, 1923-03-25
Broadcasting Only One Side

MR.. LA oil investigation commit
III tee has been engaged for the past three months
in delving into conditions and prices prevailing in
the oil business throughout the United States. A
report of that committee was submitted on the
closing day of the senate, since which time Mr..
LoFouette has personally seen to it that every
person OF more or less consequence, who had ever
used oil or smelled gasoline received a copy. Under
the senator's frank we have ours.
The report n number of radical
changes by which the government would assume
greater supervision Ihan at present of the entire
petroleum industry. The senator states that he
is convinced that eff a few great oil companies are
permitted to manipulate prices for the next few
wears as they have been doIuy since 1920, the Deo-
pie of this country must be prepared before long to
pay at least one dollar a gallon for gasoline"
Ihls of course, is his oft repeated Scare that
he has chosen TO throw into the dear defenseless
public when his heart yearned for the pink lights
from the gallery.
Such & statement would be startling if it came
from any one of a number of prominent men in
political life, but Mr.. LaFollette's wellknown pen.
chant for continuous industrial agitation as a prof
table source of political advertisement lessons the
dow against the petroleum industry. The LaFol-
lette committee of investigation has made certain
recommendation which according to the senator's
reasoning would be of public benefit.
a summary of the recommendations follows:
divorce pipeline ownership from petroleum
ownership, and thus force on impartial pipeline
transportation service.
2-Revision of freight rates "as will permit mid
continent refineries to once moro find a ,morLot
for their products"
a-Prohibition or regulation of the expectation
of petroleum and its products for which there is
pressing demand in the United States.
4-lnstitution of grand jury proceedings under
federal or state laws wherever price maninulation
is attempted.
DEMONSTRATION of any "implied" or expressed
agreement or contract to fix prices arbitrarily or
to restrain trnde.
G-inG'Tr lr tNe department of justice into all
'il'i'S '' PATENTS on pressure still processes
used I'm rroiuction of gasoline.
tprH-For"I MR. r,Dou tho
follette renort declares that "the suggestions here
made OF certain remedies do not imply that other
ana more drastic ones may not later be found
necessary
Replying to the statement so frequently made
by Mr. LaFollette that unless the government took
actlom gasoline would probably go to a dollar
. EaIon; Nlr. ~ H.. kingsbury. president of the
standard company of California has said:
The eNtravagant statement attributed TO Soma.
tor Lafoilette that the public must be prepared
10 pay at least n dollar a gallon for gasoline is
obviously only n vehicle to achieve prominence for
ms report, TO justify his investigation. and 10
1rlghten the public into supporting whatever furtb.
er campaign against the oil industry, he plans TO
make. puma W
There is nothing to support the view. either
IN the record of the nyestigationS' or outside of II
Not in years has gasoline been so CHEAP as il is
lar gasoline. WI
Cotton at a dollar a pound, or wheat at So a
bushel is just as likely. When the price of any
commodity goes beyond a point at which a salts.
no buyers for it," ~
Now that the La Toilette report has been sent
broadcast, and the very evidence that would refute
the committees several statements to the public
were denied admission to the record when offered
by the oil industry of the country, it means that a
specific answering Of the charges and criticism of
the country's greatest industry will have to he
made separately in order that there NAV be nm
UNDERSTANDING of the things Lal'ollettc's petu.
lancy prevented in the report authorized and mi h
Tor by the government and which when it is ali
said and done was intended for public information
and public benefit.