The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-01-16
MUST THE OIL
MEN CARRY ALL
THE BURDEN
GEORGE &. BLACK, ONE OF THE
STATES LARGEST OPERATORS,
ISSUES STATEMENT ON PRO-
DUCTlON TAX.

Taking up the injustice of milking
the oil industry for all the taxation it
would stand, even to driving invest
ments and men who do the actual de
yeloping from oklahoma, George +.
Black issues a statement which covers
the ground MIR. Black has given much
thought to the gross production tax
and knows its effect on the oil bust
ness of the state His statement is as .
follows:
"lt is generally understood that the /
administration plans TO make the oil |
men alone pay the cost of running the
state. and they think this win find
favor with people in other yocations
who viii expect the tax burdens upon
them to be correspondingly lightened.
The thoughtful man will recognize,
/ however, that all varieties of prosperi-
/ ty in Oklahoma are possible chiefly
because of the oil industry, and that
| all would suffer a decided slump if
the oll men should continue to be pun.
i-hcd for their good fortune up to
the point when they look to other and
less burdcnsome fields for their actiyi-
y
Fifty million dollars is small es-
innate Of the sum paid by the oil in.
dustry TO oklahoma farmers for leases
and royalties No individual or group
has done as much for them in Il linan-
cial way, therefore farmer members OF
the legislature will doubtless question
the surface reason and seek to learn
the real, foundational motive for an
IONahoma city newspapers fervid and
hysterical appeal to them Thursday
for revision OF the eros, production tax
upward.
Tens OF thousands Of people are in.
ycstors in OElahoma's oil industry
Tens OF thousands have sunk their
money in dry holes Few are million
aires. But, whether success attend,
Ian oil venture or not, the farmers 0
Oklahoma receive annual incomes from
millions of acres of land, much o
IN
J. which is Improbable agriculturally
much of which would be- consumed b,
= taxation were it not for the lease
held by daring and hopeful oil men.
Honesty and fair realing are chal
actcristics of Oklahoma farmers. Cor
sequenuy, farmer legislators and otl
or farmers will resent the publishe
suggestion that exemption from taxi
- ton upon their farm improvements b
granted and the oil industry forced
m carry that burden by increased lev
m upon its crude production For be
st known. The oil searchcrs improve an
ip enhance the value OF farms every tin
c. they make their speculative inve'
re ments thereupon.
in The exemption suggestion made
at the oklahoma city Times in an inco
in sistcut editorial is unworthy of
ne honest mans consideration
'I THE farmer is the oil industry
ol most closely allied partner He shar
We in the profits, should the venture
=" successful He reaps profits shot
"s the venture be failure He is the {
10 " factor in tie game who wins all t
"" time. lie need not turn his hand n
~, invest penny. Yet his income is su
~ whether the oil man wins or los
And in great many instances the
., man, the developer, the chap who ris
20 much upon chance, loses big.
No. i"lt costs heavily to drill oil wei
M II takes years sometimes to sTcst'
to to the prospector's treasury what
Ids has expended in searching the bow
NC of the earth for oil even should
IRE eventually strike it,
,ok But this farmcroil industry pa
oil ncrship is not the only argum'
,ed against revision of the tax upward.
ltil "a . per cent taX upon the err
Fry oil production OF Oklahoma to,
ew would pay all expenses Of the stat
OF government Then why should a
hat per cent levy be cNtorted from this
ma dustry. which is investing more MOI
'or' in permanent taxable improvements
snt Oklahoma than any other branch
nat our Industrial life? Merely beca
'"' some men have become millionair
wv Is it just to exact eNorbitant trib
80 from successful men merely beca
''"' they have been successful?
III Oklahoma Is 10 adopt pract
- of raising the compulsory tribute fr
,ui successful enterprises because of Il
ucccss. what assurance have our ba
or mercantile houses that they :
mic escape II prosperity beams upon the