The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1914-05-28
CATO SELLS VISIT
To OIL FIELDS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE -FOUR

pleted by afternoon, the investigating
party will leave for Dallas, at o.
clock, over the Santa Fe. After Dallas
! the committee will visit Houston, Gal
weston, Port Arthur, Beaumont Baton
Rouge and other points in Louisiana
and will return to Washington about
June 10.
While the original resolution intro
duced by Senator Gore merely provid-
ed for the investigation into a propo-
sition having as its object the secur-
ing of an adequate supply of oil for
naval purposes and the building of
pipe line from the Mid-COntinent field
to the Gulf coast, its scope has been
broadly widened, due primarily to the
fact that the Oklahoma production
| has increased to an alarming extent
since the resolution was adopted and
conditions are entirely different today
| from what they were in January. Dur
| ing the past five months the average
daily production in Oklahoma has in
creased from 10000 barrels per day
to 100000 barrels, the price has fallen
off 80 cents per barrel, the stock in
tankage has increased by millions Of
! barrels, the Oklahoma state corpora
ton commission, and Attorney Gen
eral West have started separate inves-
legations to help the producer, Sen
ator Gore has introduced bill which,
if passed, will turn all the pipe line
companies over to the government and
oil legislation and investigation has
been in the air. Having these cOndi-
tions in view, Messrs. Sells and Rich
ardson have thrown down the bars to
interests and the report they will
make will be both elaborate and com
prehensive.
The work of the investigators start
ed in Washington in February when
Commissioner Sells and Commander
Boyd who was originally named by
Secretary Daniels, began the work of
collecting data and comforting with
oil men who were called to Washing
ton. Commander Boyd was called to
sea in April and he was succeeded by
Lieut.. Richardson. The investigating
party left Washington May IS, and
the past ten days has been siren
uous in the extreme. The first hearing
was had at Independence, Kansas, the
home of the Prairie Oil & Gas Co., and
| since that time Bartlesville, Tulsa,
Gushing, Oklahoma City and Ardmore
have been visited in turn and a
world of testimony taken. The Usage
nation was visited, but not in connec-
ton with the oil inquiry.
Starting out with the fixed purpose
in view of making a thorough inves-
tigation, the commission has inter
viewed and examined many men with
many minds and out of the chaos and
confusion some few deductions can be
made. An eight-inch pipe line from
the Continent field to the Gulf
will cost approximately S9,5OO,OOO,
This figure allows for pumping sta
tons every thirty miles, reasonable
tankage facilities, And a refinery to
cost $1,OO0,OO0.
The carrying capacity of the line
will be approximately 10000 barrels
per day, and the consumption by the
government will not exceed 1000 bar
rels per day for five years at least
the present consumption being less
than 5000 barrels.
All the producers, or at least those
not affiliated with the pipe line com
, panies, want the government to build
a pipe line, but as to production and
refining and other features of the oil
business, there is no semblance of an
agreement.
1t will be one year at least before
the matter can be presented to the
senate, and at the best it will be three
years before a pipe line can be com
pleted, providing the legislation is
hastened.
The Gore bill which provides that
pipe line companies shall not produce
or ship their own oil after January l
1915, is condemned by the independ
ent producers. Such legislation would
force the Prairie to quit taking OF
today, for it has sufficient tankage tC
last until next January and to qui
purchasing at this time would demoral
ize the oil business in Oklahoma.
The legislation so far enacted has
done but little to curb the power o
the oil monopoly, and the STANDARD
can place any price it sees fit on th'
production and complaining will be o