Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1915-08-01

The interior department is strangely
silent as to why the Slick transfer
involving So 100000 should be ap-
proved when the petition of 1000
person living in the oklahoma oil
fields, praying that the department
rule be changed so as to permit the
acquisition Of leases in excess of
$500 acres.
In announcing the departments ac-
ton in approving the Slick transfer,
Il high official declared that the de-
partment had taken the position that
the 4S00-acre rule did not govern in
! that particular case, but that IL was
| not to be considered as u precedent
to be followed in subsequent cases.
Just why the bars should have been
| let down in the Slick case, wherein
the Standard oil company was inter
| ested, while Independent operators
have been repeatedly turned down, Is
! one of the unexplained mysteries Of
, the department.
No one apparently was opposed to
| the Slick transfer, but howl is now
going up that is reaching all the way
from Oklahoma to Washington be
cause of the departments action in
| playing faVorites. As one Oklahoma
| oil man expressed it here today, "the
| 4,S0O-acre rule apparently doesn't
| maintain between friends
Palmer In Demand
1t was because of palmer's success
| in getting favorable action in the
| Slick matter that he was retained to
| represent the Dohcrty and other large
| interests with Usage lease holdings
| before Secretary Lane this week, When
the Usage lease question was mp FOR
another airing. II Palmer is as sue
| cessful in the Usage case, his rcputa-
ton among oil men viii have been
made and he will be in position to
demand any fee for his services.
For two and one-half hours Palmer
argued the case of the larger Usage
sublessees before Secretary Lane
last Tuesday afternoon. In opening
his argument for a liberal construc-
tion on the tentative Usage rules and
regulations, Palmer said that the sub
lcSsees were practical oil men and
that he did not propose to go beyond
the limits and restrictions set by the
department
I'VE are here to meet you in an ef-
fort to agree upon the Interpretation
and construction of these rules de
clared the Pennsylvania, 80 as not
to spread ruin in the Usage oil fields,
We don't hope to try our case over
rs an acQuiescence of the depart
ments action. We recognize that
some things are settled do not
think the elimination of the Indian
Territory Illuminating oil company is
in the interest of the Indian wards.
The company has never profited from
its blanket lease and yet it has pledged
itself to spend its royalties in further
development of the property
Object to Rule If
1--WE do object to Rule IL of the re
Gently adopted Usage regulations. |
take it that is means what it says and
vet these sublessees are required to
accept them without knowing the
terms of the new lease. 1t is mere
pig in poke method. Also, in re-
gard to the gas, the proposed lessees
are asked to accept lease on prop
crty the extent of which is not known,
nor is the length of time the lease
will run. A sublessee might accept
a gas lease and find he had lease
on but one acre for one year The
resolutions provide that contracts for
the sale of gas from Usage lands must
be approved by the secretary of the |
interior If the secretary fixes the |
price of gas to the consumer, the les |
see should know what price is to be |
n he |
,'> i,Nou "a "' 90 hon, ora oil and |
1,.,, ,,'oiIa 70 ho doterminad If a man
h'' ,~;ui', wIIo for oil and gote botb oil |
aa,e ,i, u,iu bis confIirting
~ SO" Nv ii ana oos Iessee he |
80" o 6aoga enhIessees
,'o,'t pi ~ ,,boro tbey stand
"""' " A"'"
Means Ruin Tor Many
Under the proposed 4,S00-acre
rule, the sublessees must do some
thing to save what they nave already
invested. Most of the real developers
would absolutely be put out OF pusl-
ness II TINS rule were 10 pe elllOrceu'
How IS the rule TO pe enforced lhere
are some VINO cannot accept uhuer
that rule ana VINO 'hlnk II is Nlol'
tlon OF the rights between tehahts anu
landlord. Under the RUE an lhui'iu-
ual with 1,SOO acres VINO nau an III
terest, no matter now sihalI, IN soihe
other company, would be barred from
getting renewal or ms tease me
rule wipes OH the map ehtirely lhe
producers on Whom the department
must rely II the rule IS enforced as IN
the rive ClvlllZed lrlpes IL Woulu
rum the OIL business III the OsIse ma
ton. You can support the 4'SVo-acre
plan in the tlVe ClNlllIed lflDes pc
cause man Is lund Dy Ihe thlnss
ahead or nm. III the rive IIlpe IN
terpretatlOn Is put on tne RUE III lne