The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1927-02-18

power Oh IldlloA n
naval oil reserves to private lnolVlou- =
ais. 1t will be. remembered that al
ter the "muckrackers" exposed Che
Ballinger steals in Alaska that Ihefe
was a period of conservation OF nat
ural resources policy in this country.
While this was public policy over SIX
and a half million acres OF the oil
lands in the public domain was with
drawn from settlement and explol-
tation, so that the oil might be pre-
served to the nation.
Walsh Bays With Pack
Then the wolf pack of Standard Oll
set up a howl and one of the loudest
howlers was Senator 7. J. Walsh. For
ten long years they cried out fo1
leases or anything that would enaD!e
them to grab the riches under Cnls
six and a half million acres. The
lure of oil caused them to send squat
tiers and false entrymen upon the
land and then consolidate their hold
ings and in some cases drill them.
False affidavits were made that these
lands were entered upon oefnre the
withdrawal act was passed and press
ure was brought upon the General
Land office so that titles were toler-
ated while the oil was extracted.
Scores of these titles were involved
when the General Leasing Act of 1921
was passed. /
General Leasing Law of 1921.
! When Walsh fought day after day |
to push through this sinister law
he met with the bitter opposition of
I 11&4 Dr,xlI Nv klaknl
Standard Oil wanted it. For two days
Walsh opposed the amendment of La
Toilette to this bill, which if adopted,
would have prevented the leasing of
the naval reserves, more particularly
Teapot Dome and Elk Hills. If La
Toilette had succeeded in his fight
to pass this amendment the Elk Hills
E oil reserves would never have gotten
, into the possession of Standard Oil.
+ 1t is conceded that he would have
: succeeded in this fight but for the
active opposition on the floor of the
Senate by Senator Walsh, aided by a
big Standard Oil lobby. In the Sen
, ate debate Walsh protested to believe
q that the bill would not help the
n Standard Oil. Yet it was practically
q the same bill which he, Senator
h Walsh, had introduced in 1913.
e LaFOIlette Brands Bill Walsh Sup
ported Standard Oil Measure.
The debates in which Senator La
! Toilette opposed the bill which more
% than any other Senator, Walsh help
e ed to pass, furnish interesting read.
!. ing in view of Senator Walsh's latter
70 day claims as the protector of thu
"a nations resources! To prove the ma
81 ture of this bill 1 direct the readers
o attention to page 4745 of the Con
h gressional Record which quotes Sena
al tor La Toilette as follows:
o. Senator LaFOllette: "The bill as
of drawn will. l believe, destroy the
adj naval reserves set aside for the
he navy. The reports of the naval
nd experts of the highest authority as
Sc well as the experience of our own
ev navy and the navies of the foreign
lid powers, have established the fact
IL beyond question that naval eff
ey cheney, and therefore national safe.
Die ty were dependent upon the increas.
Ing use of Oil-burning ships. 1t is
therefore, evident that, after q
cd brief moment of time, as the lives
Ieb of nations are counted. there will
be not be a sufficient supply of oil il
OIL the ground necessary to insure Oul
be safety from attack. if the existins
of deposits are to be thrown open Il
,te private exploitation without main
zoe tanning any reserves for our futur
hat naval use. This was the purpOs
itv for which the naval oil reserve
I were set aside. The needs of til
the navy require that the oil should b
up kept In reserve in the ground un
wv TIL future naval necessities requir
led its extraction and use."
olra Senator La Toilette then wen
led on to show that the two most i'm
o1,s pOrtant naval reserves were Ell
ark Hills of California and the TeapC
am Dome of Wyoming.
the Senator La Toilette then rea
did TINS telegram concerning the oil
rer leasing bill:
the Denver, Colo. August "a, 191
iced Senator La Toilette.
nut United States Senate,
ield. Washington, d. c.
heir "Oil-leasing bill Standard 6
ools measure, and menaces western {
hich interests. Standard Oil. New Je
The sey, owns 80 per cent stock Impe
out Ial Oil Canada, which controls Mi
him west Refining, and it controls Me
thot rltt Oil Corporation, Grass Gre
aus Petroleum, Western States, Ut
end, Oil 4 Refining, Mountain and Gu
Boston, Wyoming, with long co
tract for entire production of Mi
fin west Oil Co. and its subsidiari
ub- and many other operating in
pill Wyoming districts. Passage mea
Oil Standard Oil control of western
CRY production. Honest Investigate
end under Phipps resolution will {
to story. Time permitting could fl
the nish petition against passage W
hem thousands of signers. Standard
the legislation as popular in COlOrs
But and West as smallpox.
om- Fred w. Parks
hich On page Alto of the congressi
the record Senator Walsh is quoted
Iiv- saying:
Ana "Mr. President, the section of