Evening star., 1922-07-23
CHARGE GASOLINE
PRICES JUGGLED
National Auto Dealers Ask
Federal Trade Commis-
sion to Investigate.
30.CENT Level FEARED
Producers Accused Of Plot to In
veigle Public to Believe Pro-
duction Cost Is Higher.

Declaring that twelve month
comparison of costs Of gasoline at
twehty-eight representative cities of
the United States indicates the buy
nor less than a Juggling of prices"
the National Automobile Dealers
Association has called upon the
Federal Trade Commission for q COM
plete investigation into the motor
fuel situation.
The request for action on the part
of the Federal Trade Commission was
accompanied by papers setting forth
the information gathered by the
dealers organization. Copies of these
papers have been forwarded hlso to
Senators La Toilette and Mcclellan.
who have called for an investigation
in the Senate.
Prices Of gasoline at the service
station have risen a minimum of 2
to a maximum OF cents, the associa-
tion information shows. Some cities
show sharp decreases in one month
and equally sharp increases the fol-
lowing months. In only one city was
there any indication Of a price based
upon competition, that being the city
of Dallas. Tex. In Dallas gasoline
dropped as low as II cents in Septem-
ber.. 1921. while other cities were
June of this year the competition
evidently seems to have been over
come. as gasoline went to 25 cents.
and now remains at that figure.
Increases in Cities.
Some of the most important cities
in which marked increases have been
shown are Kansas City. from 1T
cents a gallon in July. 1921. to 24.5
in July. 1922; Detroit. 20.9 in July,
1921, to 26.4 in July, 1922: st. Louis.
from 1s.7 to 25.5: New Orleans. POS
to 275: Jacksonville, 20 to 26 for the
same period. New Orleans. in the
heart of the oil country. is paying
27.5 cents a gallon for her gasoline,
while Boston. several thousand miles
away. Is paying 2s cents.
There seems to be a pretty gen.
eral movement among the gasoline
producers to force the price OF gaso-
line to 80 cents gallon everywhere
before the automobile touring season
is over. according to a statement Of
G. A. vane. general manager Of the
dealers association. Recent press
dispatches Indicate that the oil men
are in general accord on suggestions
that gasoline should be two or three
assertings upon claims that produc-
ton costs have increased to such an
extent that they are no longer able to
manufacture profitably.
Gasoline prices for July, 1921.
averaged about 22.25 cents for the
July this year. This is nearly a 90
per cent increase. The manufacturers
of automobiles, on the other hand,
have steadily lowered the cost Of their
product to their consumers. and it ap-
pears on the surface that there must
be something fundamentally wrong
with the oil Industry If it cannot re-
adjust its production costs to ut gem
eral conditions in which all other
business has reduced its costs SINH
larly.
The oil industry apparently wants
to prolong tho war forever. Here, in
the end of the fourth year of peace,
we find them 'clamoring for a return
to q system that Is condemned by all
economists and had as its only justi-
fication the fact that 1t was a war
measure.
Twelve million motorists, who con-
sumo on an average of about 400 gal
Ions a year each, would like to have
some assurance that there really is
competition in the oil business or
whether the so-called trust and the
so-called independents are not mere
ly back door and front door names for
the interests controlling a very nee
essary commodity in American life"