The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-08-14

pendent oil producer Gas distin-
guiHhcd from the Standard and
others of It's klnd) needs protection.
and needs II badly, as aga!ns the
enormous impOrtations OF cheap
crude oil from Mexico.
To show the extent to which these
impOrtatiOus have grown--we I'M
ported IN 1910 57i,0OO barrels Of
~ gallons. 1915, l14fs,0OO, 1915,
2O,Iz6,OOO, 1914 3O.OiS,OOO. 1913,
367l3,O0O, 1919. 5l.6e2.O0O. 1917,
los, $4,000
This enormous Increase f. roBpOn-
siblc for the drop IN the posted
price Of Continent crude at The
well from $3.50 per barrel In 1920
To 800 per barrel a. the PRESENT
utn", because Mexican crude com
pctcs with the fuel oil content Is a
controlling item.
At the instance Of President Hard
Ing the United states senate has rr-
Gently reversed its former posltIun
aud ratified the treaty with tulum-
bia ana therein and thereby has paid
tlb,OOO,OUO indemnity TO columbia
for the lOsN Of Panama. The reason
Tor the change OF 'front.' has been
stated 70 be the dosirahility OF Great
ing "A friendly feeling that Wall result
IN valuable concessions OF ColOm-
ban oil lands TO American citizens,
but II Is perfectly apparent that the
only American citizens who eau
profit therofrOm are those who com
pos, the standard on, sinclair. Tho
Texas company ana the Doheny com.
pdnics, with MIR. Rockefeller as chief
beneficiary. For our 325,000,VOO in
vested in tUlOmOiJn goodwill tn"
standard and itS ilk wiil reap "A re-
ward IN the hundreds OF millions
While II may be true that with
free OIL, our oilburning ships Will
have cheaper fuel and tpat the pco-
puo in some sections Of the country
viii have cheaper gas for household
uses, 1t Is also true that the elimina-
ton of tdrin duties wouid give
cheaper clothing and cheaper every
thing that We either eat or wear, but
IA" republican party Is committed to
protective tariff, the wisdom and
practical workings Of which cannot
be disputed. Whenycre tariff tor
revenue only has been substituted,
disaster has followed and always Will
follow as night follows day. protvC-
ton has Invariably brought prosper
ity.
The question at issue is, should
the oil industry-the independent
pruducer-bc protected >" Ana
answer. why not ?' That SUCCESS
tul competition with the cheap fuel
OIL OF Mexico (muCh OF which COSTS
less than &c per barrel to prOduceJ
10 impossible. goes without saying.
1t i5 argued that our oil fields are
limited, that they should" lp con-
served and the oil fields of other
countries exploited. but | respect
fully submit that our supply of oil Is
mex haustiblc II adequately deyel-
opcd.
Protection for American industries
is an axiom in the manufacturing cen
tcrS OF our country. 1T should re-
main an axiom from one end OF the
country TO the other, and not become
u problem IN the Mid-Continent oil
Held OF anywhere else.
The next hundred years or so may
possibly prove the wisdom OF MIR
liarding's = stand for free oil, but the
present generation VIII hardly look
beyond the fact that he Is doing
something for the immediate and
lasting benefit of standard OH and
kindred concerns.
1t must rem, bcrcd that the un-
prcccdcntcd popular majority given
Mr.. Harding last year represented
the votes of hundreds OF thousands
Of independent voters who are only
lightly bound by party ties, If bound
at all
In the campaign OF 1924, one big
criticism of MIR. Hardings admin
stration Will In the apparent suSCep-
| ubility to STANDARD OIL and kindred
| interests interests that Will reap "A
! harvest OF millions and hundreds OF
( millions from free oil"
1t IL possible that "A general i'm
| provcmcnt OF business conditions
may rsuit in an Increased price for
domestic crude oil; but general bust
ness viii not improve - long as the
government pursues its heads | win.
tails you lose" policy in the matter
OF excess profits, surtaxcs, etc. There
| is little incentive for business when
the lions share of profit goes To the
government and all loss to the busi-
ness.
For some years l lived in Mexico
where the sales tax prevailed. 1t is
a pay AS -yOu-go' tax, produces
enormous revenues. is not burden
some to the ultimate consumer, Is
easily collected and easily calculated,
whereas hardly any two expert aC-
/ counts can agree on an income tax
report involving excess profits and
surtaXes-iudividua or corporate.
! Mexico collected the tax through
| internal revenue stamps which were
! attached. y OF / per cent. 70 each
"faCtura" or bill and cancelled b,
| W N.c1v ~