French Broad hustler and Western Carolina Democrat. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1915-1916, 1916-03-23
GASOLINE PRICES
10 GO NO HIGHER
npoUINENT MEN BELIEVE TOP
WATCH HAS BEEN REACHED.
COUNTRY AROUSED.
MI, INDUSTRY EXPANDING
Rptter Engines and Possibility of Car
Makers Producing Fuel Has Ef-
fect-FOrd Appealed To.

Anv news touching on the price of
rocoIine is seized on with avidity By
tbp ublic all over the country. The
uewspapers are using columns of space
doilv to put facts and theories before
the people.
The Hustler last week carried long
article on the soaring price of gasoline.
In II it was declared by experts and
bv wholesalers from different parts of
the country that the price would stead
ilv mount higher until by midsummer
I0c q gallon would be the cost of the
fuei to car owners. Already it is soc
IN Hendersonville, several cents higher
than elsewhere in this section.
st is good news to car owners that
i contained in the following story
from The World, New York:
Alfred Reeves, General Manager of
tSe National Automobile Chamber OF
Commerce expressed the opinion re-
Gently that motorists need not fear 40
cent gasoline. He believes the top
price has been about reached.
81 see no justification for the pessi-
mistc predictions of a famine in mo-
tor fuel" said Mr. Reeves to a World
TepUTl0T. nc u1SuS1 LII Jug
oil, are causing old wells to be reopen
ed. and new ones to be drilled. Applf-
cation of the improved processes for
extracting larger PROPORTION of gas
O1ne will increase the supply. Chemi-
cal science will continue to improve
those processes, and they will also dis
cover substitute fuels.
MOtGr Improvement VIII Help.
Another factor will be the improve
ment of existing motors. Say all we
may about the efficiency OF present
tvpee and we know that he internal
combustion engine is capable of still
greater Improvement, and that it viii
come. There never was a greater
need that was not eventually filled by
invention. Chemists and engineers
have gone to work on this power prob
lem with an energy not known when
fuel was cheap and the incentive to in
TeGtion was not so apparent.
Automobile manufacturers are
OF course, vitalIy interested in this
Oroblem of fuel supply. I think they
are generally of the opinion that4the in
dustry would be injured by permanent
ly high priced fuel. They are watch
ing this situation very closely, recog-
nlzing that an abundant supply of fuel
is essential to their business. But they
are also awake to the fact that econ
omy of fuel is quite as important as
abundance. If the high price i'm
presses upon manufacturer and owner
the lesson of economy it will not have
Deen So great a calamity, after all.
Manufacturers Are Awake.
Charles F. Riess, distributor of the
hupmObile and Stearns-Knight cars
IN New York. said that from the point
OF view of Automobile Row. the pres
ent price of gasoline appears to have
oeen fixed arbitrarily. There is no
shortage in available supply; you can
buy all the gasoline you ask for" he
said, 1T is not as it is when there is
an announced coal shortage and the
ueaIer delivers one ton where You or
ner nve. Gasoline is selling now fol
|. cents a gallon in Denver. Califor-
Sia Orodncers are just reopening wells
tnaI we're shut down during the glut
OF the market
In my opinion the automobile man
utaeturers who control an industry
!aat Is now the fourth in importance
II the United States, should take the
mel problem in hand. If necessary
mey should follow the suggestion q
merry Ford and embark in the refining
BUSINESS themselves. A dozen refini,
Ie1les scattered over the country a
POINTS connecting with the big con
Germs, woul dkeep down the price bJ
compelling competition. OF, course
tne problem would be in the distribu
uon but with their facilities in ever
important city the large motor com
panies could work out a system" 8.
FOrd Appealed To.
representative Randall, OF Califor
LA has appealed to Henry Ford to us,
MS brain and resources In finding some
way to reduce the cost Of gasoline y
reasonable figues. It is proposed tina
one Of several methods be used. 1
IS stated that Ford has the matte
under consideration. and will make 4
repE to Mr.. Randall sooas.
InnAr