The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-11-23
GASOLINE ENOUGH
No Danger of a Shortage no Matter
How Long War Lasts

Another dire rumor that the auto
mobile industry is to be either en-
tirely closed down or the use of cars
SO curtailed that it no longer would
be profitable to continue the manu-
facture and distribution of automo-
biles, has been completely dispelled
by the announcement of the war in
dustries board concerning the supply
OF gasoline. ~
5A.C Bedford, president of the
standard Oil Co., of New Jersey and
chairman Of the petroleum committee
Of the Council of National Defense
gives assurance that, "There is oil
enough available, on the surface and
under the ground, to supply all war
needs and all commercial needs.''
This corroborates the statement
of the Bureau of Mines.
Last August there was much talk
about there not being enough gaso-
line to supply all needs and that
therefore we would soon reach the
time when 1t would no longer be pos
sible for the motor car owner to get
gasoline with which to operate his
automobile.
The calamity takers and the Il
told you So fellows predicted COM
plete paralyzation of the industry.
Not few dealers were frightened.
But today the announcement removes
that fear and new rumors concerning
what is sure to happen" are in the
air TO disturb the timid
There should be q lot OF comfort
to every man in the industry in. the
governments assurance that there is
q sufficient supply of gasoline for all
reasonable needs. II Is not so much
that we have passed one calamitous
possibility and that the gasoline
shortage is not to Immediately hit us
that we should feel so gladdened. 1t
is because we have seen In this in
stance just how terrible Is the pros
pect for the future if we allow our
selves to be swayed by all the dark
and discouraging prophecies we hear.
Today there are predictions con-
corning the fate of the industry, We
near that steel and other materials
are to be denied automobile factories
and plants are to be converted into
II idtttilOS. 1911 itaoOA-
| able TO think the present situation is
also exaggerated as in the case Of
gasoline curtailment?
OF course the needs of war must
| be served. There is not manufac-
t,irer in the industry who Is not anxi-
Gus to do everything that can be done
| to help America winh the war. All
| have said they would gladly turn
! their plants soyer for whatever pur.
pose the country might require They
| will ungrudgingly give Everything
they have that will help. All that
has been asked has been freely given.
| The fact IS, however. the government
has not yet determined what it Twill
| requiref The manufacturers have
l been assured ther9 is no desire to
| stop the course of industry
the ref sipGation seems to be that
no one knows very clearly what is
| needed or wanted The expressed
| fearsiof some s.that there Isl not
enough steel and iron to supply both
war and commercial needs Is answer
| ed by suchsauthurities as Judge Gary,
| of the o. s. Steel Co, and Charles
Schwab. OF the Bethlehem Company
1.-THE. automobile provides means
of recreation and enjoyment to mil
lions of persons, 1t facilitates trans
action Of business and is vital
economic factor in cheapening distri-
button of the worlds products. AS a
result of the automobile, roads have
been extended aud improved. This
has been of incalculable value TO the
business man and the farmer. The
automobile is responsible for the de
yelopment of suburbs and the relief
Of city living congestion. No city
traction system in America is ade-
quate to handle the traffic that would
be placed upon it if the automobile
were to be withdrawn.
The automobile has become such
an inseparable adjunct Of modern life
that to think OF its curtailment sug
gests the inevitable PARTICIPATION OF
all our commercial and social inter
course 1t is not situation that
can be compared to that which exists
in England where the automobile has
been practically withdrawn from civil
life. There distances are short The
country is thickly populated. IL pro-
duces no gasoline while here Is pro-
duced 60 per cent. of the worlds sup
ply.
The familiar review Of the import
ance of the motor car to American
life is merely mentioned to emphasize
how .preposterous it is to think that
anything short of the most terribly
necessity will be allowed by the gov
eminent to interfere with its neces-
sary operation There is no need to
consider the millions of capital EN-.
gagged i'll the industry, or the almost
one million persons who are depen- |
dent upon Ii, or to even regard the
item of taxes that the industry is
now and Will contribute to the ma
tons support to gather the optimism |
necessary to dispel the fears many |
suggest as to the future ti@
No one is going to take snap Iudg-
ment in a question of such vital i'm
portance. No one is going TO be |
swayed into saying that motor cars
are on-essential and their use and
manufacture are to be curtailed to a
serious degree when such far reach
ing consequences are realized.
In country like ours, unused to
military necessities. war suggests the