The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-09-27
Daily Financial Gossip
By HOLLAND

New York, September 27.-(SpeciaL)- That President Victor c. Alderson of tine Colorado School of Mines and Dr. David T.. Day, consulting chemist of the United States Bureau of Mines and expert in cnerge of petroleum investigation, and also Dr. F. G. Acheson, who is esteemed one of the foremost American men of science, should have united, although withou, any previous agreement or un- derstanding, in calling attention of the American people to the danger of a famine in petroleum is to be regarded as one of the most impressive of the indica tions that the men of science, as well as the American public and the leaders in the oil industry, have begun to realize what this danger is.
 1t so happened that the communications of the three distinguished men of science just named were published few cays previous to the National Exposition of Chemical Industries, which was held in New York throughout the week that has just ended. For there were intimations that some, perhaps many of the chemists of the United States, have in mind such laboratory work and study as may make it possible to perfect formula whereby petroleum can be secured by the synthetic process and at comparatively low cost. If this can be done, and the reasons are eX- ce!ent for presuming that it will be &C., complished, then all apprehension of a famine in petroleum in the United States will be ended
 So also chemists are much interested in the development of the oil shale rock. In fact, it was to this interest that Dr. A!derson referred in a letter which he wrote to Dr. Acheson a few days ago, In which he said that the Colorado School of Mines will gladly send to any chemist oil shale rock in reasonable amounts so A |. ...-tf, ,,Saty 7 such investigation and laboratory work as are needed in order to learn how na- ture has arranged the carbon and hydro gen which are in oil shale rock that per mits of the formation of petroleum by heat.
 Dr. Day of the government bureau says without any reservation that the danger of a famine in gasoline is imminent and that already a scarcity of it exists upon the Pacific coast He speaks with implied favor Of the utilization of oil shale rock. Dr. H. G. Aeheson agrees with these men Of science and others, and also with some of the leaders in the oil ln- dustry, that there is grave danger or famine of oil But Dr. Acheson is per sraded that this danger may be overcome by the utilization of synthetic method of producing petroleum, and also by se- curing if from the oil shale rock.
 THEY SPEAK AS ECONOMISTS
 These men of science speak as American citizens having in view the economic relation to our industrial life of main taining and increasing our oil suppiy. None of them is pecunarily interested or ever expects to be in any of the artlncial processes by which petroleum can pc se- cured. 4,
 pr Acheson, after reading President Ali dersons letter, made a careful inVestiga- tiop of the production of petroleum In the past forty years, and this has resulted m amazing figures He found that Tn lsIs the production in the United states or petroleumfi in round numbers. was zV'oVu'- GOO barrels In 1899 the production was 57 Ooo 600 barrels. but twenty years later, in 1919, it was at the rate of 4o2, 900 600 bar rels.
 If this rate of increase is continued