The Washington times., 1916-12-25
Danger That California Area
Will Be Ruined by Delay
Being Realized.
OPERATORS SEEK RELIEF
Claimants Are Said to Have In
vested Sums Running Into
Millions.
nv yupsoN q. wELLuyEH.


The danger that an important oil field
will be ruined, and a large share Of its
potential production lost forever. be-
cause of Congressional delay In grant
ing relief to tho California operators
who attempted to develop II, In begin
ming TO be understood by Congress.
with the greater understanding OF
this condition, prospects for the pas.
sage OF the pending relief legislation
are decidedly improving.
LIVER since President Taft undertook
to withdraw these lands from entry.
the controversy has been going on, In
the Interior Department, the courts.
and Congress. Mr.. Taft himself. IN
Withdrawing the lands, admitted that
he graveiy doubted his authority to
take the action. The validity n the
act has been passed upon by various
courts since that time. IL has been
variously held invalid I'm some Federal
courts, while the United states Su.
premc Court has never passed on the
case
Claimed As Naval Reserves.
The understanding that there was "a
decision OF the highest court. In the
California case, is erroneous. Instead,
the Supreme Court gave a iivn to
three decision In n Wyoming case,
holding against the operators. But
the conditions In that instance were
widely different from those which
surround the California claims; so dif.
fercnt. indeed, that IL II now believed
the decision would have been entirely
haA ha m
mia case been before the court.
The California lands, for whose
claimants relief ~ sought In order
that they may proceed with their de-
velopments and save the immense In
vestments they have made, are
claimed by the naval authorities as
part Of the immense naval reserves
In California. But IL II admitted BY
the best authorities that they are not
needed for naval purposes. because
these reserves are OF such vast extent.
without taking In the con:roverted
lands.
Acted In Good Faith
10 Is admitted that the people who
took up the claims which are now In
controversy acted In entire good faith.
Not only did the President doubt his
right TO withdraw them, but the best
possible legal advice indicated that he
was without that right II was held
that persons who had taken claims
before the withdrawal. and with due
diligence" prosecuted their develop
mcnt work. should receive patents.
But the question OF due diligence"
has proved a large and difficult one.
The lands are In n region where water
In only to be had at large expense, re-
auiring establishment OF facilities TO
pipe II In from long distances.
Some OF the big concerns, backed BY
unlimited capital, were able 10 bring
water promptly and continue devel
orment: others, with less means. were
compelled 90 devote all energies to
solving the water problem, and while
they were bringing In water they
could not do other work on the
claims Did they lapse from "dus
diligence" during the period when
they were building water plants that
were absolutely necessary TO make de
yelopment possibies They insist that
they did not, and the equities OF the
matter seem TO be impressing Con
gress, more and more. that they did
not.
Immense Sums Invested.
Chester Rowell. Republican national
committeeman from California, who
has been In Washington recently. and
who has no possible interest In this
controversy aside from wish that
Justice should be done, emphaticaliy
declared that there was no division or
opinion In his State about the justice
OF granting relief through legislation
that would permit the claimants 20
proceed with their work. They have
invested, In the aggregate, Immense
sums, ranging, Il 10 said. Into the mil,
lions, which are Jeopardized and VIII
be lost IL relief IL not granted.
The most irsistent demand FOR
some relief comes from men who uh'
derstand the geologic and technical
problems OF getting oil out or the
earth. After an oil neld II opened ur'
IL is not possible 10 close II again
without great loss OF the oil, The
danger In the present case Is that the
fieId will he ruined unless develop
ment Is permitted TO be continued
because many borings have been