Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-07-15
STERLING SAYS
RELIEF NEEDED
overnor Asks Legislature
10 Safeguard Public
And State Interest

o5conu Legislature:
grave crisis confronts the
STATE IN the conservation OF It's
natural resources. The earsh's re-
1Isoirs OF oil and gas are being
urained and virtually thrown away.
and enormous underground waste
Is resulting from the orgy Of dis
orderly production.
section SO OF the State Consti-
tuition declares: The conservation
and development OF all the natural
resources OF this state > . and the
preservation and conservation or
all such natural resources of the
state are each and all hereby
declared public rights and duties -
Aside from these legal public
rights and duties" Texas OF today
owes q solemn moral obligation to
Texas OF tomorrow, not to exhaust
and dissipate its resources needless
,ly so as 70 deprive oncoming gen.
eratsons of their benefits.
This applies to soil. water and
other mineral resources, with equal
force as to oil and gas. The i'm
poverishment and deterioration OF
the states agricultural lands, al
ready in advanced stages in some
sections, Is creating a conservation
problem which BIDS fair in the not
distant future. unless checked, to
attain distressing proportions. d.
rectly affecting the welfare OF every
Iarner IN the state whose soil is
being sapped OF It's fertility through
Ferosion and lack OF proper rotation
&lof crops. State assistance and
fcounssl, properly directed along
'lproven scientific lines, could do
much toward preserving the quail
lty Of the soil, and spare the tillers
thereof ~incalculable losses from
diminished productivity.
NJ Existing laws are inadequate to
esEry out the conservation clause
fhe state constitution, and in
fequence the state Is suffering
Kyously. The oil industry, one
Fthe states principal sources OF
<ealth, Is demoralized and tottering
on its foundations; thousands or
I people, directly dependent upon the
industry. are going bankrupt: hun
dreds of thousands. perhaps mil
lions. OF others are feeling the e.
I fects indirectly; and the state it.
\ self Is losing millions OF dollars
annually in reduced gross produc-
ton tax receipts-au due 10 the
wanton release and waste OF OIL and
gas which nature has been storing
up for thousands OF years II the
sub~terranean sands.
so acute and disturbing has the
emergency become, that citizens
from all over Texas have besieged
the Executive Office with kilograms.
letters. petitions. long distance calls
\ and personal visits, urging the con-
ventig or q special session Of the
leg stature 10 cope with the prob
lem. Numerous chambers Of COM
merce. local governing bodies. land.
lease and royalty owners, business
\ men and the vast majority OF small
n independent oil men, have Joined
III the demand. pleading that i'm
mediate legislation was the only
cc-rse that offered substantial re-
lief.
mot wishing 10 put the state 10
the expense and the members 70 the
inconvenience OF AN extraord nay
session unnecessarily, I withheld
action for several weeks. hoping
that the conservation problem
might be worked out through vol
untary public effort. However, such
effort apparently has proved fruit
less: and finally, after many men,
bers of the leg stature had added
their advocacy OF a session and the
enactment OF a conservancy law, !
concluded that this course should
be taken
Accordingly. ] submit TO your
Honorable Body the matter Of en-
acting legislation TO make the con-
servation clause or the constitu-
ton effective. And. since IN S clause
csvers Tall the natural resources 81
this state" I believe that your
legislative program should proper
lv include the conservation Of al
mineral resources, OF the soil and
OF the waters Of Texas.
The soil is the basic natural
resource Of the state, and It IS
being depleted 50 rapidly that IN
less remedial steps are taken, the
heirs to our agricultural lands a
few generations hence will find
them a WORKOUT, unp-oducttve
LEGACY such already has proved the
case in other states where the
lands have been cultivated longer.
vltaAut adequate attention to con-
scrvsf Oh.
..Yhe public waters, too. are be-
coming more and more important
as a natural resource. as the state
grows. More and nor they are
Gaming into demand for power.
irrigation and municipal use. While
We have q Water Board for their
conservation, We should look well
IA keeping our facilities abreast OF
the changing requirements Of the
times, l--. we fail TO realize the
f1Il purl.c benefits OF our waters.
AaMuch study and consultation
has strengthened my belief that
conservation of our natural re-
sources could best be achieved
through d unified program If effort
for conserving all natural sources.
And 50 I commend this idea to
your earnest consideration. con-
fident Of your wisdom 70 work out
! constructive plan that viii meet
the emergency. give effect 20 the
Constitution. and safeguard the
states interest in rs natural prop
critics. now and ir the future
Respectfully submitted.
(Eirred) r. 6 Sterling.
Governor