Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-05
OKLAHOMA TROOPS
CLOSING OIL WELLS
Murray Orders Guardsmen to
Enforce SHUTDOWN, 500
May Lose Jobs.
D the Associated Press.


OKLAHOMA CITY. August 5.--Gov.
william H. Alfalfa Bill" Murray has
carried cut q threat to shut down
Oklahoma oil wells under martial law
in an effort to increase prices for crude
oil. He named the supreme executive
power Of the State" as his authority.
National 0uardsmen. called out late
yesterday. invaded the giant Oklahoma
City oil field without appreciable OPP
position and headed toward new OBJ
jectives. The Governors orders are
to close all OF the States 3,lO6 wells
that have daily average production
of rs barrels or more.
Seeing his shutdown order in success
in the fleld here, where the greatest
sweet oil producers In the world have
been gushing. Gov. Murray ordered an
advance to the Seminole Wewoka area
All producers in the Wewoxa townsite
pool continued to- flow or pump their
wells during the morning and only one
new shutdown ON the Carter OH Co.'S
community lease, was reported 1T West
Seminole. Numerous wells IN the SEM
mole area were closed.
1900 May Lose Jobs.
The troops, under Adjt. Gen. Charles
r. Barrett and newly commissioned
Lieut.. Col. Cicero I. Murray, the Gov
ernor's cousin. prepared to 60 to the
Greater Seminole area today.
From that point the movement VIII
spread to others OF the az flush pro-
duction oil pools affected by the execu-
tive order. Published reports were that
more than $500 persons would be left
jobless by the closing Of the wells.
The order, coming at the end Of sew
erai days of impatient waiting by In
dependent operators suffering from low
crude prices, decreed that each well
should remain closed until purchasers
agreed to pay q minimum Of 81 per
barrel at the wells. Fifty cents was
the top yesterday.
At noon anticipated court action to
counterfeit the shutdown had not
naterialized, but there was a report 1t
might take form ct Guthrie, where the
decision OF three Federal judges was ex-
pscted this afternoon in an attack on
Oklahoma pruration laws by the
Champlin Refining Co.
see Wells shut at Capital.
At Oklahoma City the shutdown Of
nearly 800 wells was completed less
than four hours after the troops moved
LII OH ApRC0 MCtlS AIlQ khS9SIH luE~
nishing fuel for drilling wells were ex-
empted.
Sinclair Oil employees, against which
company the Governor aimed fiery re-
marks in his executive order. asked
guardsnen for written orders to close,
but Withdrew quietly when they saw
Col. Murray was not planning to ar
bitrate.
Gov. Murray had accused the Sin
clair Oil & Gas Co. and their asso-
ciates" Of judicial juggling through In
junction"
He asserted their combined operations
caused low prices for crude to increase
their profits while running smaller In
dependent Arms without such complete
industrial facilities.
Lists Reasons for Order.
Going deeply into Oklahoma law, the
Chief Executive used nearly 5000 words
In drafting his order The principal
points argued as reasons for the shut
down were:
l. Protection of school children of the
State. con on school land produces a
considerable part OF the States reye-
nue).
2. Conservation Of the states natural
resources.
3. To protect the taxpayers rights to
ana IN oil revenues.
4. To establish the guarantee Of the
fourteenth amendment Of the United
States Constitution to independent pro-
ducers @gainst taking their property
without due process Of law
5. To protect citizens from general
monopolistic control Of their natural
resources by corrupt combinations OF
capital who produce, transport, refine
and sell oil"
Murray Threatens Arrests.
Gov. Murray said today he would UNI
hesitatingly arrest any one who might
interfere with the martial law edict." he
said:
Some Of these quill suckers said this
action In the oil matter was q bad prec-
edent. and that II could do that with
oil il could be done with wheat and cot
ton.
They don't understand that an ex-
ecutiye order must invariably follow the
Law TO carry cut the intent Of the Law
and can't be used In the absence Of law.
There Is Law prohibiting produc-
ton Of oil IN Oklahoma when the price
Is less than IT'S value There Is no Law
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