The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-03-14

neaca oo,,e sung 10 lay before the
tjnn conference in Paris the situa-
MOI non OF me worlds oil supply, and
particularly the necessity of CON-
pelnng Mexico to treat foreion oil
operations in Tampico with nronnr r
respect: The state department 49,
reouked him, and stated that II msn
sorry he had been permitted to sail '
Doheny seems to have talked -
the presidents advisers in Paris COW
corning the coal and oil land Hill fo,,
soon after he reached Paris tbara
came back the wireless noessan ra {
mnlch brought the house and senate
con1erees to their agreement, and
started the gigantic grab through to
maj passage. Secretary Daniels at
Iifst stated that he had not approved
the Dill, but from that time forward
Tor nearly two weeks, he kept abso-
lutely silent on the whole affair.
THE BIG OIL LOBBY
", The oil lobby, entrenched at the
WIZARD, the Shoreham and the Ho-
Tel washington, and supported by a
score OF senators and high appoint
I've o1hcers of the administration
notable among them Ray Baker If
Nevada, director of the mint. were
IN high spirits. They Saw the result
OF their SIX years campaign almost
within their hands. Timothy Ans
berry, formerly congressman from
Ohio and recently lawyer for distill-
ing interests, appeared with the oil
lobby, and made the trip to Boston
to meet the president IN company
with Ray Baker and Joseph P. Tum-
ulty.
Finally the president reached
Washington. Next morning TumIl-
ty gave out word that the president
was anxious that the oil and coal bill
and the waterpower bill be passed.
That afternoon Secretary Daniels
saw the president. Next day Daniels
wrote his letter to the senate, de-
nounclng the surrender of the naval
oil reserves.
What Daniels told the president
concerning the Dohney-Baker-Ans-
berry-Tumulty views of these bills is
not known. Nor is it clear as to
what the president proposed should
be done. In any case, Daniels fired
his shot into that oil and coal grab.
and it was good shooting.
STANDPATTERS QUARREL
Pittman of Nevada, anxious and
trembling with rage, rushed over to
Senator Swanson when the letter
was read, and pulled it from his
hand. He read it hastily, with hands
visibly shaking. Then he almost ram
from the chamber to see President
Wilson, who was in his room just off
the senate, consulting with Demo-
cratic leaders.
Presently Pittman came back, look
ing detected and Disguised.
amy hope?" he was asked.
"Not a d Bit" he answered,
scowling and twisting his hands.
Honest John" Shafroth of Colo
RADIO hurried up.
"Let me take that" said Shafroth,
securing the letter. "I'll go see Dan
iels."
"Now cried Pittman, 81 don't want
any one to talk to Daniels about this
Leave him alone"
"But I know him." protested Sha-
froth. 81 believe l can fix it up if l
talk it over with him now"
Pittman threw down the letter, to
which he had chung for a moment.
Cali right then" he said, in a peeved
tone, eff anybody else is going to
have charge of this bill when Pm in
charge of it, then / quit"
And so ended the charming scene
of modern craftsmanship in the sem
ate of the United States, in this year
1919, all the actors going their sew
eral ways.
WOULD INCREASE UNREST
The senate was not through with
the oil and coal grab BILL however.
Senator La Follettee made that quite
plain when he took the floor on Sat
urday afternoon, March 1, to talk
four or five hours against this and
other attempted perversions Of the
powers of the national legislature.
He burned their hide off," as an
old man in the gallery remarked to
his neighbors, between chuckles, at
the sarcasm and invective with which
the sturdy Wisconsin leader held the
bill up to public view.
"This wave of industrial and eco
nomic complaint and unrest which
has spread over the country" La
Toilette told them, "is not going to
be Gained, not going to be made less
critical, by the attempt of confer
ence committee here, in the last
hours of this congress when no time
is given for consideration and study
of these important measures, to-
rush through colossal grab #
wealth in our public lands, which is
the heritage of all our people. The
people are not going to be lulled into
quiet by the news that a bill is being
hurried through here for the benefit
of Standard Oil or any other private
interest. Senators safe in the dig
nified seclusion of this chamber may
well open their eyes and ears to this
unrest, and ask themselves whether
this is the time for conference COM
mittees to seize the legislative pow
ers conferred by the Constitution up
ON the house and the senate to de-
termine the fate of the vast coal and
oil and phosphate lands, and the
waterpowers which belonge to tn
poor1oO