The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-02-08
MANY MILLIONS
 FROM THE GROUND
By HOLLAND

New York, February 5.-tSpecial0 Many millions of new wealth will be taken from the ground in case Congress accepts the agreement made by the Sen ate and House conferees whereby some 5Q,0Oo,ooo acres of government land arc to be opened up to explorations not by the government, but by private capital. For some years complaint has been made something like that which is suggested by the saying, dog in the manager policy. Here were immense natural re- sources consisting of oil, gas, coal, phos- plates and sodium which lay beneath the soil of which the government held title. But their resources were smothered by the indifference of Congress. These re- sources were chiefly confined to the west ern states although Alaska is known to contain vast deposits of coal and much oil Walter Clark Teagle, president of the Standard Oil company of New Jer- sey. said recently that without any ques- ton petroleum exists in some parts of Alaska and the reports are that the de- posits are rich. although the oil bearing lands so far discovered are not exten-
 
 great deposits of coal, and if these could
 be exploited or developed then much would be achieved in the direction of ad-
 vancing the prosperity of that remote
 peninsula.
 Furthermore, under government lands In the far west there are undoubtedly
 very great deposits not only of oil and gas but also of coal and other minerals
 which will be of great value in continu- ing the development of the greater west
 But 1t was impossible to secure any agreement by Congress which could be
 set forth in legislation whereby these
 natural resources might be availed of
 Possibly but for the wonderfully stimu- lating effect of the war upon the devel- opment of American resources and also because of the wise activities of oil lead CTS such A. c. Bedford, Henry l.. Doherty, President Sinclair and others Congress could not have been induced at this time to progress so far towards an agreement the action of the House and Senate conferees has now made pos sible
 THE FUTURE OF OIL
 For a year or two many have been the doubts expressed regarding the life of our oil resources. Some of the best
 authorities have estimated that at the prevailing rate of consumption our oil
 wells will have no longer life than the
 next 16 years Some of the experts have
 put it as high as 20 years. There remain
 therefore two considerations respecting
 the future of our oil supplies which must
 be acted upon if the life of these re- sources Is to be contiued longer than 16 or 20 years. One consideration involves new sources of production and the con servation of our oil resources. The other is the amount of oil which we may be able to import from Mexico and South America. The uses to which oil is being now put constitute the industry as third, possibly second. In the industrial life of the United States. The first is iron and steel production, the second either oil or cop per and the third either copper or oil cotton stands fourth Food production stands a part, by itself. Now that the government will be able if Congress ac- cepts the agreement which the conforces have reached to lease oil lands and other
 mineral lands upon a royalty basis then there is no doubt that production of new oil will be greatly stimulated and new wealth. perhaps very great in the aggre- gate will be taken from government owned lands in the greater west.
 Few persons realize the magnitude and the variety of the products of which crude petroleum is the basis The men
 of science are adding each year to the 1 number of by products which are of com
 mercial and industrial value. Not the least important is the utilization of pe- troleum oil for lubricating purposes. Lubericaton is one of the most impor- tant if not actually the most important of all the accessories to industrial and transportation activities. In fact upon fabrication depends much of the comfort and a great deal of the necessaries of life at the present time It is represented even in the clothing which men and women wear for it makes 1t possible to operate the machinery to good advantage with which clothes of all kinds are spun. When it is remembered that in 1917 10 per cent, perhaps more, of crude petrol cum was converted into lubricating oil and that 34,o00 COCO barrels of this oil was
 manufactured and approximately 10,000 900 barrels exported then there will be some understanding of the importance of the opening up of government lands to the development of oil production So also under the measure, if adopted, the vast deposits of coal which have lain unused in government lands for centuries may now be utilized. thereby making it ccitdIi li1dt tue lIlc tl Oui Coti dtPOSllS will be extended. some of the experts have estimated that at the present rate of consumption our anthratice deposits will have been exhausted within the next 1 50 years and our btuminous deposits in | perhaps a little more than a century | from the present time. But 50 years and i 100 years are but short time in the l life of nation and the feeling has been strong that those who are authority in I the present day should take such action as will make it possible for future gen erations to escape apprehension of an exhaustion of coal.
 I No one can foretell how great an ads
 dition to our oil supplies will be made
 if the proposed measure be enacted into
 law. Some of the experts are of the opin- i ion that these new supplies will perha ps almost double the existing and visible !supply of oil. although an estimate of
 that kind may be too optimistic
 l Engineer Arrested
 C. c. Nunnaily an engineer on the