Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-03

which Will snow tnat Pickett Dill IL
passed by senate will be most disas-
trous to the oil industry of California.
Being on the ground, use your best
endeavors with our representatives to
INSTRUCTIONS SENT EAST
have matter delayed until committee
can have hearing. Matter most urgent
and VITAL"
Senator Frank p. Flint wired the
chamber of mines and oil yesterday as
follows:
Senate committee on public lands re-
ported substitute for Pickett bill which
does not ratify Withdrawals heretofore
made. Will arrange for hearing May
IL. No probability of action being taxi
en- on bill in senate before that time"
j. c. Needham also wired the cham
ber of mines and oil as follows:
Withdrawal bill has passed house
and reported to senate, but senators
will endeavor to delay action so that
you may be heard. No oil bill has yet
been reported to either house.
Is CONSERVATION BILL
Following is the text of the Pickett
bill:
THAT the president be, and he here
by Is, authorized when in his judgment
public interest requires 1t, to withdraw
from location, settlement, filing and en-
try areas of public lands in the United
States and the district OF Alaska for
public uses or for examination and
classification to determine their char
acter and value; provided, that the
lands when classified shall be therefore
restored to appropriation and DISPOSE
ton under the laws applicable thereto;
and the president Is further authorized,
when In his judgment public interest
requires 1t, to withdraw from location,
settlement, filing and entry areas or
public lands in the United States and
district of Alaska, whether CLASSIFIED or
not, and submit to congress recommen-
dations as to legislation respecting the
land so withdrawn.
"Sec. 2. That the secretary of the in
terror shall report all Withdrawals, spe-
cifying the purpose of each thereof
All such Withdrawals heretofore made
and now existing are hereby ratlhed
and confirmed as IL originally made
under this act That such withdraw
ais shall not affect the legal rights OF
any settler or entryman initiated prior
to such withdrawal. All Withdrawals
shall remain in force until revoked by
the president or by congress. upon
restoration of any such lands IN the
United States the equitable rights snail
attach to any bona fide claimant VINO
prior to such withdrawal initiated a
claim thereto and made valuable i'm
provements thereon"
OBJECTIONS ARE NOTED
A committee of oil men that met with
J. M. Danziger yesterday explained the
bill as follows:
THE main feature of the bill to which
we object is that portion validating the
existing Withdrawals. This objection
able feature of the bill has been strick-
en- out by the senate committee, TINS
being done some days ago.
1.-THE bill gives the secretary of the
interior power to withdraw land from
entry, and such withdrawal to be et-
fective until restored to entry by con-
gress or the secretary. While rlchts OF
locators on land at the time of with
drawal are protected by the bill, sun
such withdrawals should not be al
lowed to continue indefinitely, as IN
that way no oil operator could OBTAIN
anv right to prospect or develop the
land. and large railroad interests own
nearly every other quarter section IN
the oil field and could drill their lana
along their boundary and drain the
government land for purposes OF de-
Velopment.
"Other legislation pending in con-
eress. such as the Smoot bill, which
changes entirely the manner of ac-
uuiring government oil lands, is OF
sufficient Importance to merit the unoi-
vided attention of committee Oh OIL
men from California. The oil men
want the oil land legislation. The eX-
listing scheme for acquiring oil lands Is
not Satisfactory The oil men should
make their wishes and desires known.
I'm to date no one has been represent
ing the oil mans viewpoint, and the
average senator or congressman knows
little about oil land conditions In call
fornia.
FIRST TO OIL WINS
"As an illustration of what an oil
operator has to contend with at pres
ent: A man locates a quarter sectlon'
The present law says he must nave a
discovery of mineral to make the ,loca-
tion legal He can't discover oil With
out drilling a we'll costing many thou-
sands of dollars. He has no right 10
the land located, not even the rlght OF
exclusive possession, He might erect
an oil rig costing $25O0 or more, ana
vet he has no rights. Anyone else can
come along with more money ana enter
into possession of his claim ana drlll
we'll and take the claim away from him.
The first man to oil wins. A scheme
should be enacted into legislation
whereby a locator could be protected
in his possession at least until ne mas
Ahad n reasonable time to perfect his 10
cation by drilling a well without forc-
ing him to drill race against Some
other locator who comes In a1ter the
first locator has filed his location.
MANY other hardships In existing
laws burden the oil operator, and as
legislation is pending he seeks TO pro-
tect his interests at least py presenting
fgl0 q