The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1914-09-16

ed cuts in the prices of oil and the
fact tAat the producers themselves
are far from being unanimous on
any particular plan for relief.
The other orders asked by the at
torney general would make every
pipe line in the state subject to the
common carrier and common pur-
chaser features of the Oklahoma anti
trust statutes, by removing any eX-
emptions the commission has grant
ed and providing general rules for
the regulation of the handling of oil
by pipe line companies.
Building Storage Tanks.
Producers claim that pipe line com
panies are building immense storage
tanks in different parts of the field
to store oil while they arbitrarily
fix prices at less than actual value.
Pipe line companies contend prices
are governed entirely by general
market conditions for the refined pro
ducts of oil throughout the world.
The oil situation in one form or an
other has been before the corpora
tion commission almost continuously
since last May, when the first in
vestigation was started, following the
action of the Magnolia Pipe Line COM
pany in cutting the price in the
Healdton field. The present situa-
ton was precipitated by the action of
the Prairie Oil and Gas company in
cutting the price to Go cents.
Numerous conferences have been
held in the meantime between pipe
line representatives, producers, re-
fneres, the corporation commission
and the attorney general but no per
manent or satisfactory relief has re-
suited
At the conclusion of the hearing
Tuesday Mr.. Henshaw made it plain
that so far as the corporation com
mission was concerned it was about
to take decisive action.
No More Agreements.
There will be no more gentle
mems agreements" Mr., Henshaw
said "The commission will control
the situation or it will turn it loose
enti ely he added.
In all of the proceedings before
the corporation commission on the
oil situation it has been confronted
With the question of the aXtent OF
IT'S jurisdiction and authority to han
die the problem in way that would
be both effective and satisfactory.
Mr.. Henshaw suggested at the
meeting Tuesday that an agreement
should be reached whereby the com
mission would issue an order pro-
posing relief and for some one to
| then take the question to the SUI
preme court where the authority of
| the commission could be determined.
If the authority of the commission
were sustained, Mr.. Henshaw sug-
gested il would add to the influence
of its orders. Application for a writ
of prohibition to enjon the COM
mission from carrying into effect any
order it might make was suggested
as the proper way to get the ques-
ton before the higher tribunal.
During the progress of the hear
ing, Mr.. Henshaw let it be known
that he was proceeding on the theory
that the proper way to solve the
| problem was to control production.
| He called attention to the decision
of the supreme court of the United
| States in the Kansas Natural Gas
| case, in which authority of the state
to conserve its gas supply, was up
held, and also to Oklahoma statu-
tory provisions which places a limit
on the amount of gas that can be
taken from any we'll to % per cent
of its total production.
Gas Production Regulated.
The state has regulated the taking
of gas from the ground on the theory
| that it was one of the states natural
fuel supplies and the same theory,
he contended could be applied to the
production of oil. He asserted that
| he had no doubt but that the com
mission had complete authority to
control its supply of oil before being
brought above the ground, but did
not contend that it could control it
or its prices after it passed to the
| line companies.
| The owner of the land under which
gas and oil rested, Mr.. Henshaw said,
was entitled to emoluments, but the
| public interest was paramount when
it came to the conservation of the
supply for fuel.
Mr.. Henshaw requested the attor-