Smyrna times., 1930-11-05
GOVERNOR BUCK To FIGHT
HIGH COST OF GASOLINE
GASOLINE TWO CENTS HIGH
Err HERE THAN ELSEWHERE
Will Open Court Proceedings
Against Forty Firms on Con-
spiracy Allegation

Governor Buck has opened war
on oil companies doing business in
Delaware to try to force them to
bring the price of gasoline for mo-
torists in this State down to the
price level charged in States adj
jacent to Delaware. Feeling that
the oil companies are discriminat-
ing against Delawareans by main
tanning prices for gasoline in this
State at least two cents higher
than is charged in adjacent States,
Governor Buck on Wednesday said
he will request Attorney General
Satterthwaite to try to bring
about the indictment of about
forty companies selling gasoline in
Delaware on charges of conspiracy
to stifle competition in the sale of
gasoline by maintaining fixed
price. 1t is known that the Gov
ernor has a strong suspicion that
one or two of the larger compan-
les fix the price of gasoline in Del
aware and the others join in main
tanning that price. The Governor
said he hopes the attorney general
may be able to start tire proceed
ings at the November term of the
Court of General Sessions, which
will open shortly after the State
judiciary completes the official
canvass of the vote early next
month. That this action on the
part of the Governor will prove
popular to 10000 or more automo-
bile and truck owners of Delaware
goes without saying, for the high
er prices they had to pay for gaso-
line in their own State has long
been a sore subject with autoists.
Prices of gasoline in Pennsylvania
New Jersey and Maryland nearly
always are two to three cents low
er than the price charged in Del
aware and it is conservatively esti-
mated that the maintenance of the
j higher price schedule in this State
costs automobile and truck driver
owners of Delaware about S1,000,-
600 a year more than they would
have to pay if they were able to
/ buy gasoline at the price charged
/ in adjacent states. While Cover
nor Buck has made no official
statement on the subject, it is
known that he has been opposed
all along too increasing the tax on
gasoline in Delaware, and while he
has made no official statement on
the subject it is known he feels it
is unjust to motorists of his own
State to have to pay two or three
cents more for motor fuel than au-
toists in nearby states have to pay.
Governor Buck started his action
to try to lower the price for gaso-
line on August Is, after several of
the largest oil companies announc-
ed price reductions in the nearby
States but left the price of gaso-
/ line in Delaware unchanged. He
wrote to the presidents of many of
the oil refining and distributing
companies doing business in Del
aware protesting against this dis
elimination and requesting they
reduce their prices to the level en-
joyed by residents of nearby states.
The Governor has had much cor
respondence with executives of
various companies, but thus far
they have made no reduction in
gasoline prices. Most of the COM
panies in their correspondence in
formed Governor Buck they were
ready to reduce their prices if the
other companies also would made
a reduction. One company in eff
feet said it was losing money at
the price it was selling gasoline in
Maryland, and hoped to make it
up in Delaware. AS an illustra-
ton, the price of gasoline in Mary
land to motorists at retail stations
I