Pain at the Pump: Part I It’s Not the First Time
By Bobbi Mlynar
Originally published 01:22 p.m., May 30, 2008
Updated 01:22 p.m., May 30, 2008
The current spiraling price of gasoline has brought back memories for some Emporians of a time when gas prices spiraled — if there was gas available.
The shortage began in October 1973, when members of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) announced they no longer would ship oil to nations that had supported Israel in its Yom Kippur War with Syria and Egypt. Those countries included the United States, much of western Europe and Japan.
OAPEC consisted of the Arab members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), as well as Egypt and Syria, which had joined in the embargo, according to a history of the period on wikipedia.com.
OPEC members simultaneously used their leverage to raise world oil prices.
Other factors contributed to the gas shortage, though the oil embargo was the most obvious cause to consumers.
In some areas of the country, gas stations sometimes had no gas to sell at all, or they were forced to ration the short supply available to them.
Americans as a group banded together to do all they could to conserve energy. They planned errands and trips in advance to make better use of the gas they had; they weatherproofed their homes, set furnace and air conditioning systems at less-comfortable levels, sacrificed vacations and, in general, did all they could to use less fuel and fewer dollars.
The government — aided by newspapers, broadcast media and magazines — called on individuals and businesses to save energy, and utilized a “Don’t Be Fuelish” campaign by the Advertising Council to emphasize the point.
Similar to events now, some drivers did not want to pay the station’s price after they’d filled their tanks.
“The thing I remember most about it is we seemed to have a lot of gas run-offs and there were lots of stories on the wire about people having their gas siphoned,” said Roger Hartsook, long-time Emporian and former reporter for KVOE radio. “... Bicycle sales went through the roof.”
While details of the embargo, such as the price of gas itself, were sketchy, some major changes easily came to mind.
“The other thing I remember is lowering the speed limit to 55 mph,” Hartsook said.
The government essentially mandated the lower limit by threatening to withdraw highway funds from states that did not comply.
“It just seemed to me that the instances of serious and fatality accidents went way down,” he said.
Statistics showed that the number of highway deaths decreased between 13 and 14 percent annually until speeds again were increased, though not to their former highs.
Before the 55 mph limit, “you could do 80 on the Turnpike, and these are the same highways we have today,” Hartsook said, noting that many state highways carried 70 mph limits.
The gas saved by the lower speed limits, according to energy-related Web sites, was between 1 and 2 percent.
“I could have sworn they were all ready to issue rationing (coupons),” he said.
He was right. The government had printed ration coupons that never were distributed, although other countries followed through with formal rationing.
The government also instituted year-round daylight savings time, with a thought toward conserving energy, in January 1974. NASCAR patriotically sacrificed its race series by reducing all race distances by 10 percent. The Indianapolis 500 cut down its qualifying days from four to two, and eliminated several days of practice, according to wikipedia.com.
Before the embargo began to ease in March 1974, the per-barrel price of crude oil had jumped to about $12 per barrel; prior to the embargo, the cost had ranged between $3 and $5 per barrel. The cost at the pump appears to have been less than 40 cents a gallon for gas that had been in plentiful supply. It once was so plentiful, in fact, that stations competed for business by slashing prices.
“Years ago, when they had the gas wars, it used to be under 20 cents a gallon,” long-time Phillips 66 station owner R.V. Smith recalled.
During the embargo, tankers brought in only limited amounts of gas.
“We would open up and we had so-many gallons to let go every day, but I don’t remember the exact figures,” he said. “But, we did have the time when first-come, first-served. … There was a limit to it.”
Emporia’s gas shortages were less severe than in other areas of the country and even the state. In many areas, cars and trucks lined up for blocks near gas stations; some areas rationed gas by assigning drivers designated days on which they could fill their tanks.
Carroll Koch, another long-time station operator, also said he did not believe the Emporia experience was as severe as it might have been.
“I never did see that here in Emporia. It may have happened, but I never did see it,” Koch said. “Most of us could get enough (gas) to survive, anyway.”
Koch said that he made sure that his regular customers had enough gas.
“Then I’d still have quite a few gallons left over,” Koch said. “There was a few days I did have to shut the gas off. It wasn’t near as bad at my location as it was in some other locations. ... But everybody had to put up with it. We just had to live with it for what, nine months to a year?”
R.V. Smith’s wife, Elaine, assembled a large scrapbook of the business when they retired in 2000. He had gone to work at a station on the Kansas Turnpike in 1956 and opened their own station at 1829 Merchant St. in 1967. The book includes several old credit-card receipts that could not be collected because the card numbers were not legible. The receipts showed that a gallon of gas cost 33.9 cents in 1967, and had risen to 39.9 cents a few years later.
