Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-26
SMITH DENIES He CAUSED
WITHDRAWAL OF OIL LAND
Congressman from Bakersfield
Says Ralph Arnold Was Re-
sponSibIe for Legislation
BY s. G. SMITH

An effort is being made to create
the impression that the fact I intro
duced a bill in congress defining the
manner in which oil lands might be
entered caused the government to
make the withdrawal Of oil lands
last year. I think this is an erron-
eous conclusion, and will here state
the facts as shown by the records.
In the summer of 1907, at the request
of oil men living at Bakersfield and in
Los Angeles, I prepared a bill on
this subject It was submitted to the
public through the press, Los Angeles,
Fresno and San Francisco papers pub
fishing it. When congress assembled
in December of that year 1 introduced
it, and about March or April, 1908,
it passed the house by over two
thirds majority. 1t went to the SEN
ate, but was not reported out of the
committee, and died with the termina-
tion of the Sixtieth congress on March
4, 1909.
The special session of congress
during the summer of 1909 was de-
voted solely to revision OF the
tariff. none of the committees except
pointed. and no general legislation
being considered. The next regular
session met in December last but
on September q the withdrawal was
made.
Ralph Arnold. formerly of the geo
logical survey, but now employed py
the Union oil company, testified be
fore the committee on public lands
during the recent session of congress
that he set the wheels in motion which
caused the Withdrawals.
He said that while doing some gen
eral geological work for his bureau
he was informed that some of the very
large oil companies were locating
thousands of acres of government land
and he called the matter to the atten-
ton of his chief, the head of the geo
logical survey.
LAYS IT TO ARNOLD
The latter was present in the COM
mittee when Mr.. Arnold made the
foregoing statement, and fully cor
roborated it, and added that he
thereupon took the matter up with
his superiors, and upon their informa-
tion and his recommendation the with
drawal was made.
He also said that he had thought 1t
would be wise for the government to
save out certain sections or pools of
done with the coal lands, but upon
learning that the odd sections had been
patented to the railroad company they
saw the impracticability of that part
of their plan. 1t is undisputed that
the real cause of the withdrawal was
the report that the big companies
were making very extensive loca-
tions on the public domain I do
not think that either Mr.. Arnold or
his chief had ever seen or heard of
my bill, for it was two years before
Mr.. Arnold went into the oil fields
that the bill was being considered.
What does my bill provide for?
Simply that one who wants to take
up oil land may go to the land office
and enter it almost exactly as a
farmer enters desert land or a home
stead, and then he is absolutely Sc
cure in his possession for three
years, during which time he may drill
his first well.
I think that is the first essential of
any good oil land bill, but if a better
plan is suggested l will most cheerfully
help carry it out. I have absolutely
no pride of paternity in my bill which
will cause me to jeopardize in the
slightest degree the best interests of
the oil industry. This is the greatest
single industry in the STATEN the
whole Pacific slope. So far as my
duties call for action, | am anxious to
help work out the best solution that
can be suggested. 1t is in no sense
q case of my bill or nothing, but
fight for the very best law that can
be framed.