The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-01-16

Ok I,AioMA CITY, Jan. lo.--
The oklahoma political dial has not
progressed far In the past week. al
though II can be stated without sue
cessful contradiction that many
statesmen have been willing to have
changes made.
Tho outstanding fact of the week
is that Governor Robertson has
been compelled 10 make sacrifices
and that he has been unable to Sc
sure oven II very ordinary position
IN hts own party circles. At the
mcct1nR of tho state officials. the
woNern1tr .Yas, .hup,blc and further
hum Ma tioN xane, n him when the
I llfsalt fa ntss6rcrnor declared that II
\ lie must make the battle to hold the
state democratic machine togather,
Ne would also be the general In
charge and would accept no order
| from others, presumably intending
to convey in an 'impersonal manner
| Just where the chief executive is to
stand whilst Nthe Legislators are as
sembled.
But the Crowning cup OF political
hemlock for the governor camc
Tuesday when Corporation Commis-
sioner Campbell Russell was elected
chairman OF that department by "A
i unanimous vote, and the nomlna
| tion was made by tho present chair
man. Art l.. Walker. r.. r.. Hughes,
republican member Just seated,
seconded this proposal and all voted
| for it.
There is no dcnial OF the fact that
the governor desired Russell to be
| defeated FOR the position. Two years
ago, when Chairman Humphrey re-
signed, the governor appointed r.
Y. Echols. who was arrayed against
Russell. and Walker was elected
! chairman. The incessant warfare
hetweon Russell and the governor Is
understood. \ few days
Rgo the governor issued a statement
designed To hide Russell" but II
was clumsy and was taken as "A di-
rect attack on Walker and retiring
Commissioner Echols. Walker re-
iused to resign because the gov
ernor was determined to appoint a
republican to succeed him,
! EchOls was going out and could
not fight back. but Walker. the most
powerful elective state officer in the
old machine organization. resented
this assault and npbllizcd his
friends against the governor. Hc
made peace with Nfs fellow mem
bcrs OF the corporation commission
and tile net result of the gubcrna
torial attack is that another of the
elective state officers Is unfriendly
and the unfriendlinoss of Walker il
we judge The future by the past
means trouble, quite naturally
Walker is too well disciplined &c
display the sore-toe flag; nor will hs
do much talking, but II '%n not bs
denied that the gubernat0rial at
tack on the corporation commission
an whole has left another rent IL
the hritches of the democrats stat,
machine, already badly patched and
even the patches none too securely
attached to warrant severe strain
WIN They Change.
Reorganization Of the state cor
poration commission may mean q
change In the personnel Of the EN-
ploycs. The commission has tn,
highest paid employees of all thu
state departments. Many of then
have been with the commission 10,
several years although chief CLERK
Hyde and Corporation Clerk Mckay
who came with Jack Love To th'
mission, left more than IA ycai
ago.
Tho chief appointiye position IL
the office IN that of conservation of
ficer of the oil and gas department
Not only Is the salary among the
topnotchers sfor state appointees
but because of the position relativ,
to the oil and gas development. ,har
appointment carries with II greater
power and prestige than almost an,
other within the power OF the state
government to give.
The chief conservation officer I.
+, appointed by the commission, sub
Ject 10 the approval OF the governor
Governor Bob Williams made Ar
walker now on the commission
he first conservation officer. aut
le was succeeded by Ben Davis. foi
many years tirc principal hub in Tho