Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-07-06
"A ER. AVERAGE AUToMoBILIsT
NH will run his machine out of
the garage late this morning,


" the garage. late this morning,
look over his tires to reas-
sure himself they are not fiat and
then start for "gas" station to I'LL
up the tank"
thousands and thousands of others
over this land will do the same to-
day. The automobile owner fills up
ct green fields and shady roads. When
The gas" tank of his machine is
empty. he will fill it up again.
ssProbably few of them consider that
ID the view of experts the available
and probable-measured by discover
les of new supplies in the past as a
supply of gas" if present use con-
tinues undated, is coming to an end
IN twenty or twenty-five years. And
The situation is regarded so seriously
by manufacturers of gasoline motors,
who have millions and billions in
vested in their plants, that they are
studying conservation and substitu-
ton with view to the future.
Demand Far Beyond Production.
Demands for gasoline have increased
duction. necessitating to some extent
the stretching" of the crudes, there
by decreasing the volatility of the
gases.
Government officials and oil opera
tors agree in declaring that 40 per
cent of the visible supply of oils in
the United States is now exhausted.
The United States has produced and
exported about 20 per cent of the pc
troleum of the world. The domestic
production is about one-third of a
billion barrels year. 1t is estimated
that there ARE but 1000, 100000 bar
relS in reserve.
General Director NJ. L. Requa of the
oil division OF the fuel administration,
speaking before the national petro-
leum congress last March at Chicago,
presented figures which throw much
light on the general situation. He
said that over the last decade the
commercial average rate of increase
in consumption has approximate s
to S12 per cent of the previous Year.
In other words, with consumption
around 350.000,000 barrels per annum,
we would require about 100000 bar
rels greater production than in the
previous year to meet increased de-
mand. With consumption of 200, 000,-
900 barrels this increase would have
been only 100000 barrels. If we
consume 400,000,000 the new produce
tion required in the following year
will be 100000.
Comparison by Years.
.As a check upon this" he contin-
1890. 1900 and 1915. In 1890. it was
5000 900. According to our formula,
in 1900 it should have been 72,000,000
it. actually was 100000. In 1910, it
should have been 1s0.Oo0,o00; it was
210,o00,000. In 1914. it should have
been go, 900 900; it was 265, 100000 In
1918, il should have been 361 900. 900;
it was 345.000. 900. We may judge the
future best by the past, and applying
this theory of average increase, we
shall need in 1927 somewhere around
600, 600. 900 barrels"
Mr. Requa stated that in 1860 the
annual output was one-half million
barrels. In 1870, it was 100000; in
1880. $4,000 600. and 100000 in 1890.
I'm the period. therefore. of fifty
eight years. our petroleum output" he
said, has grown from one half mil
lion barrels a year to 345, 1000, 600"
Per Capita Consumption.
He showed that the per capita con-
sumption of ptroleum in the United
States from 1860 to 1918 has in
creased from .016 to $40 barrels.
Mr.. Requa declared that the pro-
Queer of petroleum is after all a
trustee administering a wasting asset
in behalf of the population as a
whole" He then gave warning that
II the producers did not find means to
administer efficiently the trust" in
cooperation with the government, it
would be done by the government
alone" This warning is thought by
many to have found echo in the in
tihations which have been received
from the peace conference where
President Wilson is holding forth.
The bureau of mines has collected
and compiled statistics OF the pc
troleum refining industry in the
United States for last December and
the year 1918. According to these
statistics for December. there were
267 refineries operating. with a daily
oil. compared to PAS operating in
January. 1918. with a daily capacity
of 1.157s75 barrels. On December 81
the reports show twenty-nine refin-
cries shut down for various reasons
the daily capacity of which amounted
to 6S.710 barrels. also seventeen re-
f1nertes under construction.
Federal Crude Oil Estimates.
Tho federal geological survey esti-