Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-28

| continuance OF the present leIG-
hand turns continues. The Cham
Der of Commerce now opposes the
action of the Board of Trade traf-
fic committee, which urged the re-
turn to the center-of- the street
turns. The chambers action was
not as positive as it's brother or
ganization. The chamber recon-
mended the present system now
in vogue to be retained for the
present, until further study could
be made.
1t would be a pity if the work
of those outlining the Hoover
municipal code should go for
naught.
Traffic consumed the major por-
ton of the meeting of the Wash
ington section of the Society of
Automotive Engineers last week
Charles P. Clark of the American
Automobile Association and Mr..
Harland were the principal speak
ers. Both advocated pedestrian
control. Mr.. Clark urged that the
money collected from the renewal
of operators permits be used for
traffic survey.
Varied Gasoline Prices.
Criticism over the different
prices demanded for gasoline in
the various States has been aptly
registered by the American Auto
mobile Association. According to
their reports there were II differ
ent prices for gasoline prevailing
in the United States on February
10, 1929.
The price range was all the way
from IL cents a gallon to 24.5
cents a gallon for straight run,
and from Is cents to 27.5 cents
a gallon for high-test gasoline, ex-
elusive of the gas tax, which
varies in almost every State.
These and other startling fig
ureS on the divergence of gasoline
prices in the country were aScer-
tanned through a simultaneous
Nationwide check-up by 1,065
motor clubs affiliated with the
American Automobile Association
and reported to national head
quarters here.
In order to secure an accurate
picture CT the gasoline price range
on a given day, identical forms
were sent to every A. A. A. club
throughout the country; the local
clubs in turn checked the prices
in their respective areas and re-
turned the forms to Washington.
The lowest price on the date of
the check-up was IL cents for
straight run and IS cents for
high-test gasoline at MuSkogee,
Okla, and the highest was 24.5
for straight run and 27.5 for high
test at Wallace, Idaho.
AS in previous check-ups, prox-
unity to sources of supply ap-
peared to be a negligible factor in
determining current prices, says
the A. A. A., since prices were in
many instances as high close to
the oil fields as they were at points
to which long haul was neces-
sary. Prices at tidewater were on
the whole as high as those charged
at inland points.
The average price at points
along the Atlantic Seaboard on
February 10 was 17.9 cents a gal
Ion for straight run and 81 cents
for high test. The average in the
Mississippi Valley region was 1875
cents for straight run and 1875
cents for high test. On the Pacific
Coast the average was 1871 cents
for straight run and 21.8 cents a
gallon for high-test gasoline.
One of the most striking fea-
lures of the A. A. A. survey is its
disclosure of the rapidity with
which prices change within small
areas where basic conditions such
as rentals, supply and demand
are the same.
Widest Divergence.
The widest divergence in price
was 9 cents in Colorado, where
the price Of gasoline ranged from
Is cents a gallon to "a cents for
straight run gasoline and from 18
cents to 81 cents a gallon for high
test. West Virginia ranked next
Win a VdTldtlOIl VI o CGIltS, rang
ing from IA cents gallon to 81
cents for straight run gasoline
and from II cents to "a cents a
gallon for high-test gasoline.
The motoring body has brought
some very salient facts to the at
tention of the public. Transpor-
tation facilities in certain loca-
tions cannot be held entirely re-
sponsible. Nor is it fair for gaso-
line price raises in Summer when
consumption is so much greater.
Notice that oiling is being done
on the following roads is given for
this week by the Maryland State
Roads Commission:
Frederick road from Gainesville
to Ellicott City, the Rolling road
from the Frederick road to the
Washington Boulevard, Wilkens
avenue from Rolling road to the
city line and the roads around
Spring Grove State Insane
Asylum.