New-York tribune., 1908-09-27
OKLAHOMA OIL LEASES
PRAIRIE co. NOT FAVORED
No Evidence That President Deer
ruled Secretary Huchcoch'.

Washington. Sept. 2s-Secretary Garfield Of the
Interior Department made a statement to-day con-
cernng the relations of ex-Secretary Hitch
cock with the issue Of leases authorizing ths
Prairie oil and Gas Company lay pipe lines
through Indian lands in Oklahoma The records
Of his department he declared showed very
clearly tnat Secretary Hitchcock simply complied
with an of Congress authorizing the cOnstruc-
ton of Pipe lines Nowhere he declared. is there
any record other evidence that the President at
any time either overruled Mr.. Hitchcock or was
variance with him in the course he pursued IN
the issuance Of these permits
Mr.. Garfield declared that the department had
never Disseminated against nor in favor OF any
person or corporation in the granting OF these
leases and that the Prairie Oil and Gas Company
was dealt with exactly were others VINO ap-
piled for the right to lay pipe lines About twenty
permits TO lay pipe lines have been granted oy
the department in connection with the Indian lands
in Oklahoma In case. he said. had there oeen
any Interference with the laws of Oklahoma
Secretary Garfield added: The statement VI
Governor Haskell that he protested against any
action of the Interior Department. implying thSI
the Interior Department was attempting 10 grant
franchise opposition TO the rights OF the State
of Oklahoma is untrue. for such protest was
ever received the Interior Department at
tempting TO take any such action
SECRETARY GARFIELD's STATEMENT
Secretary Garfeld's statement follows:
At no time has the Department of the Interior
granted any franchise to any corporation; as sHg
Eitory under the Jurisdiction Of the State OF Okla
homa its political subdivisions The permit, t
regulations of the Interior Department Was Was
ands Ry and had no reference WhsteTer to right
of the holder of the permit. whether corporation
or individual. to cross highways to enter
cities to cross or occupy the private land OF
citizens, of the state Of Oklahoma who were not
the Indian wards of the government
The Prairie on and Gas Company under an S act
Interior grant permit in the nature OF an
easement on Indian lands to any persons or cor cor
phone lines obtained lease from the Secretary
GetarS s HITCHCOCK IA ADOPTED Tesulations These regu-
1ations required that the company should file its
Character Of its work and what lines it wished to
cross 1t provided. furthermore. for every bit Of
the value of the land taken the appraisal for
agent Accordingly. every acre Of land was prop
erly paid for. either to the individual allottee II
1t allotted land. or to tribe II 1t was tribal
land
These permits gave right to the holder to
but simply in accordance with the terms of the
for x6c he und saes o1
the GS p5Sv IN 'oe o
these companies as to prevent any action 6eihg ing
Indians. and all companies and persons were given
exactly the same permits no discTnination being eng
Because of these regulations and further regu-
limitation of holdings in the hands of any indi-
vidual corporation to 1900 acres the oil cond-
ton in Oklahoma has been very satisfactory.
There has not been the fuctuation in oil prices
there that occurred in other fields under similar
conditions. o., o.s ca. com
pany made application for an increase of the ca
pacity Of its lines into the Shoal Pool that neither
| the urgent application of all the producers In
and Gas company the right to lay its pipes into
/ the Pool over Indian lands for which II was
the indian heS that
| up Governor Haskell telegraphed me under date
We want TO harmonic with your official acts.
power to grant franchises to pipe lines involving
the right Of oe eminent dc domain Mn n our state
Il grant pipe lines nothing whatever but per;
tribal p-operty. 1 heartily concur With Your de-
sire for complete harmony between federal and
official acts
not asked by Senator James X Jones, OF
| Arkansas then chairman of the Democratic Ma
ttonal Committee to overrule the acts of Secretary
| Hitchcock in respect the Prairie company pipe
line leases. So far is known at the department.
| he did appear attorney for that company,
/ but representative of T. Barnesdall. of Pitts
| burg whose interest in oil we'll leases.
! BarnesdaI had obtained from the a1ottees the
| right to drill over hundred thousand of
land. which the department refused to confirm
The rule that alottee should have the right TO
| drill only 400 acres was in that. as in all
other cases insisted on this case. 1t is said at
between Secretary Hitchcock and the President
Assistant Attorney General Woodruff. Of the In
terror Department said:
II is absolutely impossible find any paper,
memorandum letter OF record In connection with
the granting of this pipe line privilege which shows
that President Roosevelt had anything whatever 10
do with it, though 1t is extremely nr"hab BILE that In
the case of law. involving momentous
question like this one, Secretary Hitchcock con
ferred with the President before issuing his rules
and regulations
Secretary Loeb also said that the company had
received no privileges which any other company
could not have obtained
The President had nothing say regarding Sem
ator Foraker's statement.
DElIOCR Its NPRING EIkE