The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1908-01-05

ernment bonds. 1t has erected great
buildings In the towns It has found
It's way into all the avenues OF trade
1t makes the bank balances show
up
Oklahoma needs more men in the
oil business. II needs more oil wells,
IL needs more pipe lines, II needs
bigger pay-rolls, 1t needs more build
ings In the oil towns. Instead of ar.
resting and deterring investment, It
should be the policy of those In
charge Of the administration and the
affairs Of the state TO encourage in
| every way the development OF the
oil business. to pass such liberal
laws that the money will come into
the business from New York and all
/ the other Eastern states as II has
ben cominp The first legislature OF
Oklahoma should make It's work an
/ invitation TO capital to come into
/ the state to develop its greatest
mineral product
A policy OF obstruction and re.
action would be- peculiarly disas.
/ trous at this time. when the indus.
| try is hampered by unjust. hurcas-
enable and ignorant regulations of
the department of the interior. Okla.
homa needs every dollar OF outside
capital. II especially needs TO pro
tect every dollar now invested IN
the state which came here with the
implied guarantee of the citizens
that 1t would not be- oppressed. No
state was ever a flicted with too
much investment of legitimate cap
ital And there can be no question
of the absolute legitimacy Of every
dollar invested in the oil business
In the capital stock Of the oil com
panies engaged In the Business in
this state there Is no wind o. water.
The pipe line companies Which have
been. In some quar- ."r5, ,hc sltcial
object OF attack, can saw tlLt for
every dollar of their capital stock
there has been paid In one dollar In
money and more. that there has
been expended one dollar In money.
There have been no enormous prof.
It's out of the oil business. The
statement is officially made by the
Producers Association. and It chal
lenges denial, that taking the oil
business OF Oklahoma as whole
the books will show loss; that
less than dozen men engaged le-
ultimately in the business have made
money. that their profits are all
In perspective. They expect to make
money. That Is what they came to
Oklahoma for. But they have not
made 1t yet
The legislature of Oklahoma has
the opportunity to make or ruin this.
the greatest source of wealth in the
state. The legi lature of Oklahoma
can drive men out of the business.
. but II cannot make them come back
The legislature of Oklahoma can as.
. rest the prosperity Of towns and
, cities, but IL cannot restore il.
. The legislature will, we are very
sure. take all these matters into con.
s!deration and as men who have
devoted their talents and their lives
to the upbuildng of the new state
will approach the question of oil
legislation with the single idea of
doing the best for the petroaum bus.
iness and the best for the state
II should always be borne in mind
that the oil men are more than will.
ing to bear their just proportion of
the burdens of government, that any
fair and equitable system of taxation
VIII meet their approval and instant
acceptance, that they are among the
most progressive citizens Of Okla.
homa and are interested largely in
the development of their cities and
towns All the oil men sire and
all they are asking for is a square
deal And they haae enough conf
dencc in the intelligence and patri.
otism of the legislature TO believe
that this will be cheerfully accorded
them and that the development OF
the business will so along at the
same pace and at the same ratio
which have made the past three years
a landmark In the history OF the
petroleum industry Of the world. 1t
Is up to the Legislature to say wheth.
er or not this confidence has been
misplaced,
--nAf -
BIG RIVERS FUTURE THREAT.