Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-01-06
TO PROTECT OIL
MEMS INTERESTS
Two Per Cent Bill Will Be
Presented in House by Gish
and in Senate by Tulsan.
TULSA MEN DRAW PLUMS
At Present Price of Oil State
!. Would Secure Large Rev.
= enue at Lower Rate.

Special to The World
OKLAHOMA CITY, Jan. with
realization that right is on their
side. the oil producers of oklahoma
and people interested in the upbuid-
ing of this great industry will ask tho
Sixth Oklahoma Legislature to reduce
the gross production tax on oil to 2
per cent Governor Williams, more
inclined to listen to reason now than
ever before, would prefer to have the
, tax left at per cent, but inasmuch
as the question has already been
brought up in the house by Repre-
sentative Hensley of FL Reno. the oil
men feel that they are entitled to
make reasonable request.
Would BE Source OF Revenue.
Even at per cent the state will
derive more revenue from the oil
business in the next two years than
II has at any time in the past The
price Of oil is now sl.5O barrel
whereas when the legislature passed
the per cent bill it was 40 cents a
barrel. oil is the only product IN
the state taxed on the basis of The
selling price. In nearly every case
land Is returned to the assessor at
less than its selling value.
In many instances property Is mort
gagged for more than its assessed
value. All farm products are eX-
cmpt from taxation. Yet oil. costing
millions to find and millions to pro-
duce, is taxed heavier than anything
else in the state. Two per cent would
be grossly eXorbitant. compared with
other taxes, but the oil men are will
ing TO accept that figure. If the legia-
lature will listen to reason the bill
Will go thru. Otherwise IL Will not.
The personnel of both houses this
time is promising of "A squarer deal
for the oil man than he has received
in the past.
Introduce Bill Soon.
The . per cent bill that is to he in
troduced next week probably Will pro-
vide for "A more equitable distribution
OF the oil tax by giving more OF It
back to the county where the oil is
produced.
That portion that goes to the state
will all be spent for good roads in
stead of n portion of it going into the
school fund
II is likely that Roland T.. Gish.
Democrat. of Oklahoma county will
take the leadership in the house in
behalf of the measure. while Senator
Il. l.. Davidson of Tulsa and Senator
Warren X. Snyder of Oklahoma
county will engineer it in the SEN
ate. Senator Davidson is chairman
of the senate committee on oil and
gas The house committee is headed
by Roy Shores OF Carter county. lie
lives in the heart of the Healdton
field.
Tul>ans Get plums.
Altho they were handicapped by
reason of their affiliation with the mi
ntstN Ttt1 txHfg
lesentatives in the lower house of the
legislature Jared splendidly when II
came to committee appointments. a
partial list of committees was an
nOunced by Speaker Ncsbitt today
Harry II. Rogers is member of
judiciary No. /, the big legal commit
tee of the house; revenue and taxation
and oil and gas. Work on these three
committees will keep him pretty busy
from now ON. His colleague, Glenn
Condon who is not a lawyer. secured
a choice plum when he landed on the
committee on roads and highways
one hundred of the Ill members of
the house asked 20 be placed on this
committee, before which some un-
usually important legislation will
come.
On Medicine Committee.
Condor was also made a member
of the committee on the practice of
medicine. The chiropractic question
will have to be considered by this
<ommittee, as well as other weghty
NSblems. He was also named as
one of the three members OF the COM
mittee on mileage, whose duty 1t is
to compute the amount due each
member for travelling expenses.
The theatrical strike in oklahoma
City came in for brief airing in the
house of representatives today when
ar invitation was received to attend
the stock dramatic show at the over
holser theater tonight In body as
guests of the management. Somebody
moved that the invitation be accepted
Representative Durant pointed out
THAT II would be unwise to go on
record. Speaker pro TEN. Tom Wal
drep called attention to the fact that
the OVcrholser was unfair to organ
lied labor.
Stops Debate.
Speaker Paul Nesbitt nipped in the
bud stormy debate on the question
by announcing that the invitation
as individuals. About fifty members
of the house and twenty senators oc-
cupied boxes at the theater tonight.
A resolution from the Oklahoma
City trades council asking the legis-
lators to disregard the invitation of
the Overholser management was read
in both houses but not commented
on. Stage hands, moving picture
operators, musicians and White Rat
actors have been conducting "A joint
strike here and at Tulsa for several
months. 1t is rumored that they will
join with the ministerial alliance in
asking for the passage of law clos
ing all theaters on Sunday.
Deny Consu's Death.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 5.-Advices to