The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-01-18
The Standard and the Uncle
Sam Interests Clash.
Before the House Committee
on Indian Affairs.
GOVERNMENT is INVOLVED
Various Departments Charged
With Showing FavOritism
To the Rockefeller Interests in
the Oklahoma Field.

Washington, Jan. 1&-Charges that
Secretary Fisher attempted to coerce
the Usage Indians into leasing valuable
oil fields to the Standard Oil company
and a counter charge by the secretary
that the Uncle Sam Oil company at
tempted to acquire the fields under cir
cumstances which We're threatening
proceedings by Attorney General Wick
ersham were aired today before the
house committee on Indian affairs.
Meanwhile seven Osages, members of
the tribual council, who were removed
on January 8, by Secretary Fisher be-
cause he said it was found they had
been unduly influenced in making a
lease to the Uncle Sam company went
to the district supreme court and got
out a mandamus calling on the secre-
tary to show cause next Tuesday why
they should not be reinstated.
Certain leases to the Uncle sam
company have been thrown out by the
secretary and a bill is now pending IN
the house to compel the secretary 10
validate them.
Albert Wilson, representing the
Uncle Sam Oil company, in a brief,
declared that the Standard Oil COM
pany is endeavoring to block the et-
forts of the Uncle Sam company TO
secure this lease because the Uncle
Sam company could then become a
competitor of the Standard Oil COM
pany subsidiaries in the field.
Opposition to Uncle Sam.
But the Uncle Sam company" he
continued, has been haressed by
every device known to the oil trust
and has met with the constant per-
sistent, unreasonable and unwarrant-
ed opposition of the interior depart
ment-
THE secretary of the interior for
the spurpose of intimidating and CO.
ercing the Usage Indians into electing
a new council which will obey his in
Struction has published and caused TO
be published statements intimating
that many of the Indians would be ar /
rested or indicted upon some charge |
because they were in favor of the |
leases to the Uncle Sam Oil company. |
The stockholders of the Uncle Sam |
Oil company have fought a long, hard |
fight against the Vaccinations of the oil |
trust The oil trust has had the advant- |
age of having the assistance of a former |
president. cabinet officer. the postoffice |
department. the interior department, some
federal judges, a federal district attor- /
ney and many other lesser federal of |
ficers, but they have fought the fight to
establish their company as genuine, in
dependent oil company and actual bona |
fide competitor of the oil trust
Secretary Fisher Replies.
Secretary Fisher replied to the
charges. He said: 1.-The negotiations
ported to the department of justice
and an investigation is being made by
the attorney general
The secretary added that the Uncle
Sam leases would work a grave injus-
tce to the OSageS and would encour-
age promoters to exploit the lands of
the Indians and that majority of the
OSageS were opposed to the granting
of the leases to the Uncle Sam COM
pany.
81 regard an attack from the Uncle
Sam Oil company as a badge of honor"
declared the secretary. 1T is concIu-
Sive recognition of the fact that 1 have
effectively checked the attempt of the
concern to acquire an immense oil field
belonging to the Usage Indians under
circums tanceS which have been investi-
gated by a special agent of the Indian
office. AS result of this report I re-
moved the entire tribal council and re-
ferred the report to the attorney gen
as he can decide what the action should |
be-
1.-THE Uncle Sam Oil company hav-
ing been turned down all along the !
line from the superintendent of the |
Usage agency through the commission /
er of Indian affairs the assistant sec
retary of the interior, myself and Mr.. |
Taft, are now resorting to extreme |
measures to try to bring about their /
purpose of getting the oil lands by !
1alr means or foul- Their evident pur- |
pose in coming here now and present
ing this petition to congress is to in
huence the election of a new tribal
council which has been ordered for
next Wednesday. January D."
AS to the charge that he had been
aiding the Standard Oil company in
trying to secure for that corporation
Usage oil land leases, Secretary Fisher
declared the reverse was the case.
All pipe lines. he said. had been pro-
hibited from bidding in the competi-
tion for the lands. Furthermore the
regulations provided that no company
or persons could obtain more than
$4,000 acres, whereas the Uncle Sam
Oil company wanted 100000 acres and
three individuals supposed to be af-
he said, with the companv.
had each applied for a like amount.
nkW mn RAnUEI nDc