The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-08-23
BIRMINGHAM PRICE
ON GASOLINE STILL
HIGHEST IN NATION
Despite Drop of One Cent
This City Still Fares
Badly
FOUR COMPANIES HERE
BUT NO COMPETITION
City Commission Asks That Govern
ment Expert Investigate Situation
Here-Officials of the Oil
Companies. Are Silent

The price of gasoline in Birmingham
has dropped 1 cent.
1t has likewise dropped in every other
city in the United States
The present price in Birmingham is %
cents per gallon, which is the highest
charged in any city in the United States
today.
With four companies competing, the
price drops and goes up with each one
of them simultaneously.
At the weekly meeting of the commits
sion yesterday the question OIL gasonne
prices in Birmingham was brought up
by Commissioner Barber and discussed
by each member of the board Mr.. Bar
Der read an editorial from the Christian
Science Monitor to the effect there was
no scarcity of petroleum in this country
and that the present prices of gasoline
were out of reason
Congressman George Huddleston has
called the attention of the federal trade
commission to the prevailing prices of
gasoline here and filed formal COM
plant with that body, alleging that the
consumers in Birmingham were being dis
eliminated against. He also urged that
a. representative of the federal trade
commission, or an investigator of that
body, be sent Immediately to Birming-
ham to look into the matter.
The following telegram was sent 20
Mr.. Huddleston by the commission yes
terday:
1--WE indorse your efforts to have an
investigation made of the high price of
ga SOljnR in Rirp1j ha M
will be successful in having a govern
ment expert come to this city to inves-
usate the causes leading up to the alb
normal price charged here.
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
George B. Ward, President
city Attorney M. M. pullman was in
structed to look into the matter of gas
oline prices and to render an opinion
as to whether the prices were a result
of collision on the part of any one
company or companies operating in Bir-
mingham.
Commissioner Ward discussed the
proposition of charging the gasoline con-
Germs operating in Birmingham a license
which would be governed by the pre-
vailing price. For instance, the present
license on oil companies is $120O pei
year. Mr.. Wards idea is to charge a
minimum of $1,000 per year and if the
price of gasoline is rs cents, charge
$3.50 per year. If it is II cents per gal
lon, make the license $17OO. BY this
sliding scale the oil companies would ad-
just its license by the prices set upon
the automobile commodity.
The commission was unanimous in
agreeing to try to get relief for the
citizens of Birmingham in regard to the
price at present charged for gasoline.
The semi-annual meeting of the Ala
bama managers and statesmen of the
Texas Oil company was held here yes
terday morning. There were about sc
present. Those in attendance said that
they preferred not to discuss the price
of gasoline No opinion pro or con
could be obtained from them.
The Chamber of Commerce is compl-
ing data on the price of gasoline in
Birmingham and preparing a report con-
tending that this city should be entitled
to as low price as any other.
That the contention of the people of
Birmingham that this city is being dis
eliminated against in the matter of gas
oline prices is shown by the following
reports of quotations yesterday in repre-
sentative cities scattered all over the
county: Chattanooga, 10; Nashville, Is;
Indianapolis, II; Detroit, 16; New York,
II; Atlanta, %; Cleveland. II; New Or
leans, 16; Kansas City, II, and Birming-
ham, %.