Evening star., 1934-02-08
TEAGLE, j. S. VIEW
D. c. .GASPR|CE WAR
Turn to Problems Here After
Settling Babe Ruth Con.
test Out of Court.

With the Oil Administration in
junction suit against the Standard Oil
Co.'S Babe Ruth" contest settled out
of court, administration officials and
Walter c. Teagle, president Of the
Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey. today
turned their full attention to the
problem of halting the gasoline price
var in the District, which has shown
a tendency to spread throughout the
country.
The suit, which was to have been
argued in District Supreme Court this
afternoon, was withdrawn by Interior
Secretary Ickes, after he had been in
formed yesterday by Mr.. Teagle that
it had discontinued its prize contest.
Mr.. Teagle told Secretary Ickes the
contest had been inaugurated in the
belief it did not violate the code pro-
hibition against premiums and prizes.
Talking to newspapermen later, he
said:
U. S. Demand Met.
The oil administrator entertained
and expressed a different opinion and
the suit to enjoin the company from
continuing the contest was filed. The
oil company has concluded to meet
the Governments wishes"
Mr. Teagle is remaining in Wash
ington today for conferences with
Nathan r. Margold, chairman of the
Petroleum Administrative Board. and
other Government oil officials to try
to end the local price war pending
the putting into effect of the oil
marketing agreements, scheduled for
about month hence.
To avert possible disappointment
of the boys who have entered the
Standard Oil Co.'S contest. the COM
pany is planning to make other ar
rangements, subject to approval by
Secretary Ickes, by which the so free
trips may be given the winners,
through sources entirely independent
of the company or of any other COM
panies participating in the contest.
Meanwhile. 1t was revealed that in
hurried effort to get some of the
priced base balls and gloves offered in
the contest, awards were made to a
group of Washington boys at meet
ing held in the Y. M. C. A. Tuesday
afternoon. The Babe Ruth auto
graphed prizes we're awarded 10 boys
by Nick Altrock, coach comedian of
the Washington team. Boys getting
the gloves were Edward Palmer, Peter
Smith. Jack and Bill Reutemann,
Buddy Baker. Bill Brenneman, James
Kane. ElWood Boswell and Sonny
Rothstein.
Those who got bats were James
Murray, Ira Rifkin, Jack Maggie,
James Weikel. H. G.. King, jr.; David
Sherman. Harry Willard, Wesley Har-
ris. William Miller, jr. and Bernard
Callan.
Ickes in New York.
today, but the conferences on the
local price war situation went on,
despite his absence. Ickes expressed
the opinion yesterday that the sit
uation will be cleared up shortly.
There appeared to be a truce" on
between the independents and the
major companies. who have been
warning on the price to be charged
by each on the so-called third-grade
gasoline. This fuel. which has been
shown by Bureau of Standards tests
to be Of such quality as to meet the
straight" gasoline requirements, is
now selling at 10 cents a gallon. in
Guiding tax, at the independents
pumps and at 1912 cents a gallon at
the major companies pumps.
Tn cfofny,opnf lact Cooro
tary 1ckes presented an analysis of
oil production in the past four months
of 1888. He pointed out that,
although production was cut. pro-
ducers of crude oil received about
S1,000,000 a day more than during
the preceding eight months.