Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1920-07-27
TO RATION GAS
FOR MOTOR CARS
Joy To Be Taken Out Of Joy
Riding Among Possibilities
Of Near Future
PRODUCTION DEFICIENT

and some such thing is said 10 con-
front automobiles throughout the
country
The idea is to limit TO few gallons,
purchasers of gasoline Such a sys-
tenn, it was said in Washington, is
already operative on the Pacifis coast
and unless there is an immediate inn
proyement in the gasoline shortage
situation generally the entire country
faces rationing.
Government officials are aware of
The shortage, but it was explained at
the Geological Survey and Federal
Trade Commission recently that there
is no governmental agency which may
be used by the refiners The ration
system must be worked by the re-
liners, dealers and consumers OF gas
oline, and the Government can parti-
cipate only in supporting sense.
Government Without authority
with the passing of the Fuel Adj
ministration," said an official of the
Federal Trade Commission, there is
left no governmental agency that
could order ration system. How
ever, the refiners and dealers may
put such a system into effect as
matter of necessity, and the public.
of course, would have to so along
under prevailing conditions
1t is understood here that repre-
sentatiyes of several of the large re-
lning companies have discussed the
ration system informally with some
of the officials of the Government,
but it was said in Official circles re-
Gently that no Government action is
in prospect.
1T is well known it was said at
the Geological Survey and Bureau of
Mines, that the domestic production
of oil is behind and doubtless will
continue so. There must be more or
less dependence upon importations
and they are off. We know nothing
about the ration proposal, but hear
that it is being considered by some
of the refiners.'
The latest figures available on the
oil and gasoline supply were COM
piled by the Bureau of Mines show
ing stocks on hand at the refineries
May 81 These figures were well be-
low the 1919 figures for the same
month On that date the bureau re-
ported that the stocks ON hand al
refineries, comprised 15,S51,375 bar
rels of crude oil as compared with
16,372,314 barrels, as Of May 81, 1919
Gasoline on hand, totaled 5T7,671,795
gallons, as compared with 594,035, 6SS
in May, 1919.
Director Manning. Of the Bureau OF
Mines, recently called attention to
increased consumption, saying:
Texas Field Declining
While the year 1920 began with
an increasing oil production, the
consumption has increased so much
faster that in January, February and
March it was necessary to take s.
373 900 barrels of crude oil from
storage to meet the current needs. In
the United States, the yield of the
north Texas fields has apparently re-
coded from the maximum and is on
.hc decline, and unless new fields are
discovered there, the production for
1920 is likely TO he less than for 1919.
Promising fields in Louisiana have
proved to he large. but not as extern
sive as many had anticipated.
'sThe consumption of all petroleum
products has increased at an enor-
nous rate During 1918 comparative
ly few automotiles we're built, there
fore, there was not as great an in
crease in the automobiles in use in
1913 and 1919 as in previous years.
But In 1919 million and a half auto
mobiles werer built. which will he in
use during 1920 and the automotive
industry is more active than ever be-
fore. 1t is, therefore, to be anticipated
that 1920 will prove to be year of
enormous consumption OF gasoline
DR.. Manning commented further on
the oil situation in a letter to mem
Der of Congress who proposed an in
vestigation to discover a suitable
substitute for gasoline
Used Faster Than Produced
The present situation of high gaso-
line prices said Director Manning,
"and threatened shortage has been
caused by an Increase in the use OF
gasoline faster than the increase of
production and importations Of crude
petroleum from which it is derived.
We now find that we cannot obtain
sufficient gasoline from the old pro-
cesses of refining crude oils to meet
the present and anticipated needs.
Fortunately, however, processes
have been developed in recent years
for producing synthetic gasoline
from the heavier and less volatile
portions of the crude oils, from which
processes some 10 per cent. of the
four billion gallons Of gasoline pro-
duced in 1913 were derived. Synthetic
gasoline also can be manufactured
from oil shalps and gasoline suheti-