Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-10-17
THIRTY YEARS OF GASOLINE
by FREDERIC J. KAsKIN

M long ago that impure adulterated gasoline
w was being plrced upon the market caused
great deal indignation among American AUTOMOBILE
lists Samples from several hundred garages were
bought and tested in most instances that
the gasoline of quality than that
at half price year and some OF 1t was so poor
that it failed to operate the enginessof NUMBER Oh
cars. The automobsts started national campalsh
against such aduleration, and several large cities
drew I'D specifications of a certain standard to which
the gasoline sold at the garages must comply So far
however standard has not been enforced Tor new
light has been shed on the gasoline situation
In a speech made before the Washington committee
investigating the gasoline problem. Director Van H.
Manning of the bureau of Mines made the statement
that thirty years the supply OF crude oil IN the
United States will be exhausted The end OF our pc
troeum resources in sight After that we will be
dependent production of other nations or
upon substitute derived from other sources In the
meantime urges the automobilists of the country
not to be too the gasoline reners who try
ing to the best of bad conditions
A year ago. gasoline was selling at IL cents a gall
lon and was almost a drug the market. This was
because the Cushing field in Oklahoma was yielding
tremendous production of crude OIL and 1t looked as II
there were an unlimited supply. Every gallon Of this
oil contained 80 cent gasoline About
this time American refners started exporting large
quantities gasoline to Europe and the sale of auto
mobiles this country progressing by leaps and
bounds Then suddenly the production Of the Gushing
wells began to decline Where formerly 100000
barrels crude oil obtained a day, less than
60 900 are put the market The richness of this oil
apparently can be duplicated the other wells
throughout the country yielding only from Is to II
cent gasoline
The demand for gasoline has in way abated with
the declining supply. Large shipments still
nured by Europe, and the number of automobiles in
se in this country is increasing every month At the
beginning of 1916 two and quarter million automo-
bies were in the Sates by January 1917 it is
ostmaed there three and quarter million,
and by January 1918, over four and half million in
use In addition to this there are thousands of motor
trucks farm tractors, stationary gasoline engines
tor boats etc. in operation throughout the counry-a
demanding gasoline
Thus the situation is, indeed, critical be
conbatted by national campaign for purity in
1ne The automobilists are a mercy
mobile engineers the refners. The reners
inc to economic the oil supply by distlling
vasolne-even if impure-from every gallon of oil,
while the automobile engineers attempting to i'm
nrove the automobile engine that it will the
cruder product. n many of the this i'm
movement has made, and the having
diffculty with gasoline sold at the city garages On
the contrary, Of models couple of years
old ara having great deal of trouble are,
core assisting upon universal gasoline
standard according to the bureau Of mines, would
only stop the scientific experiments of the rehners
automobile engineers and send the price gasoline
soaring beyond the reach of all but the opulent
Tn the mast little economy been practiced with
orr natural resources. Our unlimited oil supply
taken for granted Only within the last few years have
few far-seeing Americans begun to consider the pos
ability of oil exhaustion A government scientist
For exampe developed the famous cracking process by
which larger proportion Of crude oil is converted into
gasoline than under the old process. Refneres in all
narts of the country employing this method,
and il is that than five million barrels
of Gasoline will be produced this yearly it.
onv is only putting off the evil day. II oil wells
are not discovered in the meantime-which is consid