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Grit: September 8, 1957 – Gas Price “Wars” End in City Area

Mild gas pricing wars which had been carried on intermittently in recent weeks are apparently over as local service stations have stabilized their prices, with regular gasoline selling for an average of 28.9 cents a gallon.

Gasoline prices in this area, though varying slightly in recent weeks, never did go as low as in some parts of the state, especially in southeastern Pennsylvania, where prices of 17.9 cents a gallon were reported.

Prices in this area varied mainly between 25.9 and 27.9 for regular gasoline, with a few isolated stations dropping their prices to a low of 22.9 for brief periods.

In a move to stabilize prices throughout the state, one major refining company, Atlantic Refining Company, divided the state into zones and fixed the tank wagon price to dealers in those zones.

In the eastern zone, which covers this area, service stations pay 14.9 cents a gallon for regular gas, while in the western zone the tank-wagon price is 15.3 cents a gallon.

Adding the service station’s profit of 23 percent plus the federal and state tax of 8c cents, the motorist now pays between 26 and 27 cents a gallon.

A poll of gasoline distributors and service station operators yesterday showed that most of them expect prices to remain stable.