The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-02
EXPERT TELLS REAL
GASOLINE STORY
lie Says the High Point in
Price Of Fuel Has Been
Reached.
THE ENGLISH SITUATION

gasolene is not going to prohibitive
heights.
Alfred Reeves. president Of the Ma
tional Automobile Chamber Of Commerce.
SAYS that he is satisfied that the high
point in the present rise of gasolene
prices has been reached. In celebrating
on this cheering message To motorists
Mr.. Reeves said:
our information leads us TO the con-
clusion that the oil refners are not
likely. under any excuse whatever. to
make further advances in the price.
1t IL pretty generally understood that the
market will be downward instead OF
upward. As to these sensational reports.
1t Ill becomes Government officials 20
predict 40 cent gasolene with such facts
as are now available in Government re-
ports. The automobile industry looks to
the Government and its experts for re-
lief from every gasolene difficulty. We
objec, to the statement that the war
Is responsible for the price. because the
Government figures prove that the en-
port OF all mineral oils in 1915 was
only ) per cent more than in 1914 and
so Tar as gasolenc is concerned, these
| figures show only 112. 900 900 gallons en-
| ported in 1915. against 162. 0Oo 600 In
1914. There was some increase. IT Is
true. in export of naphtha and light
products other than gasolene. these be-
ing 1863. 900. 600 gallons in 1915. COM
| pared with $1,000 900 in 1854.
THE present high price Of gasolcne
has already had the effect of s,imulit-
+; ing the production Of oil. New wells
are being drilled and new processes ~
treatment are being installed by re-
hncrs which greatly increase the out
! pu; of Easolene per gallon of crude.
Also mechanical improvements In the
automobile which will give more powcr
to a gallon of gasolene and make lower
grades available are sure to result.
"Oil men tell us that there IL plenty
OF oil to he had. provided there is sur
iicient induccment TO producers to drill
| wells and take IL out OF the ground.
| That inducement certainly exists now,
and we shall soon be hearing Of the
result. There is now before Congress a
bill To- authorize the opening OF Govern
ment oil lands under a leasing system.
and hundreds of oil operators are watt
ing to get into that field AS soon as the
bars are lifted"
But here comes tn. rub. Just when
We begin To get things Strengthened out
here along comes a reader of II SIS
IN Washington with "a few pOsers about
the English situation. The correspond
eut writes:
Il venture 70 send you a clipping
from an English weekly. the Observer. OF
March :. in which the statement is made
that an American gallon of petrol IL
smaller than an English gallon OF much
poorer quality.
Il wondered IL this Is true. VIII YOU
not also tell me the difference between
gasolene tour standard 'gasD and petrol,
shell and crown spirits and Pratt's spir-
It's. as the English never seem TO speak
of 'gasolene'r
Tn. typical English article she CORE
spondent refers to follows
The Asiatic Petroleum Company,
being able only 10 supply about a third
Of the normal COT sumption Of shell and
crown spirits by the public. 1t follows
tina the balance of civilian requirements
in this connection has TO be made good
by the other companies. OF which by :ai
the chief is the Anglo-American o!
COMPANY. vendors OF Pratt's spirit. WHO
nave to purchase their supplies from
about four different refiners in America
II those supplies were to fail US th'
other firms in the business are by com
parison ~ small that in a very short
time the public would be out Of petro
altogether.
What Is lost sight OF is the fact thai
the war has accelerated the demand foi
petrol IN other directions apart alto
Rr,h.r from thu entirely fresh field o'
such gigantic proportions SO suddenly
opened up by actual military service
r., k.an am, ions of thousands OF mill.
Tar, p,,tnr vehicles. our a.roplanes and
ann, submarines rou. as we'll as ovr
.u,f,.. r,n-or bna.s mas IN the frs,
Ma, .omn,Iled IN. Go,-rnment Ia
rnru,na.ar hair tl. fu,l compaui.s
n..,. ~ ,,rk sbirs and II, may ace
u,..ss,,x Ia ca further -. in tlis A.
,..,i,n
g.. ,,,,,..t. 40, =, v,s n,inf.d out
IN ms. .,i,nrns ,b,, 1,.t v,ar more
ma, Suo ooo uJditioual uotor vehicles
w.r. h,nugh, INTO us. in ,hr United
states VIM. this I,,r NOR, Than 100
n,u vu Ia. nrndu,.d and ma, mon, than
.n ,., cont, az ,b.,, wiu IN. ,xunrt.d
In nth.r words IN. ,,riois NET rol re-
nuiny Interest. ~ TN. \sY World are
,..nr.d M AN nn,nlo home market for
,n,,, r,,,d,r,s T,h,r,fnr,. when the.
,.,r,, nf cert,in sunrlins here h.iuu .ur-
,ail,d ,hev a, ma, hasten 20 Mace Their
n,,, NJ, ia. n,rL., ,r,tc,d thev nu,
nm "a. r,i..s az ,h,,u and II need IA,
H., ., ,O,ra !, 49,. RI. addi,iou
80 ,.,,.., .,u,, Ia, u.,rnl h,raly
nh. in for ,bo nd,,n,e INA, has nc.
nrr,.., ,u l,s nrIr,rv ,n,rk,, and
,n.L.. H.. alI,u ,,,. ,nt shInnina rates
,hirh nav, .L,nn,,d fnhuIously and
r."o., a., n,nrtb iron, "a lbs 10
a. Ia. , tam ha,,us. the f,., comma
10. nav. ,n charter any STEAMER the,
,n, ,,., "a ok. ON, I'M. resource. ~ me,
ovu dot. which nav, he.n rur,,u.o
h, haze th,n,i,h cnmn,,u d..rlnp
'"un,.nv., wh,n xn, ,e,d ~ ,ueri.
on, vb.h.,I, rriros n, t,,tr,, van urust
IN. a., u,ird IN, FAC, ma. ,n.-dfth ma.