Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-08-26
CONTROL OF OIL
PUZZLE TO ALL
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE


On the other hand. other well-in-
fO,med men SAY this Sc ction l. limited
to the uses of the army and navy anu
could not be construed To authorize
control for any other purposes than
for the maintenance OF the army and
navy.
There is no necessity, at this time
with gasoline at its present low price
to control that product and the needs
of the government so far as fuel OH
is concerned have already been salts
factor.ly adjusted by Secretary Dan
iels Of the navy. one of the ablest
writer's in Washington this morning
stated that the president intends TO
take over the Standard oil and con-
trol that company and its subsidiaries.
One of the best writer's in New York
this morning is Just as emphatic that
the president will do nothing toward
oil control. Officials in Washington
are divided as to what they believe
will happen and there are no two Of
ficials here, in any department. who
have the same Interpretation OF the
food bill There is not ar official In
the burea uot mines. in the federal
trades commission, or in any other
place who will offer an official opin-
ion on the maximum or minimum
power OF the bill. The federal trades
commission wants 10 control
oil h,,t there is not an official organi-
Zntion that will ut this time make
statement as to how far the commits
sion would go or could go, If IT eXer-
cised control or under what authority
When asked upon what authority he
would recommend to the president TO
act in case he decided TO Control oil,
one OF the officials stated that he did
not know, but added that "if there is
no authority there is that OF eminent
domain" There Is n grave question
as TO whether an oil well is "eHlinent
domain" and II II is certainly oil on
top of the ground Is not eminent do
main"
Practically every official in WASH
ington who pretends to know any
thing at all about the oil industry
with the exception of the members oi
the federal trades ission,
acknowledges very frankly that the
price of crude at this time is not too
high. and that even a higher price Is
justified. when daily increasing cost
OF production is considered. Regard
less OF the recent and justified IN.
creases in the price OF crude oil, gas
oline prices have remained the same
and today the Indian branch or the
Standard is selling it at 20 cents a
gallon in Chicago. With present prices
of crude. gasoline should be selling in
/ Chicago at "a cents.
Every official here with the excep-
/ ton of the federal trades commission
recognizes the fact that in order TO
/ stimulate production the price oil
crude should go up, and they also rec
! osniZe the fact that the way to Neep
! the public from becoming irritable II
| is to the manifest interest Of the gov
ernment not to encourage the increase
of kerosene and gasoline AS il is ad-
,nitted that gasoline is not too high
there Is n crying necessity for govern
ment control over that item as II IL
admitted that the governments re-
quirements so far as fuel oil are taken
care OF for a year, there is no oc-
caslon for federal supervision over
| that product. AS it is admitted that
the price OF crude should be higher
in order to stimulate production AT
reasonable profits, there Is no de-
1 mand for Uncle Sam to exercise ad-
/ ninistration over that commodity. As
the pipe lines are prepared to comply
with the governments needs, why reg
ulate those?
In fixing prices the government
could not lower them without inter-
fering with production and 1t could
not increase them without causing dis
content among the general consumers,