Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1915-01-02
LET'S THINK A BIT

To us 90 seems chat there is con
siderable unnecessary agitation and
useless abuse iu tho proposed PROPOSE
tion OF white N Sinclair 20 have th.
4.S00-acrc restrictions removed.
u is well known that tNo or three
tclegrams. which we're intended to
protest against the removal of the rr-
stricuons. but which really developed
into ylIiroauon of Mcssrs. White
and Sinclair have been forwarded to
Cato Sells
It is equally well known that many
men who signed the telegram wcro
not cognIzant OF the real contents OF
The document, and others were not
advised as to the use the instrument
after the signatures were secured.
II is equally well known that the
matter has been clouded I'm the most
profound secrecy and mystery to All
others than those who had hand in
its making
Why This Suspicion?
Now. if this protest Is the right and
proper thing to do-with the same
argument why is it not the right and
proper thing to do to make it public
as the Independent producers of ok
mulgee Hcaldton Muskogee and No
wata- -Bartlesville have done?
why is It necessary to clothc it in
suspicion?
1t would occur to us that mani
restly the faircr thing to do would be
to make 1t public, as it certainly nf-
fects all OF us, whether we are So
called independent or whether We
are In oil business at all.
1t is known to every oil and lease
man that a commercial lease sells for
from three to five times more than
a departmental lease, and 1t is an
evident fact, known to all that the
existence of this condition is caused
by the restrictions placed upon any
individual, corporation or pipe line
from owning more than four thou
sand eight hundred acres, There has
been more than thirty thousand acres
OF departmental leases cancelled In
the last year, and that means that
twice that amount OF money Annually
viii be taken away from the Indian,
the ward OF the government
Cannot Buy Leases.
Equally true is 1t that the fact that
the big operating companies are pro-
hibited from buying departmental
leases retarding the development of
the Indians lands.
We have always laborcd under the
Impression that the real function Of
the government was to provide
means, measures and rulings for the
best interest of his ward the Indian.
And II cannot help but be prevalent
10 any thinking man. that these facts
furnish the department an unquali-
fled argument In favor of granting
Messrs. white and Sinclair their re-
quest.
DO Indians Get Justice?
And another point-the principal
reason; The duty Of the govern
ment. Gs we said before, is TO see TO
it that its wards receive all they are
Justly entitled to-to get every dollar
for the lnuian that is possible. That
ass been the attitude of the interior
department. and all its agencies
and then. doesn't It stand to reason
from common sense point Of view
that an additional pipe line, adding
an additional marketing capacity Of.
% to SO per cent, would subsequently
add to the wards income an addi-
tional 25 to 35 per cent?
There are hundreds of thousands of
acres OF departmental leases which
would bo developed II the companies
were not restricted as to amount Of
acreage.
Men will not block up departmental
leases-they know they are losing
propositions.
In the first place. in blocking up. !
the interior department requires that
the Indian he paid a bonus. In ad- !
ditlon TO that the leases must pay
a royalty OF 5 per cent, and in ad