San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-08-14
GASOLINE WAR
BECOMES RACE
TO GUT PRICES
Standard aud Independents
Slash Midwest and
Southern Values.
GOVERNORS ARE BUSY
Magnolia Limits Purchases
Of Crude Oil in Texas
and Oklahoma.
GOVERNORS ARE BUSY
Nv the Associated Press.

lineage, aug. i8.-htuuN'iViiS ="
gasoline prices. begun when Governor
w. II. McMaster Of South Dakota
ordered state highway supply depots
10 sell gasoline at 16 cents gallon,
assumed s national aspect today when
price cuts announced by the Stand
ard oil company Of Indiana and Ken
IUcky and independent producers be-
zane effective IN mid-western and
so1shs-z states
Gssolsns -e3sy Is selling az 15.4
cs-1s Ceaczso, 10 IA cents IN
OMAHA tSS cents \ Kansas City,
- c41-s = Lo-isville. Ny, II cents
= D,ilEs~ Tex and from is 10 10
Germs u c.ss- parts az Texas. with
pricss II che sections affected by
ths re5ar1soas VARYING according to
frs;EAt rates
n Illinois. Iowa. Michigan, Wis
eons5z. Michigan. Minnesota, North
Dsko.x. South Dakota. Kansas. Mis-
sour soi parts OF Oklahoma. the cut
made By TIE Standard OF company
OF Indiana was six and sixteenths
cents and that OF independents in the
same territory > cents. Retail prices
in Kentucky. Florida, Mississippi,
Alabama and Georgia were reduced
one cent by the Standard Oil COM
pany of Kentucky.
Nebraska Sees Reduction.
Gasoline dealers in Nebraska an
rounced a cut Of IA cents. The
Magnolia company reduced the price
in Fort Worth. Tex, 2 cents, max
ing a price of IL cents a gallon.
Following the announcement that
an investigation of the gasoline and
oil situation had been undertaken by
the Department of Justice, refiners
and distributors in the Rocky Noun
tain states declared they would court
an inquiry. which they said would
show no unreasonable profits had
been made. Officials of the Con-
tinental Oil company in Denver said
they are not concerned in the price
cuts being made in other sections of
the country.
Governor George p. Hunt of
Arizona, in an announcement last
night, said an inquiry would begin
at once to determine if gasoline
prices are too high in Arizona and,
il they are, steps will be taken to
reduce values, which range from %
10 26 cents a gallon, including state
taxes, a..
State Distribution Threatened.
A threat Of state sale of gasoline
in Nebraska was made to oil company
heads by Governor Bryan, who asked
them to reduce gasoline prices.
The Chicago city council petition
ed Governor Len Small of Illinois
10 take action enabling purchases by
state agencies of supplies adequate
10 break prices.
Governor Victor Donahey of Ohio,
in an answer TO Governor McMaster
of South Dakota, said there are no
laws in Ohio under which he can
assist in the campaign for price-re-
duction and said il appears TO him
a matter for federal rather than state
action.
Governor Preus of Minnesota, pre-
yious to the reduction, announced an
inquiry into the cost of gasoline
production.
An investigation Of short measure
IN gasoline in Cleveland resulted in
five arrests yesterday.
The inquiry by the Department of
.Justice. officials said, is designed TO
determine whether there has been a
combination in restraint of trade in
interstate commerce in connection
with the recent agreement of % re-
.tineries in the midcontinent field to
shut down.
To Limit Purchases.
The limitation of purchase Of crude
roll in Texas and Oklahoma was an
gnounced by the Magnolia Petroleum
company simultaneously with the an
.nouncement of price reductions in
sother sections. The company will
accept only so per cent of the produc-
f1ion of the wells connected with its
.pipe lines, the other so per cent to
tbe run into the company's storage
stock.
Reductions of more than 5 cents
were said to be unfair and ruinous
by j.. V. Nicholas, head Of the ma
tional petroleum marketers associa-
ton, in announcing the 5-cent re-
duction made by independents in mid
western states. The Standard Oil
company Of Indiana, in its announce
ment, declared it is not engaged in
an effort to put competitors out of
business and said it would welcome
change of attitude on the part of
all parties concerned, resulting in n
reasonable price 70 gasoline which
will enable not only it but all of its