Evening star., 1926-05-09
BY WALTER X. McCALLUM.

Delayed because Of poStponement OF
hearings and the desire of counsel for
one of the large petroleum producing
and selling agencies further to amplify
its written testimony, the Federal Oil
Conservation Board has figuratively
rolled up its sleeves and gotten down
to real work on it's final report to the
President and Congress.
Known unofficially as The Presi-
dent's-Oil Board" the governments
body, appointed by President Coolidge,
has its final report whipped into such
shape that the material to be sub
mitted by Charles Evans Hughes, for
mer Secretary of State and now chief
counsel for the American Petroleum
Institute, will be digested and moved
into It's proper place in the final draft
without any involved juggling of the
decisions already made. Mr.. Hughes
expects to appear before the board on
or about May "a. The board hopes to
have it's final report ready for the
printer about June /, completing in a
little less than year and a half the
most exhaustive study and inquiry of
the entire oil industry yet made by
any body-official or unofficial.
The board was created by executive
order of President Coolidge, dated De
cember 10, 1924, ito study and report
on the condition of the country's oil
supply, to determine If the Nations
oil resources are being depleted and IL
| national and State conservation policy
is essential" It's creation came a few
| weeks after the Presidential elections
of 1924, and several months after the
Teapot Dome inquiry had virtually
been stopped.
Technical Men Advisers.
The advisory committee OF the
| board, composed entirely Of technical
men in the Government service, has
been comforting for more than a
month and a half with John W.
| Waterman, general counsel for the
board and a candidate for Republican
Senator from Colorado, whipping into
shape the final report for presenta-
| ton to the full board. This commit
tee is composed of the following of
ficials: DR.. George Otis Smith, di-
rector of the Geological Survey, De-
partment of the Interior, chairman;
Brig. Gen. Edgar Jadwin, War De
partment; Rear Admiral Harry II.
Rousseau, Navy Department. and
Harry H. Hill, Bureau of Mines, De-
partment Of Commerce.
! Secretary Work Of the. Interior. chair
man; Secretary of the Navy Wilbur,
Secretary of War Davis and Secre-
tary Of Commerce Hoover. These
men. however have many other du-
| ties. They cannot sit down every
day for a month and draft a final
report.
They have, for that reason, dele
gated the task of shaping up the re,
port to the advisory committee. Here
| is the program undertaken Tor the
compilation Of the report: Consldefa'
ton Of the past and present condition
of the Oil industry, and the essentlal
petroleum requirements OF the Army
Navy, merchant marine and the eX'
ecutiye arm; consideration of the
legal powers of Federal and State
government, statutes governing I'M
mort and export, constitutional rights
1 Of individuals to develop OIL ianos
and the present status Of Federal con-
troll of the public domain.
In addition, the committee and the
board has before it the Naval Com
missions report to the President on
petroleum conditions. and Federal
Trade Commission reports on the
same subject: the question or essen
tial and non-essential use OF petroleum
and tbe nresent effect of so-called
connective conditions in the Oil and
coal industry, along with the prob
lem of possible substitutes; the qnes,
| ton of foreign development OF oil
| fields by American nationals and the
| effect of final action and the report
| of the board on the economic cond1-
ton Of the nation.
This latter point is considered one
Of the most important before the board,
for there is little question that the
Federal Oil Conservation Board, with
the picture of increasing diminution
tof the Nations oil reserves and de-
crease in new wells and production