Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1903-01-26
COAL OIL LAW
MesIIla Valley Chamber Of CommsTcs
Wants Law Repealed.
MEMORIAL TO LEGISLATURE.

The Mesilla Valley Chamber of Com.
merce to the Legislative Assembly
of the Territory of New Mexico.
The Mesilla Valley Chamber OF Com.
merce, commercial organization com
prising substantially all the principal
merchants. farmers, bankers, educa.
tors and professional men, residents of
the Mesilla valley. in the county of
Dona Ana, New Mexico, in behalf of
the peopel of the said valley and coun-
ty, respectfully petition your honora-
BILE body to Immediately repeal the
above entitled act, the same being
commonly known as the Coal Oil In
spection Law"
AS reasons for the immediate repeal
of said act this chamber would re-
spectfully represent:
First-That by reason of the said
act. and under the guise and ~pretense
of inspecting coal oil and the other
products of petroleum mentioned in
said act and as therein provided. the
people of the said county are com
PEELED to pay approximately 10 cents a
gallon for Illuminating oil, and core.
spondingly as much for gasoline and
the other products of petroleum, more
than they would be compelled to pay
! were such act not in force and they be
permitted to purchase in Ell Paso and
other outside markets, without inspec.
ton or the pretense thereof. and that
Il nv nlaanc of fhA eni.t s.an1,t,-- - IA
pretense, and the resulting restraint
upon purchasing in outside markets,
the whole of the people of the county
are subjected to a burden of taxation
which is most grievous and irritating.
affecting, as it does. rich ana poor
alike.
Second-That under the operation
OF the said act the inspection of such
coal oil and other products of petro-
leum has been merely nominal. and
the benefits which have accrued to the
people, If any at all, have been small
measured by the enormous sums which
have been wrung from them under the
pretense of such inspection.
Third-That by reason of the annu-
ally recurring scarcity of water in the
Rio Grande it is manifest that no cor-
siderable development of the agricul-
tural of the Mesilla valley
can be anticipated in the neal future
without the use of gasoline or crude
oil pumping plants, to be used in the
developing and lifting of the under
ground flow of water (such water hap
PLY existing in unlimited quantities
throughout all of the said Valley, for
the purpose of irrigating the agricul-
tural lands of the valley at such times
as scarcity of water may occur in said
river. and to render agriculture by
such means profitable it is absolutely
essential that gasoline and crude oil
should be admitted into the territory
without the price thereof being en-
HANGED under the ~pretense of inspec-
ton.
And your memorialists would furth-
er pray that, If 1t shall be deemed nee.
essary to enact any substitute for the
said Coal Oil Inspection Law" such |
should be confined in its
provisions to a prohibition of the in
PRODUCTION and sale in the territory of
oil for Illuminating purposes below the
required standard, such prohibition to
be enforced by adequate penalties, the
other products of petroleum, and es-
pecially gasoline and crude oil, to be
admitted free of any requirements of
inspection.
And your memorialists will ever
pray, etc,
Z. Il. DAY,
of the Mesilla Valley Cham
Der of Commerce.
Attest-EDWARD c. WADE, Secre-