The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1919-09-12
OIL LEASE BILL
PASSES SENATE
AMENDMENT TO PERMIT PREsl.
DENT TO FIX PRICES FOR OIL
IS VOTED DOWN
STANDARD OIL co. FLAILeo
Some Senators Alieee Big Oil Com
pany 10 Behind Measure, While
Others See Differentiy.-Roy.
atty Basis for Leases

Washington. Sept. !. - Without q
record vote the senate yesterday. after
u 1o-hour session. passed the bill to
make possible the leasing Of public
lands having deposits Of oil. coal. gas.
phosphate and sodium.
An amendment to the bill which
would have authorized the president
to fix and control the prices of coal.
oil and other products derived from
government lands leased under the
measure was rejected earlier. 4S to 10.
1t was offered by Senator LaFollette.
Republican. Wisconsin, and met
strong opposition from western sem
atOrS.
Senator Lenroot. Republican. Wis
cOnsin. declared the LaFOllette amends
ment would further perpetuate the
control Of the Standard Oil company
and would result in fixing the price
Of oil refined by independents while
the standard Oil company would 60
Free
Senator LaFollette. in urging the
amendment again assailed the Stand
ard Oil company and said that unless
some steps We're taken to control
prices the public eventually would de-
mand that action be directed "even
against the Standard Oil company and
the other monsters that have this
country by the throat"
In passing the measure. the senate
approved amendments offered by Sem
ator Harris. Democrat. Georgia. which
would provide that under the Clayton
antitrust act oil companies may not
charge different prices in various
parts Of the country.
Another amendment which it's au-
thor. Senator Harris. said would cause
the constituent companies of the
Standard Oil company soon to become
independent in ownership in fact as
we'll as in name. was adopted. This
amendment would prohibit stock
holders of corporations producing
petroleum and its byproducts from
acquiring stock in another corpora
ton similarly engaged if both corpOr-
ations have been created in con-
fOrmance with Il court dissolution de-
cree or for the purpose Of avoiding
prosecution under antitrust acts.
With the exception Of the Harris.
amendment. the fate Of which is un-
certain in the house. the leasing meas.
ure. as to important features. was
passed as reported by the house lands
committee. Consideration Of the bill
was marked by bitter debate during
which Senator LaFOllette. who in the
last six days has spoken more than
20 hours. and other senators charged
that the bill was for the benefit Of
the Standard Oil company. During the
debate yesterday the Wisconsin sena-
tor charged that the Influence of the
oil interests could be found every
where. and that the Standard Oil COM
pany and its associates We're attempt-
ing to Influence the Senate's action on
the German treaty and the league Of
nations.
Leasing of land under the bill is
placed under the secretary of the in
terror and in the case of coal lands
the bill provides for II royalty of not
less than five cents or more than 20
cents Il ton shall be paid. Alaska coal
lands are excluded from the bill and Il
provision authorizing the sale of lands
as proposed in the leasing bill last
session will be eliminated.
Royalties on oil lands would he not
less than 1212 per cent or more than
- per cent upon production. while for
phosphate the royalty would be . per
cent Of the gross value of production
and "ne-eighth Of production for
sodium.