San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-02-25
NEAL WOULD ASK
GOVERNMENT FOR A
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Says Other Communities
Got 1t and Southwest
Texas Should Haze One.

A plan 20 have Southwest Texas
geologized by the governments geolo-
gical bureau at Washington has been
placed before the local Chamber OF
Commerce by L. S. Neal, prominent
oil man here. In a letter to G. b.
Yandell he points out that the Cham
Der of Commerce and local business
men have overlooked the oil possibili-
ties of Southwest Texas and says
there is no literature. advertising
Southwest Texas as an oil produc-
ing center. Other oil producing CEN
! tiers have received the assistance of
the government in discovering their
oil pools and Southwest Texas will
never get anywhere unless it takes
advantage of such opportunities. In
letter to the Chamber of Com
merce Mr.. Neal says: - s,.. 90
Il wish to call attention to some
thing that l believe the Chamber of
Commerce and business men in gem
eral have overlooked, that is, the oil
possibilities of Southwest Texas.
In all of the literature published
by the. Chamber of Commerce i have
never seen any mention made of this
section as an oil producing territory.
think it would be a good idea for
the Chamber of Commerce and all San
Antonio civic bodies to pay more at
tention to this industry.
"A few weeks ago we had DIR. J.
A. UddeD, geological director in the
State University at Austin, make a
talk here before about thirty bust
ness men on Southwest Texas from a
geological standpoint. was sur
prised to learn that the territory had
not been geologized by the United
States government. This l believe to
be accounted for by the fact that so
little is known of this country by oil
people.
Il suggest that the Chamber of
Commerce take this matter up with
the geological bureau at Washington,
Have Southwest Texas geologized. We
usually get what we go after. North
and Central Texas, North Louisiana
ana South Arkansas, Oklahoma, and
other oil producing sections have re-
ceiVed the assistance of the govern
ment IN discovering their oil pools,
and they, received assistance by ask
ing for it continually and keeping
attr It until they were heard by the
government, and 1 do not believe that
southwest Texas will ever get any
where unless it takes advantage of
such opportunities.
DIR. Udden made the statement
that Southwest Texas was unknown
geoiogically, for the simple reason
that the government had not geoIo-
glzed this country. Therefore. how
can We expect oil people to come here
and explore this country without
proper geological information, which
can be secured from a geological sur
Vey by the government. 7
owe bodies as well as indiyi-
duals should get behind this proposi-
tlon by taking the matter up with the
congressman and senator's from this
section and let Southwest Texas get
what is coming to it. Southwest
Iexos is overlooking what consider
its biggest asset. That is oil.
in my Ouinion Southwest Texa,
mas more possibilities in oil than any
other section of the South or South
west. L have talked TO oil men VIII
nave looked this territory over ant
all OF them agree, with me that on &C
count of its vastness. it is unknown
Seoiogically and producers are al
most at loss as 20 where to seek oil
Practically all of the large oil com
pames are now surveying this ter
rltory for their own private use an
are leasing lands in practically ever
county in this Southwest section, bu
OF course this information is for thei
own benefit and is not used for tn
general good of the people. If the GOV
eminent should make an investiga
ton, that information would be avail
able for everyone.