, 1922-03-16
IMPORTANT MEETING TUESDAY
IOca Oil Men Pass Resolution to
Reduce Government Royaltics-
n. II. Greenfield Elected
Chairman.

A meeting Of the local owners of
Oil and Gas Government permits
was held Tuesday afternoon in this
city. The meeting was called to
order by A. r. Whitehead at the
Ferris Hotel. n. r. Greenfield was
elected chairman and A. 7. White
head, secretary.
In opening the meeting Mr..
Greenfield stated that the meeting
was called for the purpose Of dis
cussing the advisability Of drafting
a set of resolutions requesting Con-
gress to reduce the Government roy
alties on oil and gas. After much
discussion on the subject by every
n present the following resolutions
were adopted by unanimous vote:
Whereas a large number of the
present oil and gas prospecting per-
NIT holders, both under section 13
and section 10 OF the Act of Con-
gress of February 20, 1920, initiated
their present tide 10 the lands Gov
cred by such permits by locating
such lands under the then existing
Placer Mining Laws applied to oil
and gas bearing territory, at a great
expense and under the firm belief
hat they would be entitled to OBJ
tdlu pd lelll ~ SuCu ANUS anu elIlltltu
to the entire Gil content Of the same;
and.
Whereas Congress by said Act of
commonly known as the Oil Land
Leasing Bill. under the provisions of
which said act. all locators Of Oil
Placer Claims upon which discovery
had not been made. are required to
| apply to the Department OF the In
terror for Oil and Gas Prospecting
Permits. and upon the discovery Of
oil and gas are required to accept
from the United States Government,
a lease under the terms of which. the
lessee is required to select o%ne-fourth
(A) of the area embraced in the
prospecting permit, provided that the
permittee shall be granted a lease
for as much as n hundred sixty
(16O) acres. Of such lands If there
be that number Of acres Fthe,
permit. and entitled to a preference
right to a lease for the remainder
Of the land in his prospecting permit
at a royalty Of not less than twelve
and one-half per centum (12h) In
amount or value Of the production
and upon such other conditions a
are fixed by the provisions OF said
act. the royalty to be determined by
competitive bidding. or fixed by su"'
other methods as the Secretary of
the Interior may by regulation pre-
scribe and which regulations now
provide that as to such preference
land. a royalty up to twenty-five per
centum esq., may be exacted b.
the Government: and
Whereas, owing to the extremely
iu:-l x,,% - ~-o-.ti1r n-,1 Hnonr,n
of the long and severe winters pre-
vailing at this altitude, with 10 as
suraEce Of production, or If produc-
ton Is obtained. no assurance of a
fair return commensurate with the
! risks and hazards undertaken, de-
%veloping and operating companies are
unable to pay any substantial roy
atty in addition to the exorbitant
royalties demanded by the Govern
ment. which in effect amounts to
a co~nfiscation OF the rights OF such
original locators and permittees; and
: Whereas, a great number OF unde-
veloped geological folds, favorable
Tor the accumulation Of oil and gas
In commercial quantities, are believ-
ed to exist upon the public domain,
requiring extended and expensive in
ve%stigations, which Investigations, we
believe, should be encouraged and
fostered by Congress by way OF Of
fering some inducements rather than
by driving citizens to privately owned
lands or foreign countries in exact.
ing the last pound Of flesh:
Now Therefore, BE 1t Resolved,
that we, the undersigned permit
holders under the provisions Of said
: Act Of Congress Of February 20,
= 1920, hereby respectfully petition
Congress to amend the last sentence