New Britain herald., 1930-10-01
I0|L LEASE INQUIRY
 MAY BE EXTENDED
Dept. of Justice Joins Probe Of
 Kelley's Charges

Washington, Oct. i UP) - The whole subject of western oil leases may be opened to federal investiga- ton because of Ralph s. Kelleys charges of maladministration Of Colorado oil shale lands by the in terior department.
 The inquiry had broadened to triple front today, the department Of justice machinery being added to Secretary of Interior Wilbur's own | investigation and the moves by Chairman Nye of the senate public lands committee.
 i In asking Kelley to return from New York, where he went after making his charges in a letter of resignation as chief of the field dl- vision of the general land office in Denver, Senator Nye said the accu- sations seemed to be connected with other western oil matters of public importance.
 My interest in this matter is prompted by the contact which l had with the investigation of the so- called oil scandals in Wyoming" :" Nye wrote Kelley. While those in- vestigations have been closed, I am, nevertheless, interested in following the administration of the public do- main insofar as it relates to our re- sources of oil and will have genu- inc interest in any facts which you may afford relative to the admins tration of this domain which IS not in keeping with the letter and the spirit of the law
 Kelley was understood to be plan ming to return to Washington today for conference with Nye later in the week.
 Wilbur Requests Full Probe
 In announcing he had requested cooperation of the justice depart ment, Secretary Wilbur said his de- partment "does not propose to rest under charges of misfeasance in con- nection with the administration of public lands"
 Tt is expected" he said, "that the department of justice will give full opportunity to establish any charges and will seek explanation of the origin of these reckless and false statements"
 Wilbur believes that by moving promptly the interior and justice de- partments will ma Ike a senate in quiry unnecessary.
 We've got all the procedure right here that's necessary to i1- vestigate these charges and put peo- pie in jail if necessary" he said.
 Lands Now Worthless
 1T want the justice department to find out what this is all about. In the first place these oil lands are not worth anything now. You couldn't sell a strip of it to save your life, what with Kettleman Hills and all the other big fields produc- ing all the oil and gas that will be needed for a long time to come"
 In his letter to Wilbur, Kelley had placed the value of the shale in 1 QueSllOll dL 9fu,uuV,uu,opo. 4itoIAoi department experts say the cost of contracting oil from the shale, a tough rock substance, thus far has prevented large scale production.
 It was pointed out by Wilbur that Kelley's statements that con- binations of large oil companies were obtaining oil shale claims through political pressure nl the interior department did not refer to ] oil lands in general.
 ''No single lease or permit has been issued by this administration to any individual, company or cor poration on these Coil shale) lands, that being in compliance with an executive order of the president at the start of this administration, v l the secretary stated