Show W WOULD l r PROBE B OIL Il rm PRICES ON COAST A 1 I Investigation by the Federal Trade Board Asked in Resolution by Senator By Associated Press W WASHINGTON July 28 Investigation tion by the federal trade commission Into the operations of the big oil companies companies com corn panics of oC the Pacific coast and the causes of recent advances in the market market marlet mar mar- ket let price of petroleum products throughout the country was proposed in a resolution today by Senator Poindexter Poindexter Poin- Poin dexter of Washington The resolution resolution resolution tion was referred to committee In the usual course The senator said it was claimed that the price of oil on the Pacific coast was arbitrarily fixed by the Standard Oil Company of California and that there was no real competition be because because because be- be cause of the tho controlling position of that company lIe He declared the financial finan finan- cial report of the company showed that during the past three years dividends amounting to per cent had been paid on an investment of u a prosit of having been made In 1918 alone and that based on the report of operations for the past six months the 1919 figure would exceed that of 1918 by many million dollars The resolution would direct the commission to determine whether combinations in restraint of trade exIst exist ex ex- I 1st on the Pacific coast and whether any of the oil companies doing business bustness busi bust ness there are competing unfairly I Senator Poindexter declared that among the protests lodged with him by bya a committee representing oil consumers ra ers of the West Vest coast was one that thata the companies n were e eh charging h ln a I fn barrel a r for fuel 1 oil l In the Northwest o t es while the price in New Orleans was 80 cents and that inasmuch as the Pacific coast through the California fields produces more oil than it consumes consumes consumes con con- there can be no excuse for forthe forthe forthe the prices there exceeding the prices at Atlantic and gulf gult ports |