Salt Lake Telegram | 1941-06-19 | Page 1 | Oil Firms Asked to Freeze Price

OIL FIRMS S ASKED TO FREEZE PRICE WASHINGTON June 19 INS The The government Thursday disclosed disclosed disclosed dis dis- dis- dis closed that it has asked the petroleum petroleum petroleum pe pe- pe- pe industry to freeze gasoline gas 1 ne and oil il prices at their present levels Announcement was made by Leon Henderson federal price control control control con con- administrator in a speech to representatives of the industry gathered in Washington to confer on problems arising out of naI national national na na- na- na defense needs and the present present pres pres- I ent erot threat of Sun Sun- days on the Atlantic seaboard I Henderson said that he had dispatched dispatched dispatched dis dis- dis- dis patched letters to all leading refiners refiners re re- re- re finers liners and marketers of petroleum I products asking that no further price advances be made and if any should be contemplated to give th the government reasonable notice Whether Henderson plans to follow fol- fol follow follow fol fol- low this up with threats of legal action if compliance is not obtained obtained ob ob- ob- ob tamed he did not say but in Ion similar similar sim sim- ilar lIar cases affecting other industries industrIes industries indus indus- tries he has consistently voiced such a threat The only exceptions in the petroleum petroleum pe pe- petroleum pe- pe industry that will willbe be tolerated tol tol tolerated crated Henderson indicated will willbe willbe willbe be where oil companies can clearly prove cost increases justify price advances Earlier Petroleum Coordinator Ickes revealed that his staff is studying the possibility of a rationing rationing ra card system to restrict pleasure use at and oil in eastern states Asked at a press conference if studies were being conducted Ickes replied that hat thy v but refused to discuss discuss' any t other othe specific specific specific programs S Ickes also asserted that in inthe the light of ot the present petroleum r shortage I 1 dont don't t think a drop of gasoline should be shipped from the Atlantic coast to anywhere He declared that his statement embr embraced embraced em em- br braced ced Great Britain as well as other allied democracies which may maybe maybe maybe be engaged in fighting totalitarian- totalitarian Continued on Page Fare Two Column Four OIL FIRMS FIRIS ASKED TO FREEZE FREELE PRICE Continued from Page One ism None is now shipped to Britain however Ickes pointed out that the tankers tankers tankers tank tank- ers transferred transferred one one of the underlying underlying underlying under under- lying causes of the present petrol petroleum petroleum pe pe- pe- pe um were shortage were released to Great Britain In order to provide an oil shuttle service from Latin America to the New Baltimore-New York-Boston York area where it is by British tankers tank rs to England V