The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-11
PRESS ON OIL INQUIRY

have brought forth more interested con- ment had the committee been headed by somebody else than the cratic and radical LaFollette. The senior senator from Wis consin is suspected of harboring deepseated prejudice against big corporations simply because they are big, and there is the latent thought in the mind of every editor that his findings would be colored accordingly. Of course, there were also men on the com mittee of more trusted judgment in such matters, who help to give more confidence to the report. Just now when so much is being written regarding the diminishing natural reservoirs of petroleum there is added interest in the subject of the senate inquiry, even though congress took no action.
 The New York Times, however, is not dis posed to brush the report aside of no moment, for it says: "It will not do to attempt to pass the matter of merely one more reckless blast from the Wisconsin senator. He may be accused of prejudice, or even of personal animus; but the fact to be reckoned with is that he has got his port before the country. It will have to be taken up in detail and answered point by point. His arraignment may be unfair and misleading, but the duty of those whom he attacks is to show exclusively that it is not so." The Times criticzes the report, on the other hand for basing certain con clusions on allegations which rest not on facts discovered, but on facts suspected, and adds: "Where the report makes allega- tions, the persons involved should produce facts. It is a duty which the Stand ard Oil people owe to themselves and to the general public" The Times treads softly.
 The New York Journal of Commerce echoes a considerable sentiment when 1t re- marks: "It is an old saying that a few fleas are good for dog Similarly, per haps, Senator LaFolette performs a useful service to the business community and to the body polite. If, however, that individual wishes to continue to be effective as mild national stimulant he would do well to cul- tivate the habit of being little cautious in his generalizations and in his accusations than he and Senator Brookhart were when they prepared their recent report on the present state, of affairs in the oil industry in this country. As fond of scandal as many of us undoubtedly are, can be wearied of rank sensationalism." AS for "dollar gasoline" the Journal concludes "No one expects dollar gasoline in the near future, but if any such thing were in pros pect it would be much more the result of changed conditions of supply and demand than of machinatons of any group of oil interests"
 The press is not as a rule inclined to ac- cept too seriously the conclusion that the committee has discovered any unique thing; certainly it is agreed that nothing really new has been developed from the inquiry. Thus the New York World: Having 9 common origin and bringing up,' the va rious Standard Oil groups can be manned ever so independently one of another and still be disposed and able to act as under a common influence. And as they trail one after the other and establish highly influ- ential price-fixing position in the whole in- dustry, so the so-called independent pro- ducers and refiners might trail after them under certain conditions, such as growth of demand outrunning supply. Yet the most openly and broadly competitive industry known would be affected similarly under similar conditions of an outrunning demand for its products. The committee does not appear to have given due attention to this factor in the problem, and until this is done we cannot know just what the problem is or the solution of it."
 That there is open competition in the production and sale of petroleum is the be- lief of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, but ob- serves further that "the price differentials on gasoline in the different states were never cleared up to the. satisfaction of any one. Behind the price advances as one moves eastward there appear to be certain price factors aside from freight charges that have never been satisfactorily ex plained" Therefore, the Plain Dealer con- cludes that the report will be of little avail "untl the new congress convenes. At that time the issue should be re-opened and all the facts definitely established. If the con sumers of oil and gasoline, the general pub lie, and the small producers and distribu- tors as we'll are at the mercy of a great monopoly, protection is to be afforded through legislation already on the statute books.'' And for that reason there is the pertinent question why the department of justice does not consider the subject worth investigation.
 After refusing to concede that the oil companies are the monsters that the radical type of senators would have people believe, the Chicago Tribune finds one thing worthy of mention: "There is one suggestion in the entire report that appears sane and req sonable. That is the one for the prohibi- tion or regulation of export. That is worth consideration and study. It might be ad-