The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-01-20
Wants the Right to
Commander oil


WASIlINGTON. Jan, t1.---Sccro-
tary Daniels has sent the follow
ing letter TO the speaker of the house
of representatives. and to the chair
man. senate committee on naval ar
fairs:
II desire 10 call your attention tn
tho necessity for legislation which
viii enable tho navy department To
obtain fuel for It's ships without
being subjected to excessive prices,
Due TO unsatisfactory bid'Aoccived,
II has been necessary tOrWhe navy
To commander coal continuously
from June /, 1917, TO the present
time; and to commander fuel oil on
the East coast from July /, 1913 to
June 30, 1919, and on tho West
coast from July /, 1917 to June 30,
| 1920.
"a comparison between mark ct
prices and those paid by the navy
under communicating orders from
/ June 1 Ia August 81, 1917, ON which
laser date government fixed prices
were first placed in effect hy
proclamation OF the president, and
from April I. 1890 Cat which time
| fucd administration prices were fin
ally withdrawn, to December ~,
1920, shows an actual saving OF 81
2i7. $50 effected in the purchase Of
| I .60i,34S tons of coal while II IL
impossible to say ;ust what saving
was effected during the time that
| fuel administration prices were In
| force, because no free market then
| existed. II ~ estimated that n total
OF $6,775, 1870 has been saved In the
| purchase Of 9,45i.3iS tons of coal
by the navy from June !, 1917, to
December 81, 1920.
| "In regard to fuel oil, careful
| comparison of market quotations
and prices paid under navy com
Wandering orders shows total
saying Of S3,36G.123 In the purchase
Of 17,7O3,7As barrels during the pc
RODS mentioned above.
"lt will thus be seen that the
navy through the exercise OF COM
mandcering powers. has saved to
the government "A total of tlO1A1,- %
l313 since June | 1911. pUing this
lcntIgo time the fuel situation Of the
Icountry has been very acute, How
ever, communicating has been re-
sorted 10 only when satisfactory bids
could not be obtained, with but
few exceptions the suppliers have
been accepted the prices fixed by
the navy as being just and reason
liable.
In view Of the great economy
effected in fuel purchase through
tho use of communicating powers
"a well as the necessity for the same
= at times when supplicrs refuse L.
. bid on the uavy's requirements,
. strongly urge thu the existing laws
IGiving such powers to the president
hc not repealed. II Is believed 20 ho
especially important that the food
control act OF August 10. 1917, which
was designed TO protect the govern
ment In the procurement ot food and
, fuel, remain I'm force for the present
The repeal OF this act. as well as
that of other wartime acts, ~ pro
vided Gcr In house joint resolution
SS2, now before the senate for con
sidcntiun.
"Ir however, II is considered ad-
vlsablo 90 repeal the present laws
giving general rcqutsitiouing powers
to- the president. I earnestly recon
mend that iu the public interest
the following provision hc enacted
iu order 10 properly protect the navy
in tho procurement OF It's fuel sup
ply, viz.
, "Bc 1t enacted by the senate and
house of representatives OF the
, United StntCs OF America in con,
. grcss assembled, That, until June so
1879, the president ~ authorized to
rCquisltion fuel necessary 20 the
: muptcnance of the navy, and to req.
uisltiou facilities for handling and
storing such fuel and he shall as.
; certain and pay a just compensation
: therefor NJ tho compensation s,
! determined be not satisfactory 10 IN,
, person entitled 70 receive the Same
IsuCh person shall be paid sovcnt,