Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-26

Springfield, Mass, Feb. 26.-"Foty-
cent gasoline is in sight and 50-CHt
gasoline lies not far beyond, with he
prospect that by midsummer a liteAl
famine will shut off the supply Of he
favored few who can pay the later
price Moreover, there is no excuse
for gasoline selling for more than 4
cents"
Thomas L. Hisgen, former indepen-
ent candidate for president, formr
president of the Independent PetD-
leum Marketers' association OF tie
United States and president OF tie
Four Brothers Independent Oil con
pany, which has probably given tie
Standard Oil company more trouble
than any other competitor, was en-
phatic in this declaration.
"The situation at present is critial.
Never since the discovery of petroleim
has there been more gasoline in Amer
ca, while not in recent years has 1t
sold at so high price. In the asst
five years, according to official figures,
the production of light oils, chiefly gas
oline, has increased 10 per cent.
While the price of gasoline has in
creased 2O5 per cent in five year, the
processes by which it Is produced nave
been perfected until the proportion OF
gasoline extracted from crude oil sur
passes anything in the history OF the
trade. Even natural gas is being
| liquefied and is used extensively as
substitute for gasoline in the vest and
middle west.
Every oil field in the United States
is producing more gasoline rom each
barrel of crude oil than a. any pre-
vious stage because of podern effi-
cheney. Figures based upn crude OIL
production are decepti'e. Figures
based upon gasoline production prove
that the man who tails of shortage
is either a chronic pssimist or an
enemy of truth.
"The high price o gasoline bears
most unfairly upon wo classes, auto
mobile owners and Independent deal
ers In gasoline. Win the big oil COM
panies fill their talks and skyrocket
the price they max, tremendous prof
it's, while the indeendents, who are
not producers and often have made
contracts to deliver at lower than pre-
vailing prices, lose money.
"The period of high prices for gaso-
line is a period wien the grip Of mon
opoly upon the c'untry is increased
After the war, if monopoly has stifled
competition, it will keep prices up for
years.
THE Washington authorities re-
Gently appointed a committee to in
vestigate gasolire prices. Congress
man Gillett at ny request asked fol-
! the names of The committee members
The department refused to disclose
them. Why? I am associated with
! Independent dealers throughout the
United States AID we had heard ru-
NOR that one of the men on this com.
mittee was protting heavily from the
increase in the price of gasoline
These men are public officials. We
are entitled to know their names-anG
we will know them.
When the war started in July, 1914
gasoline was wholesaling in this ter.
ritory at about IL cents. 1t did not
reach Is cents until year ago. The
present price Of "a cents CIT cents re-
taiD, probably will be raised another
cent within week.
Right here it is worth while tc
contrast the course of gasoline anG
Kerosene prices. Kerosene whole
sailed at So cents gallon when the
war began and now brings but cents
gallon. The explanation is easy
There is an abundance Of kerosene
and also of gasoline for domestic re.
quirements, but the United States does
not produce enough gasoline for its
own use and that of Europe in add.
ton.
Before the war we exported little
gasoline, but imported a considerable
quantity. At one time my company
was materially aided by supplied
which we received from abroad. Tank
steamers already in service are insult
ficient to transport the gasoline which
Europe is buying in this country, and
immense quantities are being shipped
in 50-gallon steel drums made express.
ly for this purpose and 'scrapped' aft.
er the gasoline reaches its destina
ton.
I'm my opinion an embargo is the
only remedy. The Standard Oil com
pany says that the advance in The
price of gasoline is due solely to the
law OF supply and demand. An EN-.
barge would cut off European demand
and likewise increase the available
nome supply. II prices didn't tumble
Immediately the fact would be conclu
sive evidence that something was out
or kilter in the supply and demand
law"
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