South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-03-25
DEMAND FOR GOVERN
MENT OWNERSHIP BREWING.

Lane is facing the question, What 10
co with the Usage Indian oil lands in
Oklahoma. The government. through
the interior department. is trustee for
these valuable oil lands. Leases to
$4,000 acres have expired and the
question whether 70 release them TO
the former lessees Gin most instances
Standard OLD or 90 ask for secret
competitive bids. is before the depart
ment. IL has been suggested that this
situation presents a unique OppOr-
tunity for the government t. secure
an adequate supply Of oil fuel for the
navy. in accordance with the recon-
mendauons of Sec'y OF the Navy
Daniels Instead Of leasing these lands
TO private parties and then buying
back the oil and paying a profit to the
private Iessees. the interior department
might allow the navy department to
conduct oil operations on these lands,
paying an adequate royalty to the
Usage Indian owners.
In his last annual report Sec'y
Daniels said:
I feel that would fail to do
my whole duty If / did not urge
the necessity of retaining the nav
al petroleum reserves as such and
augmenting them by other areas
IN other fields i'm order to obviate
the necessity OF increased appro-
priations i'm the future 10 pur-
chase what now belongs to the
government
Dealing with the question OF the
Oklahoma oil lands. Mr.. Daniels said:
During the year the navy de-
partment and the interior depart
ment. aided by the counsel Of
the bureau Of mines, have been
investigating the feasibility, de-
STABILITY, and expense of the gov
eminent constructing an oil pipe
line from the midcOntinent field
OF Oklahoma to some point on the
gulf and acquiring oil lands and
producing. transporting and re-
hning oil for the purpose of pro-
viding at all times an adequate,
dependable and economical sup
ply of fuel for the navy.
All of which is sugs estive of a
modern tendency thai aking gov
eminent ownership and operation Of
certain utilities more and more talked
Of. The government has a navy 1t
needs oil; 1t needs steel; need coal;
needs a number of things. Theoret-
ically. at least. the least expensive and
best way TO get these things is to own
and operate the mines. the wells, the
mills. etc, and the same applies with
regard to the postohice. Here to
carry the mails. and execute the par
eel post the railroads would be a
valuable government appendage, then
again the coal mines and steel mills a
valuable adjunct TO the railroads. This
is by no means half the chips in the
circle, and. the reason for their exist
ence is not hard TO fiu6.
The fact that wherever the gov
eminent, whether il be the nation.
the state or the municipality. is in
need of anything it must quite in
variably pay more than is charged
the individual. same as though the
public were an entity foreordained
To be robbed. is all the reason one
needs. Recent exposures of the man
ner in which the United States has
been mulct for armor plate. gun steel.
powder. etc. is directly in point while
the exorbitant rates that the postof-
fce has been paying the railroads for
mail carriage is prOverbial.
Upon the majority OF the great mail
routes, mail and express transporta-
ton conditions are Identical. and it
follows from the present inequality of
transportation costs that the parcel
post rates 20 the public, for the higher
weights, greatly exceed the express
rates. Between New York and Chi
cago parcel postage is $1.20 for TWEEN
~ pounds as compared with an eN-
press rate of s.Xty-four cents y more
equitable scale OF mail pay would
make possible "a reimbursement of par
eel postage upon the higher weights
and long hauls would expand the
pubncs transportation facilities and
would still give the railroads adequate
compensation under their own stand
ard of what constitutes adequate
Compensation-toW a commercial
rate
Although the railways contend that
they arr underpaid for carrying the
mails. the facts are that they are
overpaid and that they are receiving
from the government amounts which.
for hauls OF ans considerable length,
exceed by about two To one the
amounts they receive from the express
companies for like and similar serv-
ice.
Tr0on the two Dripcina1 mail rortes