The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1923-11-23
SALE OF GASOLINE
BY STATE HALTED
Price Set BY McMaster Was
Finally Reached
PLEASEDAT THE ACTION
South Dakota Governor conaratu-
Iates Dealers on Action TAX
en-; Indictment Fails
Associated Press Dispatchl


. Sioux Falls, S. D., November -.
The action Of one independent
dealer here in lowering the price OF
gasoline to fifteen and one-half
cents per gallon brought an an
nouncemenI from Governor w. H.
McMaster that the state VIII not
place gasoline on sale here at
Twelve and one-haf cents per gal
Ion.
purpose had been accomplished and
also sent a telegram 70 the indie
pendent dealer who met his price.
congratulating him on his action.
State Competition Stopped
Aberdeen, S. D.. November 10
According TO adyices received here
today. one of the big independent
dealers Of Sioux Falls met the state
price Of gasoline set by Governor
w. H. McMaster and began selling
at Is 1-2 cents.
( State competition at the same
tpfice was Immediately stopped al
THE end sought by the governor.
according to word from Pierre, was
that gasoline be available In all
from the state or private dealers
The price today still holds at
eighteen cents at both Standard
and independent stations. The state
has no station In this city, although
1t was reported at the time the orr
sginal reduction was forced by Nc
Master last August that Brown
county would establish station.
: An effort by W. ]. Flanagan.
publisher Of the Labor News at
Sioux Falls, to have Governor Nc
Master indicted for conspiracy with
the Standard OH company to raise
prices. failed before the federal
grand jury In this city.
(, He demanded the right OF any
tprivate citizen to bring matters be-
fore the jury and his evidence was
submitted ana ignored by the mem
bers as inconseQuential.
( Mr.. Flanagan based his appear
ance upon telegram the governor
was said to have sent to the Stan
dard Oil company after the meeting
lof Independents with him last sum-
inner. In this Mr.. Flanagan said
that the governor told the Standard
that invitation to attend the meet
Ting Of oil men had been inadver-
Standard would cut its price to
twenty cents. the state would aban-
don its proposal to sell for sixteen
, cents.
This was the basis OF the chxrge
Of conspiracy according to the word
that has come from the grand Jury.
District Attorney s. w. Clark
said that In the investigation sew
eral independent oil men were call
ed as witnesses upon request of
Mr.. Flanagan and their testimony
taken.
Insisted Upon Privilege g..
This is right which any citizen
has" said Mr.. Clark today. nMr
FLANAGAN was not asked by this
Office to submit his matter. He in
sisted upon a privilege which al
have. He has been making an effor,
to do this for long time and the
grand jury heard him In full at this
session"
When the Standard refused to re.
vtuce its price from 26.6 at the time
the telegram was sent, the state sta
ton at Mitchell began selling at 1e
cents. Soon thereafter the Standard
met that price, independents followed
suit and 16 cests became the &C.
lcepted price all over the state. and
the state station went out Of the oil
business.
Recently the Standard raised Cts
price In South Dakota two cents
while reducing the price two cents
in adjacent states. The independents
mt the same time raised their price
and retail figure became is cents.
Sioux Falls, S. D., November 49,
In face Of Governor McMaster's
threat to sell gasoline at IL cents pei
tEallon at filing stations in the yari.
i0us towns OF the state II dealers did
mot meet the state price OF 16 cents
per gallon allied Standard Oil and al
independent dealers except one
tmaintained the II IL cent rate
which the governor ordered fol
Sioux Falls.
/ Mitchell, s. D., November 10
because dealers in some parts OF
Hhe state have met the orders Of
sGovernor McMaster. and are selling
taAsoline this morning at 16 cents,
Hhe state highway supply depot
here, after selling gas at 1915 cents
for an hour or so, jumped back to
.16 cents. The depot will sell at
thfs price, which is two cents under
the price being charged by Mitchell
dealers, until noon, when the II IL
scents price win go into effect again
Iof the local dealers do not meet the
sixteen cent price demanded by the