Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1920-06-01
MOTORISTS CONTROL
GASOLINE SUPPLY
A L 20 MOBILE AND TRUCK
DRIVERS SHOULD CONSERVE
UNTIL DELIVERIES CAN BE
MADE.

! Reduction by one-fourth OF the
amount of gasoline generally used by
operators of motor-driven vehicles
during the months OF June and July
and careful conservation of all other
gasoline obtained should avert fur
ther danger of gasoline shortage on
the Pacific coast, say motor car deal
ers. Following out this course. in
view of other facts, will see an abun-
dance of gasoline available by Au-
gust l.
| So much has been said and written
during the last month on what some
have been pleased to call the short
age of gasoline" that it is for the best
interest of everybody that the situa-
ton be thoroughly gone into and the
actual facts made public.
| A committee appointed for the pur-
pose conferred with the oil producers
and refiners on the Pacific coast, with
railroad officials and others, with the
result that it was found there is a
temporary shortage of gasoline, that
the railroads and steamship compa-
nies have ben handicapped, but the
shortage is only temporary and will
be over by July Is or August 1, at
the latest. AIS
A great many things have caused
this temporary shortage on the coast.
These conditions do not prevail in
other parts of the country Condi-
tions of the past few years prevented
the necessary expansion of the facil-
tits of the oil companies on the coast
as fast as the increasing necessity de-
manded.
These increased facilities not only
have been started and well under
way but are nearing completion.
Millions of dollars are being invested
in plant extension and new processes
used for several years in the East,
but just beginning to be used here.
BY one of these processes alone.
twice as much gasoline will be OBJ
tanned from gallon of crude oil as
was obtained previously. BY August
4, and from then on, there will be
an abundance Of gasoline, but for the
net two months, if the car users in
this state will conserve 25 per cent
Everybody will have gasoline and no
one will be inconvenienced.
There is no necessity for any one
to lay up his car, there is no reason
why a man should not buy new car
If he wants one. Conservation only
means save little gas for two short
months and the result will be fine
for all.
1t cannot be stated too emphatt-
cally that the impression that there
is a general shortage Of gasoline is
entirely without foundation. The
situation is local to the Pacific coast.
caused by conditions beyond any ones
control. and will be entirely elimi-
rated by August l.
AS far as the future of the oil sup
ply is concerned. an official Of one OF
the oil companies recently made the
statement that there is enough oil
producing shale in two Of the Rocky
Mountain states to supply this coun-
try with gasoline for 500 years, and
this is only a drop in the bucket to
other sources of supply in other To-
cations.
Now, all we have to do In June,
July and August, 1920, is to con-
serve 25 per cent Of the gas used in
automobiles.
II every man on the coast would
have his car properly tuned and the
carburetor properly adjusted, this
alone would almost do the trick. We
will have to shorten up on our week.
end trips and fish in some stream
little nearer home. We will have to
shut off our motors when we stop,
both cars and trucks. Don't burn
up the road with speed, drive not
more than 25 miles an hour. Beyond
20 miles an hour the power neces-
sary to overcome wind resistance In
creases so much that car going 40
ujles an hour uses almost twice as
much gas as one going 20.
The oil divisions in this section
will have for distribution about the
same amount Of gas they had during
the same months last year, until
August. when the new plants and
processes will be ready and an abun-
aon,o oe gasoline