11
GASOLINE PRIGES
TO OOOP IH YEAR
Government Expert Analyzes
Sources of Supply and
Market Conditions.
FURTHER RISES FORESEEN
Fluctuation in Cost Will tnd Witli
Cheaper Fuel, ' Manufactured
From Crude Oil by
Xew-Found Method.
Cheer up, motorists!
Gasoline prices will soon start on the
downward scale, according' tp Doctor
Rittman, the Government expert, who
eight months ago, discovered a new
method of getting- gasoline from crude
oil.
In a recent address before the Engi
neers Club, of Dayton, O., Doctor Ritt
man said: "Expenditures of gasoline
are greater today than ever before. One
thing that has knocked the bottom out
of the gasoline market is falling off
of Oklahoma crude oil. Less than a
year ago Cushing field produced 300.000
barrels of crude oil, which analyzed
from 25 per cent t,o 30 per cent of gaso
line. In other words, 180,000 barrels
per day. Now that source of supply
has fallen off until It Is below one
third that amount.
"That means that despite this discov
ery, which was brought out eight
months ago, and is represented today by
expenditures exceeding $8,000,000. and
Is now being installed In 10 additional
plants, with 20 more wanting It, but
we simply cannot take care of them
Jt means that despite this progress
we cannot cope with the problem, and
Jt will be some time before our curve
catches up with the demand curve.
o Tvro Crude Oils Same. '
N"o two crude oils are the same. As
a matter of fact, two wells in the same
oil field are different, and' one will
contain more gasoline than the other.
The average gasoline content of petro
leums in America is below 12 per cent.
By breaking processes we can bring
that up to 60 per cent. In other words,
five times what it was.
"The term gasoline means nothing. It
Is a commercial term which originally
meant those constituents which in nat
ural distillation boiled off below 150
degrees centigrade. That temperature
has been successively raised until It is
now about 173, and is going progres
sively higher. That means that where
a Pennsylvania oil 10 years ago pro
duced, say 10 per cent of gasoline
and that same oil If anything has de
terlotated; that is, they are digging
deeper in the bowels of the earth that
came grade today is producing 25 per
cent.
"The heat containing oils, exempli
fied by the Oklahoma oils, are also very
variable for gasoline production. . . .
Some of the oils as found in Texas, In
the Hemble field, which has been opened
up recently and Is producing. 100,000
barrels per day, contains virtually no
gasoline, but contains kerosene to the
extent of about 70 per cent. Califor
nia oils and Mexican oils contain vir
tually no gasoline. The average con
tained in California oils for about 100.
000,000 gallons produced per annum is
about "Vj per font. But we can pro
duce gasoline from these oils by the
'cracking process.'
Solution la Anticipated.
"Now, then, can 'we look forward to
the solution of this problem by ma
terials such as alcohol and other com
bustibles,. That is- not probable for a
long time to come. Purely as a mat
ter of cost, alcohol does not become a
factor as a motor fuel until gasoline
passes 40 cents per gallon.
"If you figure the number of acres
required for raising the corn and po
tatoes to furnish alcohol for the in
ternal combustion engines, you will
find that we would use a good big part
of the United States to do it.
"There are today 2,500,000 automo
biles, or say, 2.250,000. Figuring con
servatively, estimated 25 horsepower
each, we have the figures 60,000.000
horsepower. The combined horsepower
of all the steam motives In America is
less than 50 per cent of that.
"We do not ordinarily realize that
you figure 500 gallons per machine per
annum. There is considerably more
than 1,000,000.000 gallons right there.
Then, our rough estimate is that for
other purposes. Including export, we
use 50 per cent as much as we do for
the internal combustion engines.
Electricity Use Suggested.
"Another solution that is suggested
is the use of electricity. But electricity
as a means of carrying forward our
automobiles is not the thing at pres
ent, purely as a matter of cost. So we
must wipe out alcohol and other com
bustibles. "The mechanical engineer has done
splendid things in hi3 line; namely, to
construct engines to use heavier fuels.
The chemical engineer method of solv
ing it would be in making gasoline put
of these kerosene, gas oils and other
materials. Now how far is this a re
ality today? I will answer by saying
that it Is much more of a reality than
ny of us realize. This very day there
re 300.000 automobiles in the country
that run on 'cracked gasoline' gaso
line made frpm other materials, such
as kerosene, gas oil, etc.
"Now, how much gasoline can we
hope to get by this method? On those
Eastern crudes we should get from 70
to 80 per cent of the crude oil. On
crude such as the Mexican, we should
get 40 to 50 per cent. So you see we
can hope to solve this gasoline prob
lem by various 'cracking processes.' I
do not wish to limit myself to the Bu
reau of Mines processes. I am trying
to speak broadly. There are hundreds
of men working on this problem, hun
dreds of intelligent men, and that
means only one thing that there Is
going to be a variety of solutions and
processes.
Lower Prices Foreseen.
"Now then, a plant that would turn
out 1000 barrels of gasoline a day
would make just enough to take car
of 20,000 automobiles, which is only
five days supply, remember a big
plant, so it seems.
