The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-03-31

VII " vi ~ \
An ,., -. ,,. -, c.
All INNS on inc authorliy OF OoNeIh-
ment people VINO nave been Tor months
," ~ h"s,ns." III '"'essS'''s '"e sa'
II may he said. incid.ntaIIv. that there
are other Government authorities who
maintain an entirely different view, who
insist that gasolene is going steadily I'D
to at least 10 cents. and that unless
there are great new discoveries Of crude
oil. Il Is unlikely ever To go below 30
cents again
- ,,.H,. ,... T., ,. T.,
"e'e, human ioI "hS'Shce' ~
Nentor OF the Government process TOT
converting Kerosene into gasolene, has
expressed the deliberate opinion that
prcsent 0aaoIene nrIces are In. re.ult
- a.. ,,,.,,,aI ,,,Ira,ta =, -, "a
y s"e ~ 80, a, " 49,, ~, oupp's 80
uemshu' anu 'hat 'heTc VIII prooapIy DC
no signincant or permanent recession OF
the price.
On the other hand. a moro cheering
view is expressed by some OF the people
who have been making the Federal
Trade Commissions investigation of the
n mmS o''e' VI pe''o'eu" anu It's
They are not yet ready to issue any
authoritative statements, much less to
Indulge predictions as TO the future
course OF prices; But inc men VINO are
hi. inves,ISs,ton %.s disoio.oS ,, a.
date Five ,hs most crco,,raVIng ytew
NJ the nrosnects
Depletion Of Reserves.
A. ~ .,,,, .L .,,,h.,.t 49,,
~ t". "u'''t, '"''o H"'"o' '''e9 co"-
Tess that there IA no knowing what the
effects OF war conditions may he. II the
w.r .h,Il con,inu. tor s.yora, v.ar, or
-, 80, -, 49,
anything Ike the present Seale. prices
may 70 good deal higher. The war
Is considered responsible to very con-
siderable extent for the depletion OF
the large reserves OF petroleum which
were held in this country during the
| era OF low prices.
War demand. moreover, Is an insistent
demand. which will bid up prices. n
mo,o- car can cut down his mIlesr. or
even put his power away indefinitely
and go on strike In protest against
1 " pIIves, pu. aeIopia.e. suo' ~. NJ.
! bo.ts tbat ore scnurinS Tho vatsr. ~
| the British war zone, and the various
other war requirements Of gasolene.
VIII not be denied.
Reduripv Production
So the war represents the biggest Gle
ment OF uncertainty about the future.
| Not only II there the question Of war
demand hut there is a,so tho nossibi,itv
I
| OF the war iurther reducing produc-
| ton nv involving either countries which
are considerable producers. or by
| making more dlificult 10 finance
| development operations.
Leaving the war out of considers ton.
the investigators arc Inclined TO believe
| ihat the present price OF EasoIene u
be touched on the present upward
movement.
| This settlement IL given on the au-
thority OF people who know most about
| what has bccn developed by the Gov
| eminent invcsugation. Not nearly all
the OATS gathered In that investigation
have yet been assembled and compiled.
Conclusions INDUCED at present are
necessarily somewhat vague for this
| reason.
r. r;: p
Two convincing heasohs'
When the Federal Trade Commission
started on this inquiry It was with the
',N-'. IN % :, 30, $1,000, -
r.oWIrnd on thot haas Hftsr th.so
were secured. prices began sky-rocket-
ins about the first of the present wear,
with the result that the data already
in hand were suddenly discovered to be
about as useful as certified copies OF
the statutes OF the hrst Ramescs
So a hurry-up call was sent out Tor
data covering the early part Of 1915
hand, and until II Is available, there
Is going to be a good deal of reticence
about Formulating conclusions.
There are said to be two particularly
convincing reasons for the hope that
rrices will not so much higher, and
that before very long they win begin to
drop.
One In that substitutes for Easolens
are now being introduced very fast.
People are learning to use both Easo.
iene and Kerosene in motor cars and
ether internal combustion engines.
In this connection an official said:
IF We're asked sH tho TO nS Svhe,e p couStry '
would throw up my hands The price
varies so strkinPly With localities. and
with 80 little OF apparent reason that
Il is useless to try to determine q paste
| n. hun0 i