Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-03-12

ttOnIlnueu from IuEe oHtsD
partment scoffed at the Page prop
osition but the Tulsa millionaire phil
anthropist was undaunted and car
ried his fight to congress.
He made favorable impression
upon the members of the senate In
dian committee, who believed he was
entitled to lease inasmuch as he
had offered to raise the gas royalty
rate to cents n thousand cubic feet,
which was an unheard of price in the
history of the natural gas industry.
The senate committee was ready to
report resolution which would have
compelled the execution of gas lease
to Mr.. Page, but upon receipt of a
letter from Secretary Lane several
weeks ago, in which the secretary
recommended that the Page lease be
approved, that committee eliminated
all reference to the Usage gas lands
from the Oliver and subsequent reso-
lutions dealing with the oil situation.
1t was generally conceded that Mr..
Page would be given gas lease upon
the territory adjoining Sand Springs,
until at a conference between Secre-
tary Lane and the applicants for gas
territory held at the secretary's office
Friday the announcement was made
that the acreage appliced for by Mr..
Page would again be given the Usage
Oklahoma Gas company, but that a
lease on 100000 acres would be
granted Mr.. Page north and west of
Sand Springs on undeveloped terri
tory.
Page Refused Offer.
Mr.. Page refused to accept this
arbitrary division of the gas acreage,
,t.11 1a,. \,
his efforts that the other applicants
were forced to agree to the payment
of 3 cents gas royalties.
After yesterdays meeting things be-
gan to happen. Several senators, who
were of the opinion that the Page
lease would he favorably acted upon
by the secretary. were loud in their
expressions of Indignation at the ap-
parent insincerity of the department
in turning down the Page offer.
1t was freely rumored that in the
event Mr.. Page was ignored, there
would be such an explosion on capi-
tol hill as would awaken the entire
country. In the meantime senator's
conferred with Secretary Lane to pre-
vent the explosion with the result that
at today's meeting of the gas men,
the secretary entirely reversed him
self and consented to the execution of
the Page lease.
order Stack of Blues
When the conference opened today
Mr.. Page asked for a showdown and
declared that any one that sat in the
game with him would have to buy
blue chips. 81 intend getting this
lease and if necessary will give "a
cash bonus of $4,000 and raise the
royalty ante from three to three and
a half cents per thousand feet for
gas. If ! am turned down here, |
shall at once carry my fight to the
United States senate and then we
shall see what we will see"
The Page explosion caused con-
sternation and when it was discov-
cred that he was not bluffing, the
secretary came off his high perch"
and agreed to the execution of the
Page lease
Much Litigation.
Against Mr.. Page the department
has been lined up almost solidlv and
in addition. a battery of high priced
attorneys for the gas Interests have
been fighting Mr.. Page tooth and toe
nail. and have labored day and night
for the past two months to prevent
the Usage gas lands from getting out
of the hands of the family. Mr.. Page
expects to leave Sunday night for
Tulsa, and it is expected the Usage
gas lease will be executed by the
tribal council early next week and
rushed to Washington for approval.
The Braden interests have been
awarded about 100000 acres of gas
territory but it includes only part