at 292, 100000 gal
Ions, to December, with a total of only
$4,000. Stocks increased from the first
of the year to May. Price ranges show
that the price charged by the indie
pendents averaged about l cent higher
than Standard Oil prices. The Standard
was selling gasoline, F. o. B., at its re-
fineries at 1882 cents a gallon January
l, 1915, and the independents were
charging S.38 for the same grade. There
was little change until August, when
the Standard price went to 1888 and the
Independent price dropped to 500. Four
months later in December the Standard
was charging 1884 and the independ-
ents, 1907.