"But merely to make up the deficit
in gasoline production which has oc
curred since last July in the Oklahoma
field alone, we will have to build 60 of
those plants instead of our present 10,
and we are going to be some time
catching up with it. But once these
operations come to be standardized,
they will no longer engage the atten
tion of those of us who have worked
them out and who are familiar with
them.
"But the people will carry it further
than we have ever hoped to carry it.
That is why I say that synthetic gaso
line will catch up with the demand in
the next six months. You can look
for higher prices before lower prices,
but in the course of a year or so most
certainly we will have an available
supply of gasoline. We will catch up
with the demand."
Half-BUnote Interviews.
Exchange.
Married men seem glad to give half
otinute Interviews, for it seems to be
tieif ptljr opportunity to talk.
b"" and we stand ready to prove every
$ statement that we make about the
l roe
These statements are made after constant tests for three years under every
possible condition. .
The prestige of this concern, as well as the personal integrity of its mem
bers, is at stake both are our guaranty that these statements are simple but
astonishing facts.
The Reo Distillate Adapter permits the use of distillate in Reo cars under a
positive guaranty:
1st More miles per gallon more miles per hour.
2d Less carbon than with the use of easoline.
3d No complications of any kind.
Any car with any device will run on distillate the use of distillate is not
new, but
only the Reo unless others are equipped with a Reo Distillate Adapter can
use distillate without having carbon trouble.
-And We Can tvlake Immediate Deliveries
on Reos
Distillate
Adai
ofer
The long-superheated manifold of the Reo and the vapor automatically
injected into the distillate are responsible for this remarkable achievement.
This marks an epoch in motoring by radically reducing the cost of opera
tion. The representatives of the daily papers checked back the following test
and figures this is but one of the hundreds that have been made during the
last three years many of these show far greater results:
17.1 miles on 1 callon gasoline at 18V?c
20.1 miles on 1 gallon distillate at
Amount save on each irallon of fuel used. . . .10c
Additional mileage earned by reason of greater power of distillate when
properly vaporized per gallon, 3 miles.
Prices Fours $875, Sixes $1250. Factory
Subject to Change Without Notice
Broadway at Couch St. JMOftllW'eSt: -AkUltO COo Portland, Oregon
F. W. Vogler, President
C M. Menzies. Salesmanager
rpJsiS -"mmm
3t3s
HOOD RIVE MMW!'WtirP' , fL-y -' f.MHordMW iouZt Pi
It Means Just This for instance, suppose you start from Portland with 50 cents' worth of gasoline
at the present prices and drive out the Columbia Highway until you are out of gas you'll be at or near
Bonneville, 45 miles. Buy 50 cents' worth of distillate at 8lfe cents per gallon and before you- run out of
fuel you will have been able to go to Hood River and Back to Portland about 130 miles.
CAFt MAKESHARD RUN
Chalmers Plows Over Califor
. nia Sierras in Winter..
SNOW AND WATER ARE MET
J. Ilirscb, Pacific Coast Manager,
Describes Obstacles Overcome
in Record Tests of Car's
Vitality in Long Run.
To plow through mud which reached
the hubs; to ford streams where water
reached half way up the radiator, and
to cut through drifts of snow from
eight to 10 feet deep was the exciting
recent experience of J. Hirsch, Pacific
Coast manager -of the Chalmers Motor
Company, who has been spending
few days in Portland.
The trip was made two weeks ago
as a test of the new Chalmers car,
and it led through the Sierras in Cali
fornia, practically to the Yosemite
Park boundary line. The Chalmers was
the first car to reach that point
in the Sierras since- last September,
and the trip was a remarkable demon
stration of endurance.
In describing the trip last week at
the offices of the II. I Keats Auto
Company, M"K Hirsch said: "I have
driven cars for thousands of miles, but
never before have I driven one under
conditions so extremely difficult as on
the trip just completed. To illustrate
road conditions over the route we
traveled, at one place it took us five
hours to go 00 feet. Many places we
had to shovel -snow from the road.
"On every test, however, the sturdy
Chalmers came out triumphant, aud oa
the return trip it carried us straight
through from Bowers" cave to San
Francisco in 27 hours, completing what
I regard as the most difficult motor
ing trip ever undertaken in, California."
The next Chalmers official to visit
Portland will be the president of the
company, Hugh Chalmers, who, accord
ing to latest advices received by Harry
L. Keats, of the H. L. Keats Auto Com
pany will be ir the city on April 11.
Mr. Chalmers is scheduled for an ad
dress before the Chamber of Commerce
during: his visit in Portland.
Charles B. Harris, sales manager of
the H. L. Keats Auto Company, re
turned last week from a trip through
the Willamette, Umpqua and Rogue
River valleys, where he visited the
Chalmers agencies now established as
well as placing others. Mr. Harris'
trip took him as far south as Medford.
He says business conditions are much
better in the territory and that the
feeling1 is decidedly optimistic.
