The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-09-26

with a law granting inadequate acreage
cutting the fields into small holdings
and perpctuating most OF the evils OF
the old placer law-hasty drilling, un-
necessary wells, excessive operating
costs, premature abandonment OF small
wells, loss of oil through evaporation,
fire and faulty storage, and all the
other. ills OF system OF small tracts
held under unequal conditions.
For, it must be observed, the lease
holding does not contend on equal
terms with the patentee. All the pat
ented tracts in the field may pass into
single ownership and they may be so
intersperScd among the leases as to
place every lessor in danger of having
his oil drained through wells on pri-
vately owned land. Moreover. the pat
entee, free from government interfer-
ence would have only the natural dif-
ficulties OF development to face, while
,he lessee, with the same natural diff
culticS TO overcome would be subject
! to government restrictions. which, while
probably wise in themselves would
place him at a disadvantage compared
with his unrestricted ncighhor II is
not difficult to imagine the greater part
oi the patented lands in the western
fields passing into single ownership,
with the lcsSecS, each OF whom may
hold an interest in only one lease, com
ple,cly at the mercy of the owner.
Surely" saws the oil man, the term
of the lease must be long enouAr -
compensate for small acreage, unfair
competition and limitation OF holdings"
years, renewable for ten wears upon
such terms and conditions as may be
prescribed by the secretary OF the in
terror. |, woull seem that nothing 10
make the bill undc,i;ab'e has been
| omitted.
"But," protests the oil man, what
is wrong with the senate committee
Is it trying to prevent the develop
ment OF the west, or is il bent on pro-
ducing the maximum amount Of waste,
or is it merely acting in Germany 5
behalf TO keep the supply of oil at a
minimum Z" The fault, however, is not
with the senate, committee. The mem
bets OF the committee are not oil men
| They do no, pretend to an intimate
knowledge OF oil field conditions They
have been ready and willing to receive
instruction bu, the instruction has no.
come During four years and more the
have held hearings on this and sim
liar bills, at which any representative
OF the oil industry would have been wei
come to appear and give his opinion
With one or two exceptions, the only
oil men appearing have represented
those western claimants who are seek.
ing relief from government litigation
These men have filled volumes witt
their testimony They have appeared
early and often and have pressed Their
case with unmitigated energy, The,
have kept the committee so busy will
their proposals that almost no time or
thought has been given TO the genera
provisions applying to the great bod,
OF public lands.
California Operators View.
Whether the California operators are
entitled to the relief they seek do moi
pretend to say II is obvious, however
that they are willing 10 sacrifice tn,
remalndct OF the public domain thai
they may obtain, the small area to which
they assert title TO this end they ar,
urging the passage OF the Walsh bill
and are ptocla!ming it a great an,
wise measure To- those who oblcc
they say let us pass any bill so Ions
a. It carries the relief We ask, and aft
erward the law can be amended to NEE
III, needs Of the situation When on,
considers that eight years Of constan
agitation for new law have not We
borne fruit, and that It is at least a,
hard TO amend law as to pass 1t, Mci
arguments are not convincing but tn,