Los Angeles herald., 1910-12-08
OIL MEN DESIRE ONLY
REMEDIAL LEGISLATION
Washington Committee Prepares
Statement Outlining Object
of Mission to Capital


\The Washington committee Of California oil
men and placer locators of the state will have
as its sole mission at tho capital to erect II
possible remedial legislation. A carefully pre-
pared statement has Just been made by this
committee. 1t follows:
The work of this committee has no re-
lation or connection whatever with the pass
age of any laws relating TO the future To-
cation or disposition Of the OIL lands Oh the
United States government
''rhe purpose and object Of the committee
is to obtain remedial Legislation so tnat Win WIN
respect TO lands upon which the mining laws
have been or shall hereafter be fully COM
piled with patents therefore can be applied
for and obtained. .,
is to be directed and applied is, where an as
sociation Of miners have located ana com.
menced to develop q eonsolidated claim Oh 10y tov
acres or less in conformity with the law ana ana
where, prior to the development of oil In any
well drilled in such land, and, therefore,
prior to discovery emitting them to pat
ent the locators or some of them have con-
yeyed to their associates, or to corporation
organized for the development of the claln
or to others acquiring 1t Tor the puIposs a ol
developing 1t, aud where the law has been
fully complied with Ia connection with suoh
claim and where the original locators in the
absence Of any such eonyeyanee e;n uhoea se
then the patent, upon proof of Lsuch right
shall be issued to the successor or successors
Of such locators.
WOULD FOLLOW THE LAW
''It is not sought nor desired to validate or
affect any existing locations where there Is
anv question of their validity, other than on
account Of their conveyance, as above re-
ferred to- nor is 1t sought to validate or al
feet any locations hereafter made.
1.-THE only legislation sought is strlctiy
remedial in character and for the purpose
above Indicated. The necessity for such leg
islation arises out OF and IN cohhecIloh "ieH
the following facts:
Ever since the placer mining laws have
been applied to oil lands, and especially Tor
the last seven or eight years, IL mas peeh anu anu
is now the understanding OF such locators anu
of all persons who have invested money IN
the development of oil lands that where elght
persons had located such consolidated claim
and taken possession and commenced the oe-
yelopment thereof, that one or any numper
Of such locators could convey their interest,"
I'm such claims to their associates OF any ohe
.of them to a corporation organized Ior
that purpose or to others, and when the law
was complied with and discovery made that
such locators or their successor or successors
in interest were entitled TO apply LOT ana
receive q patent for such land.
THAT such is the law has been repeatedly
decided by the supreme court OF CallIornla C
and approved, If not affirmed, by the supreme
court Of the United States And that such
has been the universal understanding and
custom OF miners in California ana al OF Tue
other oil mining states Is an understood TACT
beyond contradiction The land department Oh
the United states, following the occasions occasions
of the courts, the rules and customs FeIerreu
to- has uniformly issued such patents al
though the record in connection with such
applications for patents in many and in almost
all instances has shown that discovery was
made after such conveyance by such original
locatoTs
LAND OFFICE RULINGS
Recently certain rulings and decisions
have been rendered In the land department
that such conveyance by the original locators
prior to discovery prevented the Vesuhs Oh
title to such consolidated claim and likewise
prevented the obtaining of u patent THEREFOR
''Prior to these decisions last referred 10
under the previous rulings and decisions OF
tbe department the customs and rulings OF
the miners and the decisions OF the courts,
thousands of mining locators had located anu
developed their claims. Millions OF oollars
have been invested in the drilling OF wells
and in the development of such claims Inc
expense of development and making oIscoyery
in such claim running ordinarily from
1000 to $4,000 per claim ana soIheuines AZ
excess of the latter amount.
''Such titles after such conVeyances prior
to discovery have been uniformly accepted
and approved by attorneys whose practice has
been connected with the oil development ana
abstracts and showing such situation nave
been universally accepted and approved
''Relying upon this situation, many mil
lions of dollars worth of oil stocks wholly
dependent for its value upon such titles mas
been sold throughout the United states ana
nroperties so held as well as the stock OF
such corporations have been sold In foreign
countries to the extent of many millions OF
dollars. -,...
of titles and the progress and development
Of this industry are absolutely dependent upon
such relief.
HOPES FOR MODIFICATION
''It is confidently hoped that the land de-
partment will see Its way clear to modlfy its
decision SO as to remedy in part the difficulty
of the situation. In any event, however, II
IS regarded as necessary that remedial act
shall be passed by congress, SO that lnVes-
tors and stockholders at home and abroad,
whose confidence has been shaken, will be
reassured and so that the lands involved can
be developed and money invested In such
Industry with unquestioned assurance; that
litles SO accrued will be respected and pat
ents will be issued therefor.
This committee Is dealing with no other
phase of the subject; and to the end that
confidence can be restored at home and
abroad and the good faith Of the government,
IN confirming titles accrued under and in ac-
cordance with this well settled rule OF prop
erty shall not be subject to question or doubt,
IT Is thought that in any event such reme-
dial legislation is necessary and should be
speedily passed.
'Ees aectfully submitted (signed), Commit
tee; i ank H. Short, Fresno, CAL; Lewis w.
Andrews, Los Angeles, CAL. c. A. Barlow,
bakersfield, CAL; E. ]. Miley, McKittrick,
CAL; Thomas A. o. Donnell Los Angeles, Cal;
s. A. Guiberson, jr., Coalinga, CAL; r. l..
Peeler, Coalinga, Cal"