The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1920-04-04
In the Oil Fields
The DHer Resolution

Tho Dyer resolution has been
amended and reported favorahly by
the house committee on tho judici-
AIRY. Tho amended resolutions arc
as follows.
Resolution authorizing and dircc-
ting the federal trade commission
to Investigate the price Of oil aud
report to the house OF rcpresonta
uvoa
RESOLVED That the federal
trade commission he and n is hcto.
by, authorized and directed 10 mako
an Immediate Inquiry and lnVostigh-
ton into the causes of the recent
advances IN the price ot fuel oil,
gasoline. kerosene and other pctro-
lcum products and to report tp tho
house not later than June /, 1920
and In reporting the foregoing tho
federal trado commission is re.
auestod 10 take into consideration
and TO report the sourCoA uf oil sup
ply for the United States ana tho
profits of said business. ana whnt,
II any combinations I'm restraint of
trade exist between thon" engaged In
this business, and what effect II
any. the Same haVo upon the mar
kot prioo OF fuel oil, kerosene, Raeo-
line, and other petroleum products
with reference to tho price charged
TO the ultimate consumer.
MIR. Dyer. from the committee on
tho judiciary. submitted tho follow
ing report:
Tho committee on the judiciary, 10
whom was referred the resolution
az. Res. SOD requesting informn-
tion. etc. concerning the recent nd
vanccs In the price Of gasoline, etc,
having considered the same, report
thereon with "A recommendation, In
the nature Of "a substitute, that II
pass
Motor fuel has become OF vital
importance To practically every In.
dustry, not including agriculture. In
all portions OF tho United States and
the ciyilizrd world. AZ the present
time the disposition of and the pric,
of motor fuel is In tho hands OF
two enormously powerful capitals.
tic combines. world wide Ia thclr
source, ana II improperly used. a
very dangerous power The United
States government should give spec
tai attention To this matter at this
time. Retail pricca have been great
ly incrcased OF bate IL 10 stated
on what IL believed TO be reliable
authority that large advances In the
price OF gasoline, etc, Will hc made
again soon. II the fabulous prices
now being charged IN due To a scare
ity of the product. then the govern
mcnt should use every possible
means 10 foster the production OF
power alcohol and to give cnoour'
agcment to It's production and usc
Tho judiciary committee ~ OF the
opinion that the federal trade COM
mission make the earliest possible
report touohing this inquiry, 80 that
the congress may take action, II
necessary, before the Adjournment
OF the present session.
Tho resolution In now on the
house calendar scheduled to be takcr
up on unanimous consent. ! haV,
talked about It with several mem
bers of the house whose constituents
are Interested directly In the wei
fare OF tho oil industry. They seem
cd to- think that an objection to tax
ing np the resolution would he mis-
construed ms an effort to shield tn
industry from investigation.
pointed tout that II would he i'm
possible TO conduct "a thorough AM
fair investigation and mako re
port by June / that the result q
such an effort might be "A superfi
cial report which accumulated fev
oascs OF large profits and whbci
would. mislcad congress and tho pub
lie, although n might furnish cam
na1EH nlateflal. lnfl ilH N''Thi'H'
Industry could not reasonably objcc
to any fair and comprehensive In
vestlgation which brought out ever
pertinent fact. but that It ought 4
object to such reports as IN
pamphlet entitled "profiteering" is
sued not long ago by the fedora
trade commission.
One OF the members Of the hous
told me today that he would obiec
10 taking up the resolution on un
animoua consent. II he does that
will ltakc It's place ON tho calenda
and may possibly die there. Thl
Is a year of vote seeking. howoVe
and I do not want to hold out hig
hopes that the Investigation can b
averted.
This mornings Washington POI
contains an editorial entitled "Gas'
line Prices" which says anon
other things. that the reasons fC
the arbitrary advances In prices an
the unanimlty among tho variol
gasoline companies with which the
are made effective, are inscrutah
TO the general public" and sugges
that tho producers seem TO
working in close combination" Gu
iously enough, the editorial is an q
act reproduction, word for word.
an editorial which appeared In u
same paper on March 30 II Il
dicatcs an agitation on this subJe'
perhaps intended to stimulate acti'
on the Dyer resolution.