Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-07-15
STERLING SAYS
'12ELIEF NEEDED


TO the Members OF the Forty
Second Legislature:
"A grave crisis confronts the
state IN the conservation Of its
natural resources. The earth's re-
selvoirs OF oil and gas are being
toralned and virtually thrown away.
and enormous underground waste
Is resulting from the orgy OF dis
orderly production.
Section 50 OF the State Consti-
tuition declares: The conservation
and development OF all the natural
resources OF this state . and the
preservation and conservation OF
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 a solemn moral obligation TO
IexaS OF tomorrow, not to exhaust
and dissipate its resources needless
ly SO as to deprive oncomlng gen.
eratsons OF their benefits.
This applies 70 soil, water and
other mineral resources, with equal
force as to oil and gas. The i'm
poveriShment and deterioration OF
1.-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. 10
attain distressing proportions. d.
trectly affecting the welfare OF every
farmer in the state whose soil IS
being Slapped OF its fertility through
lerosion and lack Of proper rotation
OF crops. State assistance and
counsel, properly directed along
proven scientific lines, could do
much toward preserving the quail
flty OF the soil, and spare the tillers
thereof incalculable losses from
<lminished productivity.
x2xisting laws are inadequate to
out the conservation clause
Eshe state constitution, ana In
zsequence the state Is suffering
~fievously. The oil Industry, one
Fof the states principal sources Of
I wealth, is demoralized and ~tottering
I on its foundations; thousands OF
/ people. directly dependent upon the
\ industry, are going bankrupt; hun
I dreds OF thousands. perhaps mil
lions, Of others are feeling the eff
fects indirectly; and the state it.
\ self is losing millions OF dollars
annually in reduced gross produc-
ton tax receipts-al due TO the
wanton release and waste OF oil and
Y gas which nature has been storing
! up for thousands of years in the
y subtcrranean sands.
so acute and disturbing has the
emergency become, that citizens
\ from all over Texas have bes.eged
the Executive Office with kilograms.
letters. petitions. long distance calls
and personal visits, urging the con-
venng or a special session OF the
/ leg stature 10 cope with the prob
lam. Numerous chambers OF COM
merce, local governing bodies. land,
lease and royalty owners, business
men and the vast majority Of small
/. independent oil men. have joined
in the demand, pleading that i'm
mediate legislat.o on mas the only
\ course that offered substantial re-
lief.
Not wishing to put the state to
the expense and the members TO 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, I submit to your
Honorable Body the matter OF y
acting legislation to make the con-
s~erration clause or the Constltu-
ton effective. And. since tbs clause
covers Tail the natural resources 81
this state" I believe that your
legislative program should proper
" include the conservation Of all
mineral resources. OF the soil and
OF the waters Of Texas.
THE soil Is the basic natural
resource OF the state. and Il IS
being depleted So rapidly that un-
less remedial steps are taken, the
heirs to our agricultural lands a
few generations hence will find
them a WORKOUT. unproductive
levacy. such already has proved the
case 4 in other states where the
landsl have been cultivated longer.
wlthbut adequate attention 10 con-
seryat-on.
.aThe public waters. too. are be
coming more and more important
as a natural resource, as the state
grows. More and more they are
coming into demand for power.
irrigation and municipal use. While
we have a Water Board for their
conservation, We should look well
I'd keeping cur facilities abreast Of
the changing requirements OF the
times. lest We fail to realize the
FIJI publ.c benefits Of our waters.
Much study and consultation
has strengthened my belief that
conservation OF our natural re-
sources could best be achieved
through q unified program q e.ic-t
FOR conserving all natural sources.
And SO I commend this Idea 70
your earnest consideration, con-
fident OF your wisdom TO work out
a constructive plan that will meet
the emergency. give effect 70 the
Constitution, and safeguard the
states interest in IT'S natural prop
critics. now and in the future"
Respectfully submitted.
CSigned) r. S. Sterling,
GpYernor