The Washington times., 1920-04-04

the BhSollnt hlludlloh' IN tnc opinion
OF oil experts under Van II. Manning.
chief OF the Bureau OF Mines.
Thirty cents a gallon Is believed to
be only "A foretaste OF the tribute
Anne rican automobile users will have
to pay in the near future. because
the men who pump the greenish-yel-
low fluid from the ground have a
market bigger than their supply.
The price will go higher" said one
OF Mr.. Manning's assistants. I'VE
cannot estimate how much higher. IL
Is "A case OF supply and demand. with
a slight complication due TO the fact
that refineries cannot get oil enough
To keep all their plants busy and are
bidding against each other with the
producers"
az Fsreigs supply Gone.
8 Complicated with this IL the diff
Guilty OF getting a supply from any
of the big foreign fields. France,
Great Britain, and the Netherlands
have euttoned up their colonial sup
plies, while Mexico Is planning to
make IL more difficult for foreign
lessees to export petroleum from her
vast oil fields.
The automobile owner is up against
IL.
Gasoline production In the United
States was S7,544.l34 gallons great
er than in 1918, and the domestic con-
sumption was only 80 $3.50. .035 greater,
leaving a balance OF nearly 10000, 900
gallons in favor OF the American
gasoline user.
Stocks on hand had increased from
297, ,326,9S3 gallons at the end OF 1918.
to 446 795, ,431 at the end of 1919. and
to 515,934.364 at the end OF January.
uN .sA ha
cut down d the summer months
brought increasing use OF gasoline,
but they show that at a given period
the supply was greater than last
year.
Figures on supply and demand of
gasoline were given by N. A c. Smith,
Investigator for the Bureau OF Mines.
1,70O Per Cent More Motors
"The number OF motor cars and
trucks in service increased about
/ 700 per cent from 1909 to 1918"
said Mr.. Smith. "The production of
gasoline to meet its demand increased
from $4,000. 900 gallons in 1909 to 49,.
600 900 in 1918. a gain of $50 per cent.
During the same period the produc-
tion Of crude oil in the United States
Increased only 95 per cent. 1t will be
noted that proportionately far more
gasoline was porduced from the do
mestic crude oil produced in 1918
over that porduced In 1909. due to i'm
proved methods and from the taking
of a larger proportion for gasoline
and less for keorsene and other prod
ucts.
This gasoline has consequently q
lower volatility and this fsct Is the
cause of the complaints heard In re-
cent years as to the quality of gaso-
Aaa
with the problem Of sacrificing quail
ity or quantity; of using less volatile
gasoline or having q shortage Of sup
ply.
|. 7,Soo,soo Cars In q. 8.
at is claimed that the number of
automobiles in the United States at
the end of 1919 was 1900. 900. an in
crease of almost ]. 500, 900 throughout
the year. 1t has been predicted that
the number of automobiles in use at
the end Of 1920 viii be between nine
and ten million. The demand for
gasoline is, therefore. certain to in
crease.
"on the other hand It is possible
that the future increase in the pro-
duction of crude oils from our own
wells will be relatively small as COM
pared with recent years, and that
though the imports of Mexican crude
may be considerably increased, the
gasolene content of this crude
will continue low as at present, and
it becomes a matter Of some concern
as to whether the production Of gas
oline can be increased in proportion
to the increase OF automobiles ex-
pected for this and succeeding years.
Less Volatility Needed.
TT seems unlikely that the guam
tity of gasolene can be increased by
using more of the crude and making
the product less volatile, as has been
done in the past. This Is because the
next fraction obtained from crude
oil-kerosene-is in great demand
and the price has been doubled since
the armistice.
"The point has been reached where
an economic balance is approaching
between gasolene and kerosene: Thus
IL any appreciable quantity of the
cluded with the gasoline il will cause
shortage of kerosene with a con-
sequent increase in the price.
Moreover, the demand for fuel oil
has been increasing rapidly during
the past year, and the price has more
than doubled. Our merchant marine,
the navy, and many other large users
of fuel oil have come into the market
Tor large quantities and are planning
to develop demands that will make
the competition more keen. There
fore II may prove to be Improbable
TO crack" more of our fuel oil for
gasoline. unless the price of gasoline
is increased"
U. $. Fails To Get Full Bid.
In this connection, another official
stated. that the Shipping Board re-
Gently asked for bids for "a. 600 600
barrels of petroleum for fuel for ships
and received bids on only 1 200. 600.
while the navy also was unable 10