Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-20

A practicable solution Of the oil In
dustry's overproduction problem Is seen
by many newspaper editorial writers
in the proposal of Secretary Wilbur OF
the Interior Department that the OIL
producing States enter into a conServa-
ton compact with the cooperation OF
the Federal Government.
mr. Wilbur proposes to sound local
sentiment by consulting the governors
of the dominant oil States" says the
st. Louis Post-Dispatch. I'VE believe
he will find those executives eager to
cooperate. AT any rate, the conserva-
ton plan outlined by Mr.. Wilbur was
In substance recommended more than
10 years ago by Oklahoma's able war
governor, r. L. Williams. He was ahead
Of his time In perceiving and denounc-
ing the wasteful practices OF the oil IN
dustry and urging the conservation by
State regulation. That the present heads
of the various State governments re-
alize the necessity of reform by con-
certed action may reasonably be as
sllmed. Anyhow, the Hovoer admins
tration has rolled up Its sleeves and got
to work ON this enormously important
job" ~ !.
1.-THE proposed interstate compact is
right in principle" asertS the Newark
Evening News. "Mr. Wilbur suggests
that the Federal Government. through
congressional action. shall become q
party to it, presumably In some such
manner as it is a party to the Colorado
River States compact. If the plan can
be made to work, well and good. Results
are what wanted" The Evening News
takes note Of the fact that Secretary
wilbur has corrected the impression
given by Attorney General Mitchells
opinion regarding the oil producers con-
servation plan that the administration
accepted the conflict between the plan
and the asiti-trust laws as an obstacle
to further Government action.
4 X ~ X
The proposed action, according to the
San Francisco Chronicle, lis another
way. perhaps. of doing what might be
ACCOMPLISHED by the laborious process
of getting Congress and the oil States
to amend the existing antitrust laws.
The proposal certainly should be ex-
amined with care to see II 1t offers
simpler and easier method OF securing
a legal formula for holding unwanted
petroleum in prison underground. Inc
need is critical to stop an orgy OF waste
which Is dissipating for mere crude
fuel purposes the Nations supplies OF
gasoline and other petroleum nlgn
values"
saThe states have the OIL" remarks
the Phiiadelphia Record, "and tney
have power of control over those VINO
drill for lit and market It WITHIN Ineir
boundaries. Conservation is Q navlpnal
concern. Uncle Sam cannot issue oroers
to. the States as to how they SnaH use
their power Of control. But u State gov.
errinnents and the Federal Government
can legally cooperate, conservation can
be launched as constructive poncy.
NOW that the big producers realize tnaJ
unrestricted competition threatens tneir
own future, governmental action pc
comes possible"
riparian rights rules for taking water
from streams" the Rochester Times
Union recalls, adding that the "oil
States ought to be able to revise the
laws pertaining to the underground
aThe region that has oil has great
potential wealth and power" observes
the Oklahoma City Times, even Il It
remains Id the ground for q time, and
need not be perturbed by conservation.
The demand for petroleum products
grows steadily" continues that paper,
Seven II it has been passed by the sup
NV. The greater gain viii come from
supplying the oil when it Is needed
$50 long as State action is relied
upon to deal with the oil situation the
Waterbury Republican argues, there
will always remain the danger Of some
States being so anxious to get all the
revenue possible out Of their oil deposits
at the moment, and so blind to the
future peril Of such policy, that they
win throw the system out Of gear by
refusing to join in the conservation
movement The protests made by Sem
etpEs from states having Government