The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-01
SCHEME OF THE OIL MEN
PROPOSE TO GIVE LITTLE HEED no
SUPREME COURTS DECISION.
If Adverse, They VIII Garry the Fight
to WashingtOn-Delay VIII
Enrich Them

If there is any significance in what an
attorney who represents one of the COM
panies in this State which is operating in
oil, said last night, a decision by the Su-
preme Court in the cases that are pending
to stop the waste of natural gas, will not
avail much. According to what this at
torney said, if decision adverse to the oil
companies is rendered by the Indiana SUI
preme Court, an appeal will be taken to the
Supreme Court of the United States. "By
the time the appeal to the Federal Supreme
Court is decided" said the attorney sig
niticantly, "the oil and gas will both be eX-
hausted and there will be nothing left to
litigate about"
What do we care for the penalties of the
law?" asked he. "They amount to only $50
day. You take well that will produce
four hundred barrels day, as some of ours
do, and the income amounts to $160 day.
Paying the penalty we still have a net in
come of $110 a day. Our expenses of
operation are little We utilize the gas to
raise the oil and our only expense is $3.50
a day for man to watch ten wells. One
man can watch that many without trouble.
Even if we were compelled to give a bond
for the penalties of $50 a day, you can see
that our profits would be so great that we
could readily afford it. They talk about
us wasting the gas. We do not waste it.
Every ounce of it is put to use. We have
as much right to use the gas in raising oil
as the manufacturers have to use it for
fuel in running their factories. 1 represent
two gas companies as well as the clients
have who own oil companies. L have given
the gas companies an opinion to the effect
LndL they cannot prevent the use of the
gas by the oil companies. You take the
let
the gas companies in this controversy, and
you Will find that none of them have dared
say the oil business can be suppressed. All
they say is that there is a question: AL
most any attorney can be found who will
say that there is a question when his
opinion costs the gas companies 500 day.
In rendering such an opinion he expects
to be retained in the trial of the question.
Ihere has been more rot advanced in this
Itlgatlon than any other. The oil COM
pahes nave as much natural right to use
the gas in developing and furthering their
business as the manufacturers of the State
have to enrich themselves by using cheap
fuel
The attorney laughed when he was asked
now the oil companies expected to get
around decision of the Supreme Court of
the state, but he declared most emphati-
cally that II an adverse decision were rem
dered against them, the oil companies
would go up to the Supreme Court of the
united states. Meantime, he said, the pro-
duction of oil would continue. and with II
the consequent waste of gas-he does not
admit 1T is waste-would continue This
he intimated, without making a direct dec
laration, would be accomplished by pro-
would have the effect of setting aside the
decision of the State Supreme Court until
the Federal Court passes on it. Accord
ing to the attorney, nothing is feared from
special legislation, so much time would
be consumed in litigation, even If a special
session were called and more restrictive
laws were passed, that the oil operators
would meantime have made fortunes and
prepared themselves to retire from the bust
ness