At Medford the local agent had Just
sold his last car and was sending an
urgent order for more. At Roseburg,
where Mr. Harris placed a new agency.
a number of Inquiries for cars came in
on the day that the agent received his
demonstrator.
Mr. Harris says it certainly looked
like Chalmers Day in Roseburg on the
day he was there. He will leave in a
lew days to go over other Chalmers
territory.
CARS HAVE D UTEKEXT USES
Buyers Advised to Consider What
Is to Be Required of Auto.
In considering the purchase of an
automobile it is a good rule to figure
out in advance all the prospective re
quirements to be placed on the. car. Is
the car to be used for business pur
poses, for pleasure, for everyday trips
around town, for touring or to meet
different neel3?
Then, the man who is about to invest
in a car should consider the question of
who is to drive it whether he is going
to be the driver, his wife or other
member of the family or a chauffeur.
By putting these things down on paper
and "striking an average," as it were,
there ought to be no mistake in select
ing the car best suited to perform the
service which will be required.
mmm sales lively
ADVANCE IX PRICE DUE TO IX-
CREASED PIIODCCXIOX COST.
Portland Auto Dealers Are Advised to
Anticipate Brisk Business Sweep
Ins; Toward City. v
The Northwest Auto Company, local
distributors for the Marmon, Cole and
Reo cars, had an important visitor last
week in the person of H. B. Rector, Pa
cific Coast representative of Nordyke
& Marmon Co., makers of Marmon cars,
who has just returned from a trip
through the East where he went spe
cially to consult with the company re
garding the raise in price of the. Mar
mon "34."
He felt this question was of sufficient
importance to make the trip East to
discuss the matter and advises that the
increase was an absolute necessity due
to the increase in cost of raw material
and the scarcity of skilled labor. It
was a question of either reducing the
quality of the Marmon "34" by the use
of somewhat less expensive materials
or increasing the list price of the car.
While East Mr. Rector visited several
principal agencies of the Marmon car
and found that the raise in price has in
no way curtailed the retail sale of the
Marmon "34," which, he says, is convinc
ing evidence of the great popularity of
the car.
He seemed particularly pleased to
note-the recognition that the automo
bile Industry is being given by business
men of a high type such as bankers.
Indications show that the automobile
dealer is being looked upon with more
favorable eyes and the automobile in
dustry is being recognized every day as
a more legitimate business, be reports.
"This recognition is putting into the
automobile industry a higher type of
business man and the improvement in
the personnel of the automobile dealer
and his sales organization is imme
diately noticeable," says Mr. Rector.
"The automobile industry is most
certainly securing its tjhare of the gen
eral business improvement thVoughout
the East and Judging from the condi
tions now existing on the Pacific Coast,
the automobile Industry out here will
continue to feel the reflection of the
excellent conditions now existing in the
East arfd it is my opinion that the deal
era in Pacific Coast cities should antici
pate this business and be prepared to
handle it in a manner that will tend to
demand the recognition of the financial
interests.
"T'ie Nordyke & Marmon Co. ex
pressed themselves as being more than
pleased with their local representatives,
the Northwest Auto Company, and are
satisfied that their interests in this ter
ritory are being well taken care of.
"It might be encouraging to the au
tomobile industry in Portland to know
that Ban Francisco is already feeling
the reflection of the Eastern conditions
and it is a serious question with the
dealers In every line to secure suf
ficient cars to meet the retail demand.
I feel that the present season or 1916
will even surpass the balmy dav8 ot
1911 and 1910."
British control of HonRkonR is res'ilttn u
In the elimination of many lare t!rmaa
business houses which have had their head
quarters for China trade In their colour
there, A flxeit time, allowed at the begin
ning ot hostilities for these concerns to
liquidate all business, will soon expire. lea'
Inir Teutonic commercial power but
memory in the hinterland of this treat,
Chinese port.
Power
Stability
Service
Economy
$650
XSlK
so.
Motor
F. O. B.
PORTLAND
A Simple Problem in Arithmetic
Do you want to staxt out with the feeling that you can absolutely depend on the car under
your hand ? '
Do you want to know that you have the power at your control to lift you over the hills
and out of the roads that have no bottom ? . ;
Do you want to know that the car you own has a name to maintain, that it is backed by
a corporation of standing', that gives you service?
Do you want to know hat you are getting all this at a price within, your means, a price
that does not make your car an extravagance?
Then what you want is a Chevrolet
The Car of the Multitude.
J. J. DeVAUX, Distributor
Call for a Demonstration Fourteenth and Couch
Main 6829
41 OWNERS OPERATE 1751
WHITE TRUCKS
And their Choice is
based on experience
No White Truck has ever worn
out in commercial service. Its life
is indeterminate.
It pays to expend a higher purchase
price for a White Truck, which not
only costs less for fuel and repairs, but
also outlives two or three trucks of
cheaper make
O
THE WHITE COMPANY, Cleveland
PORTLAND Broadway and Oak Street
Sr"" now own a total ot 41 Wltita Trucks US fr"
mmmt 11 111 1 1111 11 1 1 1 "" iiii.i . -- - . i n i mi si i i.i urn i is
! ;