The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-07-18
THE ATTORNEY Of N ID
CON TIM ENT OIL COMPAN Y
ADDRESSES OPEN LETTER
TO OKLAHOMA VOTERS IN
SENATOR CORES BEHALF

John j. Shea, attorney for the Mid
Continent Oil Association, whose home
Is in Tulsa, has written a letter con-
corning the activities of United States
Senator T. p. Gore for the oil inter-
ests, and has sent this letter out to
many voters IN the state.
Following is a copy Of the letter:
Dear Sir:
A United States Senator will be
| elected this year for the six years
beginning March /. 1921. and it is
of great importance that. the. people
Of Oklahoma be properly represented
in the United States Senate during
such period.
| | do not know your politics and
am not deeply interested In knowing
them. but I do feel that the appeal
beyond party politics.
l had the honor to represent the
producers of oil in the matter Of
Federal taxation from November, 1917,
up to the present time and in that
capacity. caThe in contact with the
men Of both Houses in Congress who
have to do with the tax legislation
and who prepared and enacted all OF
the tax bills under which the revenue
Of the Government has been collected.
The tax bill of 1917 affected the
oil business in the most injurious way.
and particularly did it affect the
individual with moderate invested
capital and the corporation with q
small capital stock The concerns
which were broadly and amply capt.
talized were not greatly injured or
punished by that act but the law of
| 1917 applied literally as II was writ
ten, meant confiscation of the proper
ties of the smaller men and concerns
engaged in producing oil.
Early in 1918. at the rccommenda-
ton Of the President of the United
states the writing of a new tax bill
was taken up in the Ways and Means
Committee Of the House. A commit
tee representing the oil producers ap.
peared before that committee, filed
briefs and made arguments in support
Of their contention and about the only
thing they succeeded in having written
| in the bill as 1t came from the House
was the right to deplete against leases
the same as fees.
After the bill went To the Senate,
1t was referred to the Finance Com
mittee of that body. The present
United States Senator, Hon. Thos. p.
Gore, was and is a member of tho
Finance Committee of the Senate, and
Immediately took deep and lasting
interest in our welfare and went his
length to see that we received just
treatment and We're protected from
the ruinous policy Of the 1917 law
relating TO our business.
1t was urged by no one that we
should escape our proper share of
taxation but owing to the fact that
our industry is u wasting one and
that from the moment we begin 10
produce oil, we are disposinc Of our
capital and the receipts are more In
the nature Of capital than income,
our business had been given but little
consideration In the enactment OF tax
bills.
From the time the bill went into the
Senate Finance Committee and dur
ing the time II was considered by
that committee during its debate III
the Senate and after 1t passed the
Senate and went into conference with
the Senate and House Committee
Senator Gore was energetically and
actively engaged at all times in see
ing that justice was done our bust
ness. He was recognized in the Sen
ate Finance Committee, q body com
posed OF able men, as authority upon
all questions relating to oil and gas
and particularly, TO depletion and de
probation.
A few Of the things that We're writ
ten in that bill are largely through the
fundamentally of Senator Gore, are
as follows:
First, Valuation Of property March
/. 1913, for depletion purposes.
Second. Valuation Of new discover
les since 1919, at the time of discov'
cry as basis for depletion.
Third, A per cent tax on sales
In lieu Of the surtax on the same.
Fourth. Consideration Of small cor
porations where the individuals therein
Continued on Page Two