The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-09-06
f5> OIL AND GAS LANDS.

,vithdrnwu from agricultural entry q
500 900 acres of supposed oil lann IA Ill Sa,
fornia. about a million and q hall acres
In Louisiana, OF which only ny ,rrorr1eted oovg l
were known to be vacant unappropLI!atuSond uod tSn
land. 76 900 acres In Oregon ana lt5'ooV
acres in Wyoming. making Io'sa ~
nearly four millions OF acres IN ,,SiIc
tember. 1909, | directed that all pupnc
oil lands. whether then Withdrawn or not
should be withheld from disposition peno
ing congressional action, for the reason
rhat the existing placer mining law, az
though made applicable TO deposits o.
this character, Is not suitable 10 such
lands. and for the further reason that IL
seemed desirable to reserve certain ,na,, iue
navy Accordingly the form OF MI exist
Ing Withdrawals was changed, ana ne"
Withdrawals aggyegating 2;toouoo aeIe aeIes
we're made In Arizona California, Colo
RADIO. New Mexico, Utah, and wyoming.
Field examinations during the year
showed that of the original Wlthdra"aisSI'
900 acres were not Va,uaoiu r,cni,nra Ui M,
entry Meantime, other Withdrawals oI
public oil lands in these states were
made. so that July /. 1910. the outstand-
600 acres,
Leasing for Oil and Gas.
The needed oil and gas law is essen
TALLY leasing law. In their natural oc-
currence, oil and gas can not DE meas
ured In terms Of acres, like coal ana IL
follows that exclusive utle 70 these PrUar PS,a
ucts can normally be secured only atter
they reach the surface. OH should De
disposed OF as commodity In terms OF
barrels OF transportable product rather
than In acres OF real estate. This Is. OF
course. the reason for the practically uni
versal adoption Of the leasing system
wherever oil land Is in private ownership
The government thus would not he enter
n on e.narinosOf bl1t simply putting
Into effect a plan successfully operated
In private contracts. Why should not the
government as n landowner deal directly
with the oil producer rather than through
the intervention of a middleman TO whom
the government gives title to the land?
The principal underlying feature OF
beneficial control rather than the collec-
tlon OF revenue. AS not only the largest
owner of oil lands, but as a prospective
large consumer OF oil by reason OF the
federal government is directly concerned
both in encouraging rational development
and at the same time insuring the long
est possible life to the oil supply. The
should neither exceed nor fall below the
current rates. But much more important
than revenue Is the enforcement OF regu-
letlons TO conserve the public interest so
that the covenants of the lessees shall
specifically safeguard oil fields against tho
penalties from careless drillings and OF
prOQOCtlOn IN excess Ot tFdnSpOTtdiloH Ia
cilitles or OF market requirements.
Railroad Has Hold.
One of the difficulties presented. espe-
cially in the California fields, Is that the
Southern Pacific railroad owns every 9TH
er section OF land in the oil fields, and
IN those fields the oil seems TO be in a
common reservoir. or series OF reservoirs.
communicating through the oil sands. so
that the excessive draining OF oil at one
well, or on the railroad territory gener-
H.,
ernment land. Hence 1t Is important that
II the government is to have its share OF
the oil II should begin the opening and
development of wells on its own prop
erty.
In view of the joint ownership which
the government and the adjoining land
owners like the Southern Pacific railroad
have in the oil reservoirs below the sur
face. II Is q most interesting and intri-
cate question, difficult OF solution, but
one which ought TO address Itself at once
TO the state lawmakers. how far the state
legislature might impose appropriate re-
strictIons to secure an equitable enjoy
ment OF the common reservoir, and to
prevent waste and excessive drainage by
the various owners having access 10 this
reservoir.
IL has been suggested. and believe the
suggestion to be a sound one, that per-
mits be issued TO a prospector for oil CIV
years over certain tract OF government
land for the discovery OF oil. the right to
be evidenced by license for which he
pays q small sum. When the oil is dis
covered, then he acquires title to a GER
tain tract, much In the same way as he
would acquire title under a mining law
or course II the system OF leasing Is
adopted. then he would be given the ben
eft OF lease upon terms like that above
suggested What has been said in re-
spect to oil applies also to government
gas lands.
Under the proposed oil legislation, es-
pecially where the government oil lands
embrace an entire oil field as in many
cases, prospeetors. operators. consumers,
and the public can be benefited by the
adoption OF the leasing system. The
prospector can be protected In the very
expensive work that necessarily ante
dates discovery; the operator can be pro-
tected against impairment of the pro-
ductiveness OF the wells which he has
leased by reason OF control OF drilling and
pumping OF other wells too closely adta-
cent, or by the prevention of improper
methods as employed by careless, lgnor-
ant. or irresponsible operators in the
same field which result in the admission
OF water 10 the oil sands: while OF course
The consumer will profit by whatever
benefits the .prospector or operator re-
ceives In reducing the first cost OF the
oil