New Britain herald., 1924-09-24
FILLING STATION BOOM THROUGHOUT STATE

| The ming StdtlOn DuSlnesS throughout the state appears to be experiencing an astonishing boom, With more than $500 retail gas" dealers serving motorists there is no danger of anyone running out of the necessary fluid while far re- moved form gasoline station. In fact they are nearly everywhere.
 If there is no other use for a va cant lot, gasoline station can be constructed upon it, if the neighbors don't object; or if there is sufficient of lawn alongside or in front of a house, one of the chicken-coop variety can be erected with little dif- fculty and the expenditure of very little capital, The state gets se as license fee from each station, and gasoline companies can be induced to put up the cost of erecting thu regalia. Some of these do so and then charge the proprietors $l, on a lease for the premises.
 The great Increase in filling sta- tions is due to the competition be- tween oil companies. Each wants to have the greatest possible outlet for It's product. The companies appar- ently argue that the more filling sta tions they serve, or own. the greater their chances of obtaining their share of the trade"
 The fact that $50 filling stations have been erected in Connecticut since the first df the year, with three of them being erected every day, makes it look as if the census Of filling stations will soon have reach ed the saturation point. A cynic has | observed that if the pace continues much longer, there may be as many filling stations as there are garages. This happy condition may never come about, however, as the proba- bilities are that some of them will quit business before this maximum point of saturation>is reached.
 As Mayor Paonessa has observed, the rapid increase of filling stations is bringing with 1t problems for the city which are not in process of being solved. The fire hazard may not be as great as generally supposed, ex- cept in case of a conflagration, which God forbid! But the parking hazard is increased, and the traffic hazard is equally serious The mayor is of the opinion that there are too many such stations, and that the taxable value of their property is too small. He appears to think property cucumber ed with a gasoline station brings in less to the city than if large build ing were on the property instead. Reduced property valuations near such stations are also claimed. It IS doubtful, however, whether gaso- line station will stay in the way Of any ambition and enterprising prop erty owner who wishes to construct a more pretentious structure upon such a site. Or if that really were the case, other available sites might be found without difficulty.
 Although there is intense compe- tition between the oil companies with a consequent enormous increase in the number of filling stations, the price of gasoline does not appear to be reduced greatly by such compe- tition. The mayor is of the opinion that it Is increased, due to the addl- ,ionaI overhead incident to the es- tablishmant of many filling stations where a less number could just as efficiently perform their functions s' far AS service to the public is con- cerned, however, there is an un- doubted gain as it is scarcely neces- sarv to wait for service at any ot the stations any more. There are not enough customers per station 10 force inconvenience upon motorists
 The filling station business VIII solve itself in due course. If there are too many of them the rigorous work ing of economical law will auto maticaHy cut them down to the number needed to serve the public But in the case of the stations owned by oil companies. this may not oc- cur as swiftly as in the case of inde- n4ndent ownership, as the oil com panies probably will continue to maintain stations that do not pay so long as others are owned which pay unusually well.
 Profits in the business are sala 'o he good-so long as plenty of oil and accessories are sold.