Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-07
OIL AND CONSERVATION

N his speech at st. Paul Monday
President Taft referred to the con-
n servation of oil, favoring the leas-
ing system, but showing that the ad-
ministration policy was becoming mod
flied in its theory of conserving oil
lands. President Taft acknowledges
that oil cannot be conserved in like
manner as coal-a statement in direct
contradiction to statements made by
other conservationists. Coal lies in
place and oil floats around, and as
President Taft says oil must first be
raised to the surface before title can
be established.
But the conservation theory-and
that is all it is as thus far demon
strated-would have all lands of the
public domain conserved to posterty,
giving from time to time a person or
persons the right to mine upon them
under a royalty basis.
The idea of conservation is a good
one probably, but whether it will be
beneficial to all financially concerned
remains to be seen.
The point in California is the South
ern Pacific owns every other section
of land through which it's lines pass,
and in the San Joaquin valley it con-
trolls practically every other section of
oil land. If this land is to remain in
the hands of the Southern Pacific peo-
pie and the alternate sections with
drawn from location by citizens it
means that gross injustice will be done
the people government and that con-
servation will be form of gross injus-
tice rather than a business proposition
for the betterment of present and fu-
ture generations. For, the Southern
Pacific can at any time drill wells upon
it's sectional lines and drain the lands
withdrawn by the government.
Many of the largest Independent in
terests are at present operating upon
government land in the San Joaquin
valley and jolly good fight is assured
the government before it can collect
royalty or kick them off. There is at
present a series of laws which in a
slipshod way at least protects these
investors and the government must
enact a mighty good law before the
supposed squatters can be thrown off,
What the government should do is to
give the oil men a law by which they
can locate oil lands and hold them until
either oil is struck or the land staked
is found to be barren of oil. The ma
jority of oil men in the state of Caiifor
mia believe this way, and with two or
ganizations now in the field for the
protection of oil men against unjust
legislation something is bound to hap
pen in their favor at the next session
of congress.
California is too powerful a state to
be ignored by the east and it's i'll in
formed conservation cranks. While we
all believe in conservation in a mea-
sure we must yet consider business of
the present day and not insult, ignore
and try to bankrupt the men who have
in a great measure made California
what it is today, Gold was first, then
agriculture, and now oil is absolute
king, with citrus fruit and gold second
and third in the race.
% Ae1l "S CN'i9Nl N3'IolI 10 COIlC0lhSu III
California it is local question and
should receive most careful considera-
tion by all citizens. President Taft in
his st. Paul speech shows a weaken
ing tendency and while he is probably
in great ignorance Of what conserva-
tion of the California lands really
means to the people of the entire state
he has evidently seen, as others should
see, that conservation, like the tariff
question, is in truth local issue and
can never be settled to the complete
satisfaction Of all