Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-23

A chorus OF approval greeting Presi-
dent Hoover's Oil conservation policy and
his ban against further leasing of Gov
eminent reserves is accompanied by
some suggestions that the President has
gone too far and that notifications will
be necessary. to insure proper develop
| ment of improved fields.
The President has taken an i'm
| portant step early in his term and the
brevity and clarity OF his statement
leave nothing in doubt" says the
Springfield, Ill, State Journal, while
the Chattanooga News views his stand
| as one that has an air of determine
ton about it which will strike the peo-
pie" And the Santa Barbara Daily
News, feeling sure of general approval. "
| adds that sit will bring no JOY to a
group of individuals engaged in big
business who have grown rich through
! the exploitation of the public's re-
| sources"
THE American people will whole
heartedly approve the change" declares
the Huntington Advertiser; the Buffalo
Evening News AYERS that 1t conforms TO
the national demand" and the SPRING
field Union holds that the President Is
! fulfilling popular expectations Of his
zette remarks. eff President Hoover
keeps UP the pace he has set there are
strong probabilities that his admins
| tration will 90 down in history as one
of the most efficient the Nation has ever
had"
1.-THE safest place in which to keep
| the Governments stores of crude oil, "
asserts the ST. Louis Times, SIS where
| they are. They can always be tapped
| If the exploiters of Federal leases are
kept out. It seems that the President
very earnestly purposes to see that this
| Is done" The Duluth Herald advises
| that 1.-The Governments oil supplies will
keep" and the Scranton Times feels
| that "it is not unlikely that move
ment will be launched to void number
of leases on the ground that continue
| ance Of operation would seriously deplete
| the Governments reserve supply"
Until more pressing need for this
| supply is evident, 1t surely is the part
of wisdom to keep it under ground,
says the Indianapolis News, and the
Newark Evening News thinks that 1.-The
Government ought to be just as crafty
as foreign countries which are conserv-
ing their resources while American pro-
ducerS are recklessly exhausting their
oil resources" The Detroit News OBJ
serves that President Hoover. by re-
iterating that our Government oil re-
sources are to be protected, has empha-
sized the original purpose of the
reservations"
why our Government should ever
| have been willing to waste It's oil" is a
mystery to the Youngstown Vindicator
The policy adopted appears to the New
Castle News to be "of the utmost i'm
portance in its possible effects on sta
bilization of the industry" The San
Francisco Chronicle emphasizes 1.-The big
problem of checking the development
on privately owned lands" although the
Baltimore Sun maintains that 1.-THE
| Government cannot control private en-
terplise in development Of oil fields"
| X X X
In opposition to the policy. the Great
Falls Tribune contends: Montana is
not producing enough oil to balance It's
| consumption at the present time It is
| too much to hope that the big COM
panies will endeavor to extend the
present boundaries Of proved area
Such activity will come only from the
happy-go- lucky, chance-taking wild
cater. Yet the Hoover oil policy is
aimed to put this fellow out OF bust
ness: not solely by curtailing his l2ases
but by setting up standards Of financial
ability which many successful wild
cater would have been unable to meet
in the earlier stages OF his career. The
Presio mt, we believe, should be able tc
work cut a plan that will protect the
Government against grafters. and al
the same time make substantial gains
In oil conservation without throwing a
cold, vet blanket over growing in
dustry which is playing an important
part in this States economic develop.
ment."
Similar argument comes from this
Lewiston Democrat News: Much oil
the oil which is now being produced ir
Wyoming, Montana. New Mexico and
Colorado Is being taken from Govern.
rnent lands Had the Hoover ordei
been In effect, very little Of this de-
velopment which has contributed mate.
rally to the upbuilding and prosperit,