The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1924-05-15
ny WILLIAM KENT
Former Congressman from
California;


The story Of American petroleum
Is varied and interesting.
The first petroleum was discovered
IN Pennsylvania. where Their wero no
federal lands and. therefore. no fed.
In Pennsylvania. whore there were no
mineral laws 10 curaii tho unlimited
title OF landowners 10 tho center Of
tho earth. with tho discovery Of the
value OF oil came an era Of gambling
and speculation. Tho ebulllcnt spirit
o< the plungcrs. gamblers and inde-
pendent producers was quietly
aauashsd by tho growing weight OF
The Standard oil trust. This domlna-
ton resulted in elimination OF waste.
IN steady Improvement Of product.
but did not result In properly sharing
with the public the profitz
As tho discoveries moved west.
they were made largely in territory
belonging 10 the federal government.
and were prosecuted In many cases
under tho pre,ense OF mining law.
OIL. unlike coal. will not stay put.
and owners or claimants wcFa forced
to speed production. trying TO set
ahead OF someone else who otherwise
would drain tho land which they &C.
cuplsd. Careless. ignorant. drilling
frequently ruined tho pools OF oil by
letting In the water.
Vas, quantities OF crude petroleum.
with itB Invaluable content. was
burned crudely for fuel. Hero wac
another inexcusabie waste which was
steadily being obviated By tho well.
conducted. monopoiistic procedure of
the Standard oil and other large com.
panics. Between tho extrayagant.
wastaful work Of tho independents.
and the better regulated economies
Of tho great monopolles. II would
have been far better TO have turned
tho entire product over to tho latter
rather than TO have experienced the
debauch OF unrestricted individual
gambling and waste. II Is equally
obvious that neither thing should
have occurred. and long after the
major portion OF tho oil lands had
escaped into private hands, an at
tempt was made to withhold and reg
ulate In the public interest.
In 1908, President Taft withdrew
from entry for exploitation. certain
largo oil tracts for our navy. These
Withdrawals melted piracy and
served 10 encourage poachers. There
were continuing invasions and drill.
ings in these areas. and insolent
claims OF rights evolved from active
wrongs. After years of controversy.
after the acquisition by private In.
terests of the greater part OF the oil
fields a leasing law was passed. pro.
viding for competitive bidding, and a
percentage OF the cffluent oil. This
was far better than tho previous sys.
tenn. tho not at oil adequate.
During tho reign OF Attorney Gen.
eral Mitchell Palmer tho policy OF
Thos. w. Gregory. his predecessor,
was reversed and in place OF follow.
ing thru n bona fido attempt 10 cs.
tablish federal ownership Of oil on
the immense land grant given the
Southern Pacific Railway. Palmer re.
fused to carry tho case to tho su.
prcme court and thereby cleared the
railway company's tito to oil prob.
ably worth 100000, 900.
Tho old gang looters found In SEQ.
rotary Fall an instrument to their
hand. In spite Of vigorous notice
drawing attention to tho situation, n
secretary of the navy was induced "a
turn these matters over to Fall. Fail
also endenvorcd to obtain the cession
OF control OF tho forest reservations
from the secretary of agriculture
but in this case hc ran into a mar
who knew his duty and proposed tc
ser IL thru.
Tho oil story Is nil scurrilous nnt
scandalous. 'rho greasy spray Il