avantey Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 I was at an antique store today and they had a price placard that attached to a teens pump. It is the kind with the inserted cards you used to change the price. He asked me what it was worth and I replied about a hundred. He then told me no, a lot more (2X+) and this story I have never heard in 20 years of petroliana collecting.The insert showing said 12.5 cents and 5 cents tax. He said for a period of only 4 months in 1919 this was the price set nationally and then Congress mandated the price go to 12.9 cents and prices have always been xxx.9 ever since.Sounds a little suspicious to me but I couldn't refute it either. Sounded more like he was trying to justify his very high price. Any comments on this theory? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Roth Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Hi Bill,That's a new one on me too -- I've never heard of that congressionally mandated price. It "could" be so, but I think this one falls in the category with the "Jack-a-lope", an invention as a result of bourbon, beer, and Bulls**t.This guy may have been told that story by somebody else, and just accepted it -- or maybe he is downright creative.Best to you and your family for the new year - missed y'all on the Chrome / Blue Ridge. Hope to tour with you this yearStay Warm !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 If you would like to know about something about gas prices in the teens, etc...look at this article from Motor Age Magazine dated January 13, 1916. Also when reading the article think of the names of the congressmen and senator that are players and see if there are any names your recognize. Enjoy the reading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdome Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Very interesting articles, Larry. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Imagine that gasoline prices were predicted to reach an outrageous .40 per gal. Don't we wish. It was about .35 to .40 when I started driving in the late 60's. I didn't know Gore Sr. went back this far. It was either after this investigation or I believe a later investigation into oil monopolies that Gore Sr. mysteriously obtained some oil stocks that eventually grew to be worth millions. Ironically, The Gore family became rich from oil stocks. Gore Jr. is getting even more rich from "anti-oil stocks"/carbon credits. Who-da-thunk?Reading the Horse Power Tx article, it appears that our gov't's solution back then for rising gas prices was to force the citizens to conserve by taxing the price even higher and force the manufacturers to build smaller (HP) cars. Hint of carbon tax and CAFE standards. 94 years of tax induced energy conservation hasn't worked yet, has it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave@Moon Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Very interesting articles, Larry. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Imagine that gasoline prices were predicted to reach an outrageous .40 per gal. Don't we wish. It was about .35 to .40 when I started driving in the late 60's. I didn't know Gore Sr. went back this far. It was either after this investigation or I believe a later investigation into oil monopolies that Gore Sr. mysteriously obtained some oil stocks that eventually grew to be worth millions. Ironically, The Gore family became rich from oil stocks. Gore Jr. is getting even more rich from "anti-oil stocks"/carbon credits. Who-da-thunk?Reading the Horse Power Tx article, it appears that our gov't's solution back then for rising gas prices was to force the citizens to conserve by taxing the price even higher and force the manufacturers to build smaller (HP) cars. Hint of carbon tax and CAFE standards. 94 years of tax induced energy conservation hasn't worked yet, has it?Once again, utterly uninformed political manifestos are posted in a "non-political" forum. You might want to read something that a real biographer wrote, because obviously your sources are too biased to be trusted. You can start with Wikipedia ( Albert Gore, Sr. - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ).BTW, 40 cents a gallon in 1917, adjusted for inflation, is $8.29/gal. today. Ah, the good ol' days! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdome Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Correction to my earlier statements. The Senator Gore mentioned in the above articles is not Al Gores father. Don't know if there is any relation. Al Gore's father did not receive his oil stocks mysteriously. He received the stocks as VP and as a member of the board of Occidental Petroleum after he left the Senate. Thank you Dave for pointing that out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 On the price of gas, I can remember it being in the 16-19 cents a gallon in the late 50's early 60's here in Mi. The lowest that I can ever remember for gas was in 1968 I think my parents paid 12cents a gallon in Texas. I think that the current tax load for gas now is about 50 cents per gallon give of take sales tax which changes on the price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 In 1969 I spent a month at my grandfathers farm near Marshfield, Wi. As we were going thru town there was a gas war going on. The price was 12.9 cents a gallon and they both pumped the gas and gave you a "gift" for stopping! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 20 cents/gal for regular and 22 cents for premium at the Direct gas station on Southern Boulevard in West Palm Beach in 1967. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1935Packard Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 (edited) Here is an excellent chart of inflation-adjusted gasoline prices since World War I. According to the chart, the average cost of of a gallon of gas in 1918 , adjusted for inflation, is $3.57 in today's dollars.As the chart suggests, gasoline today is actually cheaper in inflation-adjusted dollars than it was in 1918. Edited January 8, 2010 by 1935Packard (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Thanks for posting that, 1935 Packard. Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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