The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1918-03-18
HEARINGS BEGIN
IN FIGHT TO CUT
GASOLINE PRICES
u, S, Accountant Is Witness
for Attorney General,
SAYS COST is l4.6 CENTS
Investigation Probably viii
Continue Several Days,

The representative cost Of producing
gasoline In Oklahoma, including the
cost Of crude oil and the process Of re-
lInng Is 1000 cents a gallon. sceord-
Ing to testimony given by 4. r Sanford.
an accountan, for the federal trade,
commission at the gasoline price heats
ing before the state corporation com,
mission today.
This was the cost Of gasoline At tho
refinery as ascertained by experts OF
the commission in August OF last year.
Mr.. Sanford said The low eosl OF
gasoline at the refinery was ll.40OO
cents per gallon and the high cost,
Hob0 cents, he testified
Price Fixing Is Aim.
Mr., Sanford was the chief witness
examined at today's hearing IN which
practically all Of the refining companies
In Oklahoma are defendants. S. p.
Freeing, attorney general, 10 the plain
tifl in the suit and is asking ihat tho
commission fix the price Of gasoline In
Oklahoma.
The following attorneys entered APP
pcarance for different refining com-
panies at the opening Of the hearings
this morning George C. Greer Of
Dallas and {. u Stuart for Magnolia
company. Buriord Robertson, Hoffman
and Buriord for the Standard Oil COM
pany of Indiana Emery, Crockett and
Johnson and George d. Pierce OF St.
Louis for the Pierce Oil corporstionj
H. II. Montgomery for the National
Refining company; r, l.. Mccain for
the Sinclair Refining company; Z. X.
Chi'dYess for the Kenefiek Refining
company; ]. n. Hill OF Tulsa and Ames,
Chambers Lowe and Richardson for
the Texas company.
Many Use Gasoline.
George b. Noble. state highway COM
was the first witness called
by Mr. Freezing Mr. Noble testified
as TO the general use Of gasoline IN tho
state declaring that in his opinion
majority Of the people Of the state were
interested in the price Of gasoline.
lie testified that the number Of motor
vehicle licenses in the state for the last
Ihree years was as follows: l9i5,l76:
l9l6,2,0S8; 1917, 2J7S; tractors, 1915,
i22 1910 l,SH 1917, 2,72j automobiles,
1915, $500; 1910 S0,507; 1917, 10000.
Questioning by Mr. Freezing brought
out that gasoline also is used largely
In stationary engines, in the operation
'f cream separators, in cleaning cloth.
ng, and for other purposes. Mr. Greer,
or the Magnolia company, attempted to
how that in reality only 10000 persons
om OF population Of more than
100000 are affected by the price Of
gasoline, Mr.. Greer also attempted to
how that motor cars are articles prin-
,ipally used for comfort and pleasure.
How Cost Was Computed.
Mr.. Sanford stated that he was an
accountant with the Associated Oil com-
'any in California for more than ten
,ears and that he hs been with tho
ederal trades commission since July 9.
The system that was used by the COM
mission in the compilation of the cost
II producing gasoline was explained by
Mr. Sanford as one in which the cost
II producing each product OF crude oil
$ assigned to thai, product and said
his system had been approved by the
arRcst reiineres in the country
The cost Of producing gasoline in
oklahoma had been computed by Mr..
he testified, at the refineries Of
he following companies Empire, Co.'S
en-, Constartine. International
iore. ROxana, Phoenix and Atwood.
Hearing to Last Long,
II was brought out that in the figures
n the cost Of producing gasoline no all
,wancc for interest on the investment
ad been made but an allowance Of 10
.rcent had been made for depreciation!
Mr. Freezing introduced the report
the federal trades commission on
lsollne issued last year, as exhibit
\" and no objection was made to il. "a,
wo other reports of the federal CONF
iSslon were introduced by Mr.. Frcel-
Z as exhibits Objections TO these
the part of the defendants was over-
led.
II was believed today that the taking
testimony in the case would con-
lue for several days