Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-30
$40 OIL PERMITS
. TO DRILL ON j. S.
LAND CANCELLED
941 Applications Refused.
326 Holders Are Facing
Revocation.
COMMISSIONER SPRY
REPORTS TO WILBUR
Says Number of Cases Disposed of
Will Increase Rapidly in :.
Next Few Days. ID
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
Secretary Wilbur announced today
that 349 permits for oil prospecting on
Government land had been Cancelled,
GAL applications for oil and gas permits
had been refused and 326 holders of
oil and gas permits had been called on
to show cause why their permits should
not be revoked.
Commissioner Spry of the Land Office
in a report to the Secretary, said the
Interior Department committee which
had been appointed to put into effect
the oil conservation policies Of Presi-
dent Hoover, had just begun to func-
ton and that in the next few days the
number of cases disposed of will in
crease very rapidly"
Some Organized Opposition.
Secretary Wilbur said the general re-
action to the conservation policy had
been favorable, although in several
Western States there appeared to be
some organized opposition. He said that
all cases that appeared to have been
unjustly handled by the department
would be reviewed in hearings which he
expected to preside over.
The Interior head said he had not
received a report from the Department
of Justice on the proposed conservation
program Of the Petroleum Institute, but
that the legal division of the Interior
Department. after casual study, had
not been able to discover any evidence
of intention to violate any of the anti
trust laws. He said, however, that he
would await the report of the Depart
ment of Justice before placing either
the Interior Department or the oil
conservation board on record as favor
ing or opposing the proposal.
>, He announced the general idea of the
Petroleum Institute appeals very
strongly to members of the Oil Con-
seryation Board and that he felt that
the only thing which would prevent it
from being placed into effect immedi-
ately was the lack of legislative aid
from the Federal Government. In his
opinion the proposal opens up field for
legislation looking primarily to the con-
servation of an exhauStible natural re-
source.
Report on Production. ,,s5e-..
Petroleum production in the United
States for February amounted to U.s.
693,000 barrels, a daily average of
2,T03 900 barrels and new record in
output.
The increase was placed by the
Bureau OF Mines today at IA per cent
above the figures for the same month
a year ago, and an increase over Janu-
ary of this year of $4,000 oarrels per
Gay
The net result of the higher oil pro-
duction in a seasonal period Of low
consumption was marked increase Of
stocks on hand, particularly of crude
petroleum and gasoline.
The daily output of gasoline in Feb
ruary was 1,117,000 barrels, slight in
crease over January, but an increase of
81 per cent over February, 1928. Stocks
of gasoline on hand February 20 in the
United States were estimated to be
As, ,704 600 barrels, against 40.648,000
barrels January 81, and 41,100.000 bar
rels February %, 1928. The bureau
calculated that the gasoline stocks at
the end of February represented 48
days supply for the country, as COM
pared with a 46 days supply the
previous month and Al days a year ago.