After the embargo ended in March 1974, OPEC did not return to its former production levels. Supplies remained lower than normal, and prices at the pump continued their rise.
In December 1975, the Smiths’ receipts showed the price at 58.9 cents per gallon; the cost had risen to 68.9 cents in 1977.
The Smiths offered full-service and self-service pumps in those days, but the higher price of gas did not mean more money in their pockets.
“Our self-service price, we made maybe 3 cents a gallon,” Smith said.
Smith operated a repair garage at the back of the station as a primary source of income.
The ratio of income-to-gas cost was perhaps more favorable in the mid-70’s.
The minimum wage in 1973 was $1.60 per hour, with a raise to $2.10 per hour in 1975. Today’s minimum hourly rate is $5.85, with gas prices in Emporia today ranging from approximately $3.78 to $3.89 per gallon.
“I think it’s easier for people today to (pay) that than what it was to pay the extra back then,” Koch said. “I’m almost positive it is. I think people are going to go ahead and drive. We’re not cutting down, just have to budget just a little more for gasoline.”
Koch said drivers could better use their gas by improving mileage.
“People today need to keep their vehicles up in shape,” he said. “If they’re needing tires, it’s going to cause a difference in gas mileage.”
Replacing gas and air filters, tune-ups and other routine maintenance needs to be done regularly to keep the engine running efficiently.
“There’s so many things that will help, if you do it that way,” Koch said.
witherdin2ition (anonymous) says...
I disagree that it's easier for people today to pay for gas at inflated prices. My husband and I have dropped down to using one car, opting for the Japanese-made car that gets better mileage than the American-made one. It's sad when a household can no longer comfortably buy groceries because the car needs gas and walking to work is not an option.
May 30, 2008 at 3:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Greybeered (anonymous) says...
Gas was .249 in Council Grove in either 1974 or 1975. I could fill my motorcycle for a little over fifty cents.
May 30, 2008 at 3:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
purplebutterflyhippie (anonymous) says...
I disagree too. I work at Walmart and yes I make more then minimun wage, but still when I have to drive 12 miles a day round trip just so I can work (and I live in town) and I have other earns that I have to get done, paying almost 4$ a gallon in gas is killing my family. We have gottn to the point now that we have one day out of the week that we do our running in and the only other time we use the car is for me to work other wise we walk. I work 5 days a week just to get a check that goes right back into my gas tank. Whats the point? The price needs to go down or I will not be able to afford to go to work anymore.
I have 4 kids to feed and I don't see the government handing out anything that will help that, other then the little bit that srs feels is enough to live off of and heaven for bid they give you a bit more due to gas prices going up and FOOD prices for that matter because the GAS prices are going up. It's getting to the point now that I don't know weather to pay mt rent, pay my bills, feed my kids. or drive to work. This is STUPID and something needs to be done.
I have to now take money out of my food money to pay more in gas, I need the food money to feed my family. How do you tell a kids that they can no longer eat this one food because the oil company's think its funny to watch us starve. And that no I can't take you to the park, swimming, or to the movies because we need that money for gas so I can go to work?
This is a VERY SORE subject with me. There might be some people out there who can afford to pay what we are in gas (like Jay Leno who wrote a very nasty letter about people who complain about gas prices), you know what I AM NOT ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE.
It's time for something to change or there are going to be a lot of people walking or starving and I will tell you what if that happens just wait and see the tax's are going to be like.
From: Pissed in Emporia
May 30, 2008 at 6:48 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
USNretired (anonymous) says...
My bike has a 4.4 gallon tank and it cost me nearly $25.00 to fill it when I was stationed in Japan. US gas is not nearly as expensive as it is in many other places, and people there do a lot more walking than we like to do, but they seem to be in better shape. Some of them walk for an hour to get to work, especially in nice weather and they bring their lunch to eat outside. I know I need to walk more, so I guess this just helps me do it. maybe I will buy a bike that you pedal, but I will keep the one with a motor as well.
May 31, 2008 at 12:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eiggohp (anonymous) says...
I think that the speed limit just must be lowered again. I know from driving my own car at 60, I get 4+ miles per gallon better than if I drive 70-75. This would make HUGE difference in consumption. Give it a try. I know it would not be popular, because we have all gotten used to doing everything in a hurry. Urge the "powers that be" to help lower the speed limit....that is our only immediate relief.
May 31, 2008 at 9:03 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )