Montana oil and mining journal., 1942-12-12

major companies, or
2. Money provided by the government.
In view Of the fact that mining is being
wholly financed by the government at pre-
sent, through RFC loans it seems only
logical to many that the oil industry should
be willing to likewise accept government
money-only no avenue of entry has yet
been established until the oil men them
selves create it by presenting a concrete
plan.
Certain it is that some wells MUST be
drilled in Montana. It is not merely matter
of creating prosperity. The profit side is
less important None can make any money
drilling wells now, in face of increased labor
costs, increased material costs and the diff
ficulty of securing materials. The only rea-
son that anyone would drill a well today
would be to comply with the requirements
of a severe contract OF FOR THE PUR-
POSE OF PROVIDING PETROLEUM
PRODUCTS FOR THE ARMED FORCES.
The man who has boy in the service
possibly a boy in Alaska, where his life de-
pends upon adequate petroleum supplies
is not hesitant about doing all within his
power to get oil enough to supply the mill
tary requirements of Alaska and the
Alaska highway
The oil man does not think in terms Of
this month or even next month but in terms
of six months and 12 months hence. Any
thinking man who looks at the statistics
of the Montana oil industry knows that six
months hence there will be decided short
age of crude oil to meet the requirements
of the north Montana refineries Yet at the
moment there is no drilling program out
lined-either by the Majors or by the In
dependents. All remark that the situation
is serious but none is doing anything about
it,
Our only contribution at this time is that
someone must begin outlining a plan that
will result In getting some oil on the sur
face of the ground
Referring again to our correspondent, we
agree that the American corporation plan,
with all of its abuses, was the best plan 1t
made the American people the richest people
on earth. No other plan has succeeded so
well and it should follow that other nations
should be trying out that American plan
rather than having America follow the
Russian or German or italian plan.
When j. P. Morgan passed away, 1t was
found that he left several millions of dol
ars represented by worthless stocks. These
his adventures in faith, the
penalties charged against him for believing
90 much.
But he left many more millions in sound
;ecurities-the reward of faith which was
light far more than it was wrong.
That faith in the American people is the
factor which has made this a
yreat and wealthy country Lack of faith
will reduce it to the level of European
countries. That lack of faith motivates much
# present-day government. We were in
crested in the narrative of a member of a
lorth Montana ration board. A government
representative visited the board and began
elling the board how to catch" the people.
f the board would do so-and-so he said,
you can catch them every time"
One Of the members of the board arose
nd said: Now Mr.. Bueaucrat, if you
hink that 1 am going to devote my time
nd energies to setting traps for my friends
nd neighbors either You are wasting your
me else / should not be on this board
,r one believe that 80 percent OF the Ameri-
an people are honest and an even greater
rOpOrtiOn of the residents of this country
re honest. think that they are patriotic
lr mere patriotic than most of the bureau
rats and politicians who visit us-and that
hey have sons and daughters in the armed
'rces whose lives they are anxious to pro-