Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1937-07-22

the three appointive members of the
new board is a professional gasolin 2
and oil man. Under the law, Governor
Hoey must appoint three members OF
the board, while the other two mem
bers will be the commissioner of re-
venue and the director of the gaSOlin .
and oil inspections division, who are
A. J. Maxwell and II. L. ;Shankle, re-
spectively.
The reason for the very great int
terest being manifested in naming of
the three appointive members of the
new board, goes back to the continu-
Gus under-cover warfare going on
everywhere between the independent
gasoline dealers and filling stations
and the big gasoline companies and
their filling stations, it is generally
agreed, and especially to the sale of
white gasoline by independent fill
ing stations at. prices from two to
three cents less than the price fixed
by the big gasoline companies. Those
who are familiar with the gasoline
and Oil industry maintain that many
of the independent gasoline dealers
are selling a grade of white" gas
oline that has just as high an octane
rating, and which is in every way just
as good as the colored first grade"
gasoline sold by the large companies
at from two to three cents a gallon
more in price.
In order to meet the competition
of the independent dealers, most of
the large gasoline companies now are
selling what they call a "third grade"
gasoline at the same price at which
the independents sell their gas and
have special pumps for dispensing
this gas, but discourage its sale and
try to persuade motorists to buy the
higher. priced gasoline. Most of this.
is white" or uncolored gasoline,
though sometimes coloring matter is.
added to it. The independent dealers.
maintain that the big companies buy
the cheapest and poorest white" gas
oline they can get for this purpose
and that instead of being a third
grade gas, it is really a fifth or sixth
grade gas, although they maintain 1t
is of the same grade as is sold by the
independent.
When the new gasoline and oil in
spection board is appointed, it will
be the duty of this board to "adopt
standards for the various grades of
gasoline based upon scientific tests
and ratings and for each of the ar
ticles for which inspection is provid-
ed, to prescribe the form of label for
the various grades of gasoline and to
pass all rules and regulations nece.'
sary for enforcing the provisions of
the laws relating to the transporta-
ion and inspection of petroleum pro-
ducts" the new 1887 law directs. The
new law further states that latter thu
adoption and publication of said stan
dards, it shall be unlawful to sell OF
offer for sale or exchange or use in
his state any products which do not
comply with the standards so adopt
cd"
This means that after Standard
for the different grades of gasoline
are adopted, that every pump must
be plainly marked and that the gas
Dime from each pump must conform
with the standard indicated on it, IT
is pointed out. This in turn means
chat the companies which have been
selling fifth or sixth grade gasolin
as third grade gas, can no longer d.
this but must sell better and hence
more expensive grades. It will also
enable the motorist to judge for him
self whether this gas is as good as
the first-grade gas sold by the INDIE
pendents. It is generally agreed that
this will cost the big gasoline com
panies hundreds of thousands if not
millions of dollars more to handle
their white gas in competition with
the independent dealers, dependin,
upon what standards are adopted fo'
the various grades.
All of which explains why the large
gasoline companies are said to be SC
Interested in who are selected by the
governor as the three appointive mem
bers of the new gasoline and oil in
spection board and why reports in
dictate they are doing everything pos
sible to get one or two members ap-
pointed favorable to the oil cOmnaniee