The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1916-07-12
CONFLICT OF AUTHORITY
BETWEEN HIGH OFFICIALS S

Ed Boyle, state mine inspector, has
informed the attorney general that the
corporation commission is intruding
in his domain of official activity in
that it has assumed, contrary to
law, the direction of the conservation
of oil and gas resources and is at
this time employing two men to at
tend to the duties which are being
attended to by agents of the state
mine inspector and which constitu-
tionally belong to his office and none
other. In his letter to the attorney
general the state mine inspector made
it plain that he has been aware that
the corporation commission has been
exceeding its authority for at least
three years, but he has remained
silent, trusting that at some time
the extent of the power of the cor
poration commission would be tried
out and determined in the court. Mr.
Boyle asks the attorney general to
| take such action as will prevent fur
ther trespass upon his rights and
privileges. The attorney general has
the matter under consideration.
Ever since the corporation commits
sion three years ago. announced that
it had the power and authority to reg
ulate and control everything pertain
ing to the production, manufacture
transportation and sale of OIL the
| legal departments of the producing
and manufacturing concerns have
been informing their clients that the
commission had no such power and
that any legislation which sought to
ideas of the commission was clearly
unconstitutional for the simple rea-
! son that the constitution adopted
when Oklahoma was admitted into the
union clearly and unequivocally pla-
ces the conservation of the oil and
gas resources of the state in the
hands of the state mine inspector.
And this power and authority cannot
be abridged without the adoption of
constitutional amendment, and this,
! it may be remarked in passing, would
be resisted to the uttermost by all of
the labor organizations in the state,
which are pretty well satisfied with
| the scope of the present section Gre
ating the office of state mine in
spector, and defining his duties.
The laboring men fear that should
an amendment be proposed relieving
the state mine inspector of the duty
of looking after oil and gas affairs,
there would be. at the same time, an
attempt to slip in a Joker which
would be fatal to the beneficial effects
of the present section. They realize
that the oil and gas producers are at
disadvantage at this time because
the constitution requires that the
state mine inspecor shall be prac-
UlCdl anu experienced lHlHcl WIZ Slldii
have had, at least, four years actual
experience prior to his election, and
this effectually bars the oil and gas
producers. In justice to the present
incumbent, however, it must be said
that in the appointment of his depu-
ties the oil and gas producing sec
tions of the state have been ade-
quately recognized and the service
, from that office has been much more
efficient and satisfactory than the
service from the office of the cor
poration commission. Three inspec-
tors have been assigned to the oil
and gas production sections, and they
are always on call.
Up to this time the members of the
corporation commission have not
deigned to take notice of the com
munications of the state mine inspec-
tor to the attorney general.-Oil and
Gas Journal.