The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-10-18
ou u,nKrr QUOTATIONS.
The Refiners and the
Strike Situation

The refiners in the Mid Continent
field Ura Of course sure Of being
rhe pr.rulpal sufferers. when the big
.t-isp Is on, and each and every
one u them are making special ef-
forts 90 get everything possible out.
and this ln time TO avoid the trouble
which is sure to occur et Kansas
CITY and ST. Louis.
oil u tank cars Is always an easy
Nark for "a mob bent on dostruC-
flon. and therefore, II possible. all
Shipments should be routed so as
10 avoid either of the above towns.
There are many ways Of getting by
without touching either, but IL ap-
pears that the freight rates do not
apply except In ono or two in
stances.
Tho blame Of this strike may be
charged to the railroad men but
there Is another side to f., as Is
easily proven by the fact that as
long 4rl as Thursday night OF last
week, .he railroad people, who have
been oonferring with Clifford
Thorne general counsel for the re-
rnors made the announcement
that unless there is second cut
On wages. there will be no reduction
IN freight rates -
u would appear, therefore, that
ar Thorne has been given another
lsgor. and one that he will not soon
forget lie announced early In the
wops, last vC~:, that ne expected u
favorable reply from the railroad
companies. with whom he had been
carrying on these negotiations Tor
long. long time. And In the mean
time. had not seen ~ 20 initiate a
new and distinct application for
better rates, with the interstate
commerce commission.
10 should be the duty of some one
10 Immediately begin this sort OF
proceeding before the Interstate
commerce commission. vino are
doubtless ready and willing to do
anything 30 give relief to the indc-
pendent refining interests Of the
Mid Continent field as little as they
deserve H. There Is no ono in Of
fetal position, who has shown any
ability whatever in fighting for the
rights Of these same refincrs.
Time after time, our United States
senator's and congrcssme lave gone
10 the interstate commerce commits
Mou. and have always been mot
with the same answer, namely;
mo one has ever asked for a lower
rate. and this. since August Of
1920, when we distinctly told the
railroad companies there should be
come sort OF a concession made to
the petroleum interests for long
distance hauls." Senators Uarreld
and owen and all the conEressmen
would help and do 1t willingly.
There must be someone to start It,
and II no other way could be de-
vised. the much -berated markctcrs
might form an organization and put
II over
The reflners have he"n too anN-
ious 10 please the pipe lines by OF
fering to do away with tho four ana
one.half cents flat rate Increase put
on as a war measure, ana even
clifford Thurne has agreed to this
as the following win show. II Is
from statement Regarding the pc
troeum industry. before the west %
ern railroad traffic committees
presented FOR and by the American
Petroleum institute, and is signed
by clifford Thorne:
"For the western and southwest
eln districts. we have proposed the
reduction Nv Is rcr cent In order
10 help restore the long haul tra'
lie. and the elimination of the
t-2c increase for the short hauI
! traffic The entire industry sub
mits this proposition 10 you through
MI Dow, the chairman OF our com.
mitteo. The two factors combined
will approximate the increase OF last
August In order 10 make the
l-2c reduction effective, II viii
also be necessary TO eliminate thu
mlnima established by the director
general In the western district
the lie minimum, wherever 1t Is
applicable. is simply prohibitive nnc