Salt Lake Herald-Republican | 1918-07-07 | Page 6 | Wilson's Words Quoted to Show That Automobile Use is Desirable

WILSONS WILSON'S WORDS QUOTED TO SHOW THAT AUTOMOBILE USE IS DESiRABLE Facts and Figures Show There Is Little Likelihood Likelihood Likel- Likel hood of Gas Shortage t Is I there a present shortage of or gasoline Is there thero prospect pt of a future short- short ago ase of ot gasoline Is there prospect of ot a a. prohibitive tax being placed upon the use of gasoline In iii 11 passenger er cars These are arc three questions of vital interest Interest Interest Inter Inter- est to every present and and prospective owner own own- own owner er cr of ot a motor car cr The first two can cn b be bl answered by figures the last b by common sense Tho The national gasoline barrel barel Is not dry r Not ot by b a long lon ways was The most recent reports on the quantity of gasoline In storage as compiled by Motor World orld put the figure gure at nt gallons lons Furthermore Furthermore Fur Fur- tho the contents of the bar barrel l are not diminishing For the past past six months we have put into the he barrel an average of ot almost gallons glons per day In oth other r words the tho reserve sto stocks ks of or gasoline gasoline gaso gaso- aso- aso line In the tho United States since the first lne have havo Increased Increase of or this year ear gallons NO SHORTAGE OF GAS NOW NO That d does s not bear much evidence or ora ora ora a present shortage of or gasoline do doe s it I How about tho the future Motor car production has been already cut from Crom 40 to po 60 per cent The Increase In gasoline consumption b by motor cars carswill carswill will wi be lowered b by Just that percentage Moreover the rate of production pro of crude oil from which gasoline Is refined has oi been Increased ed ver very decidedly during the past year During March for tor or example oil operators took tool on an average gallons 01 per day da more from the ground salons than was produced In March This production will be Increased The war Industries board wi has declared the production tion of oil to be one of the most essential 01 Industries ton Steel and other materials foi Co the oil 01 Industry is on the preferred list LARGE FEDERAL DEMANDS Truo True enough h the government Is going to need vast quantities of ot high grade gado gasoline gasoline gas gas- Ss- Ss oline for fuel for the fleet feet of ot Americas America's olne airplanes But the tho government has a afar afar atar far tar greater nee need for or fuel uel oil oi for countes countless ships Seater of ot our new merchant marine and our navy Crude oil oi Is 15 not as af na boilers Is tory lory a fuel Cuel to burn under as oil that has been topped th that t is ls oil 01 01 that has has- hasha ha had the lighter distillates r re removed fe moved such as gasoline and kerosene To keep pace with the huge and go growing de demand demand demand de- de mand for fuel oil oi It Il will vilI wi be bo necessary to produce vast quantities of or gasoline as a by L Under these circumstances circumstances circum circum- stances it is certainly safe to predict that the future will wi show a D decidedly ii in increased 11 creased production of or gasoline Instead of ot a decreased decrease output It n Is ridiculous to suppose that the government I will wi Impose a D prohibitive ta tax ta upon the use of gasoline Tho The only possible possible possible pos pos- sible object tho the government could have in taxing gasoline under present conditions conditions conditions condi condi- would be bo to produce revenue A high tax upon gasoline would defeat tx to its own purposes A tax high enough discourage the use of or gasoline would woul cause hu huge o stocks to pile pie up and would not produce as much revenue as ns u l. smaller tax that would not nol Interfere with the demand wih If the needs o of our men abroad demanded de do- e- e I It every motor car In America would woul bo be I. I stopped on a days day's notice And meanwhile President Wilsons Wilson's wor words s sIn in his message e to congress last January arc are well vell worth remembering Everything wel that is necessary for the full mobilization of the energies and nn re resources resources resources re- re ful sources of this country should first be considered but It Is clearly clearl in the public Interest t also that tho the ordinary activities and the normal an and industrial lifo life of or the country should be Interfered with and dislocated as little as possible