Evening star., 1929-06-10
STATE-U. S. OIL STEP
URGED BY WILBUR
Cooperation Recommended
as Way to Conserve
DWindIing Reserve.
BY the Associated Press.


COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo, June
1o-Secretary Wilbur today outlined to
the governors of the oil-producing
States the belief of the Federal Gov
ernment that some form of co-opera-
ton between the States and the Ma
tional Government would be the most
effective method of eliminating waste
and conserving our limited oil supply,' -
Speaking before large assembly of
State, Federal and oil company off,
cials who had accepted the invitation
OF President Hoover to gather here to
consider the possibility of an interstate
compact designed to eliminate over
production of oil by limiting and con-
trolling drilling, the Interior Depart
ment head declared that uniform State
legislation and uniformity of enforce
ment should be the aim of the confer
ence.
Simple Compact Held Effective,
This identical conservation legisla-
tion. he said, could be created "by a.
simple compact Of the States, ratified
by Congress"
X 1t is important" the Secretary de-
clared, that there be stability of uni
form laws over a period of years, with
such hexibility as is possible through
the activities of an informed Joint com
mission which would enforce such laws
intelligently."
DR.. Wilbur told the conference that
primarily the responsibility for the
handling of the oil problem rests with
the industry and with the governments
OF the States.
=, He declared. This is a gasoline civ
iilzatlon In America. 1t is acknowledged
tnat there are preventable wastes in the
hanoIlng OF our oil supplies. 1t is also
acknowledged that there is a limited
supply of oil available. Estimates vary.
nut those most expert in the field ex-
Pect our present volume of production
10 last less than decade"
Reserves Should BE Guarded.
Only a small proportion of producing
lands are In the public domain. all
though large potential supply in those
areas should be safeguarded, DR.. Wilbur
SAID In his only reference to the Hoover
conservation policy on Government
land.
The position of the Federal Govern
ment, he declared, lis not to interfere
with the rights and duties of local State
governments, but to lend such aid as it
can and to participate in the solution
OF the problems. This administration
has no desire to concentrate the forces
OF government in Washington; it has
every desire to cooperate with the
States. 1t Is because of the urgency of
the problem that this conference has
been called.
In spite of the many difficulties that
face. u.s." DR.. Wilbur said. I'VE hope
that a careful study will develop plans
which will be fair and equitable to the
various States, to the owners and pro-
ducers OF oil and to the public"
Drawing of Pact Studied.
The ills of the industry, including the
chronic ailment of overproduction, were
placed before the conference today.
The immediate question was the
drawing OF an interstate compact for
the control of output from 320 900 wells
in the United States, each having a
daily average production of eight bar
rels, but ramifying from this were re-
lated problems determined by the geog-
rapny and economic outlook of the pro-
duction areas.
The 800 delegates, advisers and spec
tators assembled at the Broadmoor Ho-
tel were told by Mark L. Requa, per-
Sonal representative of Mr.. Hoover and
presiding officer, that he himself would
favor Government coercion II the indus
try itself failed to avail itself of oppor-
tunities to limit production and conserve
the Nations oil supply.
Failure" he said, upon the part of
the industry to grasp its opportunity
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