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Show EIGHTY-SIX CENTS, $1.23 AND $1.60, ? ? TIiq attitude of Uib secretary of tho navy toward oil producers and refiners, la beyond underatandlnc. The wholo world Is crying for pot-t pot-t oleum products. Various departments depart-ments of the government aro sen Hap out volumes of statistics showing hov production Is uuablo to keep up with demand and congress Is about to com plolo legislation which Will permit development of thousands of acres of withdrawn oil lands. Tho fuol administration ad-ministration increased price of fuel ill to producers 25 cents a barrel at tho well so Unit marketing companies compan-ies anil loflners now pny the proouc-er proouc-er $1.23 a barrol for his oil. All this was done to encourage increaenJ ! production. Then out of a clear sky tho secretary of the navy orders California Cal-ifornia oil companies to deliver fuel oil for tho navy at tidewater points for 86 cents, a barrol when the market mar-ket prico paid by tho largest coiiama-crs coiiama-crs 1b $1.60 a barrel and when the marketing companies puy thousnods of oil well owners $1,23 a barrel for tho crude oil at tho well. " During tho war fuel oil was requisitioned re-quisitioned by tho government at 1.40 per barrel with tho provision that the seller couM accept 7G pir of the prico offered and sue tho gi,'-eminent gi,'-eminent for tho rest. Kvon on Mils hnslH Individual compaulos are Hill cnrrylng Immense, balances owed tv them by tlu government slnco beginning begin-ning of tho wnr. In the present Instance, howover. In times of penco, a muro autocratic order is issued demanding oil nt a confiscatory price, nnd tho prlvMogo of suolng tho government for Just compensation Is not accorded. Tho order simply states that the companies compan-ies will receive a just compensation, to be determined later. No dnto Is specified and producers and marketing market-ing companies may have to carry accounts ac-counts for yoars. It appears that it tho companies glgn contracts on tills basts they will have no recourse In tho courts from any just compensation which may bo decided upon for them" and if they don't sign It would appear that their properties are subject to confiscation. The point fgr orery citlzon to consider con-sider Is this: Should a pnbllc.om-ciul pnbllc.om-ciul in pea co times havo tho absoltua power and authority to set aside market mar-ket prices, make his own. arbitrarily figures, requlro a private citizen to Bell at a ruinous price under fear of confiscation and In general exorclsn autocratic control over private industry indus-try of any kind in tho United Statc.i Such procedure Is Imsolutely uncalled un-called for, unjust and unAmcrican. If it is allowed to pass unchallenged there Is no reason why the naval nr military departments cannot requlra a farmer, fruit grower, manufacturer or producor of any kind to deliver his 'goods nt half price subject to such I adjustment as the buyer Bees fit to 'make at 'bo me future unspecified date. Tho navy department should" be . hold to strict account for tho unwar-I unwar-I ' ranted action and full publicity given giv-en the case. |