The Washington herald., 1922-07-02
GASOLINE PROBLEM
met BY new PLAN
OF MOBILE OWNERS
Cooperative Club Sup.
plies High Grade Gas
At Low Cost.

- 81
How Mobile. kia.. has solved the
gasoline problem is told of in sur
way of the Mobile Co-operative
Gasoline Company made by Lynn
NJ. Shaw, assistant general manager
Of the National, Automobile Dealers
Association. in recent bulletin OF
the association.
The Mobile co-operative Gasoline
Company was organized to supply
high grade gasoline at minimum
prices 10 motor vehicle users. The
primary purpose was in tie interest
Of owners of fleets of commercial
vehicles. =
It was capitalized at $4,000. The
stock was IN shares Of 5000 each
Most of II was sold to the feet
owners. The balance Of II was offered
to and bought by members of the
automobile club.
Two filing stations (curb pump
types) were first established. Gaso-
line was purchased In quantity. All
stockholders were expected to buy
from the Coop stations. The sta.
tions also were to sell to any other
persons who desired to buy. The
quantity purchase OF gasoline made
possible the retailing of gasoline at
a price few cents less than that
at which gasoline was offered by the
larger companies.
Two more stations were added. The
four stations are now operated by
by girls. The gasoline Is purchased
in enormous quantitiesss The Coop
owns and uses four large storage
tanks.
1t Is buying gasoline at II cents
and selling II for 21 cents a gallon.
This price is two. three and five cents
lower than gasoline can be bought in
cities within 100 miles of Mobile. The
price of gasoline at the filling stations
conducted by the large oil companies
is the same as that at the Co-Or
stations and therefore several cents
less than the prices at which these
same companies are selling gasoline
elsewhere in Alabama and other
States.
The girls who operate the co-or
stations are hard boiled" SO that
mashers and kidders get nowhere.
These girls act like they own the sta
tions. They must pay out OF their
pockets for the amount of gasoline
unsccounted for, in cash or in the
tank. They give a courteous and
snappy attention and service that is
noticeably different from the ordinary
type OF gasoline station service.
Many women are driving motor
cars. Women are natural economists
They seem. in Mobile. to keenly ap-
preciate that the Coop stations are
the reason for low price In gasoline
And they seem also to like the at
tendance of girls at the stations.
This increases the sales, maintains
volume.
Volume Is Of keen interest to the
Coop. The greater the volume, the
greater the profits, as in any other
business. And each sixty days the
Coop declares a dividend to its
stockholders. 1t has not failed to
declare a dividend in the several
years OF its existence. This dividend
sometimes amounts to two or three
cents per gallon. 1t is figured out
the stockholders like to talk about
per-gallon dividend. Because to
the stockholders, this is an add
tionaI cut in the price OF the gaso-
line they use.
The capital stock Of the Co-Op
has never been increased. But its
value is considerably higher. II II
were possible to buy stock in the
Coop today-and there is none for
sale-it would change hands at $500
per share. That was the last QUO
tation on II. when II was withdraw
from the market in 1919