The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-12-18
Oh MnLct nnniniIon.
Freight Rates and Pipeline
Regulations

The coming week mt, Hnc soma
very interesting developments aa
The discussion in rpErd 600 freight
rates now on iu Wa IluEton may
lead TO q better ratio ON petroleum.
ana especially un long distance
hauls FOR refinery stuff. ana ON fuel
OIL In particular.
The interstate CONNER. commits.
sion has granted the farmers re-
hei By putting lu good fair ratos
on grain. hud has sururard tho rail
roads by forcing them Goo make low
or rates on corn than ON wheat and
its products. II is about time: and
the burning ut corn fur fuo, is an
outrage which should br charged
absolutely To- the railroads. and not
10 me man that is using it Tor fuel
in place of rouL
Tn" fact that mo Independent re-
fincrics 0rc dlsorimiuatod against In
the matter of rates on fuel Oh. is
so ohy Gus that 1t should not rr-
duire an argument before the inter
state commerce commission 10 get
this rcmedied. II is because ONLY
independent refinors have fuel OH
Tor sale; else there would have
been better rates in effect long ago.
II did not tako an hour, to persuade
the burlington railroad to put into
effect the 90 cent rate from Cas-.
per, wyoming, 10 the cur OF Mexl-
co, when the Standard decided 10
ship the refined stuff from the
Midwest liefineries in this direction
for export.
John Griffin. who IL one of the
strongest and most influential OF
operators In the Mid -Contlncn,
fieid. wants II distinctly Understood
That unless the people OF Oklahoma
insist ON pipeline rates and regula-
lions, such as are in effect In Texas
California and Pennsylvania, that
The Standard will have taken tho
cream out OF this country before tie
people are aware OF IT, and wifi
then be In "A position to move out
over night, as none OF them have
offices or investments of any kind
m the state.
THE citizens Of Oklahoma
should be as much interested In the
pipeline regulations az the oil men
themselves, because, n the pipelines
were common carriers IA fact, there
would be ample protection for the
sreat refineries In this state, and
The smaller ones could grow ana
prosper; whereas. the standard
has not n single refinery in okla
home and but little In the way OF
permanent investment. About the
time the cream Is off the people
will wake mp and wonder why they
did not insist on pipeline regulations
nat would help the state and the
-efinerles therein, just as the laws
pf pennsylvania, Texas and Cali
.ornia are doing" Said Mr.. Grit
in.
The freight rates on fuel oil
must be lowered" continued Mr..
iriffin. The fact that fuel oil is
'aying two and half times more
han coal. Is enough In itself TO
how the necessity OF relief. Al
hat Is needed is proper publicity
md q strong organization 60 back Il
~, as the interstate commerce
commission plainly told the railroad
leople nearly two years ago that
ome concession must be made 10
he petroleum interests. All of the
'astern part of the United States Is
n need OF larger supplies OF gaso-
Inc, and here again the independent
'efiner of the southwest is shut Off"
y will not he long before II is
known just what the freight rates
ON petroleum will be, and the
promise made by the rate commit
tceof tho American Petroleum
institute to ask for and insist on a
reduction of 10 per cent on the
rates on petroleum and also the
elimination of ths - cents flat
rate, is about due So be fulfilled.
There "a something doing every day
IN Washington. and the oil men are
scanning the dispatches from there
with the greatest interest. waiting
To hear what the decision of tho
interstate commerce commission
may be, This commission planinly
stated. a year ago last June, that
the railroads must make CunCcs-
sions, and up to now there has
been nothing hut promises, which
have never been fulfilled.
A decision In what Is known "a,
the "Brunder Brothers case
is now looked for any day
and 1t Will soon be settled whether
or not a shipper OF crude oil mus
have 100000 barrels on hand n
order TO get II In the pipelines.
This case is so plainly all IL
favor OF lower minimum tender
that II would seem impossible fol
the Prairie TO longer continue IT,,
monopoly as against the regulation,
now In effect in Pennsylvania, Tex
rs and California.