The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1943-09-03

allowing bits of lather to remain on
the skin for a while.
oil that they purchase for refining
purposes from the Independent oil
producers. The Independent oil pro
Queer is in the same category as the
independent wheat farmer and there
is no more relationship between a
barrel of crude oil and gallon of
gasoline than there is between a
bushel of wheat and a loaf of bread.
We Independents sell our product for
what the majors are willing to give
and they sell the refined products for
all the traffic will bear, SO it must
| be evident to you that articles like
the one l have just mentioned only
tend to create more monopoly and do
force the Independents out of bust
ness.
In the past the Independents have
been responsible to large extent for
validating and the development of
new oil territory and after proven
has been acquired by the major in
terests after the promoters and indie
pendents had really located the new
pools, but now since the majors con-
troi 1870 of the production, they are
making an earnest effort to prospect
to the limit every area in the United
States that might be productive of
crude oil to increase their monopoly
and to stem the independent in his
efforts to exist and produce oil.
| think you appreciate that Mr..
Davies is the right hand man of Sec
rotary Ickes and he really runs the
oil show as Mr.. Ickes is not familiar
with the details of the operations of
the oil business and he must depend
largely upon his subordinates for adj
vice and it is known fact that after
Davies accepted the government posi-
ton they found he was still on the
payroll of the Standard of California.
l am not antagonistic to those ma
jor companies if they will live and
let live, because l know the price of
refined products are adequate to keep
the oil fraternity in a healthy condi-
ton, but the independent producers
who only produce oil must get an in
creased price for his crude oil in order
to exist, as our costs of production
and particularly labor have increased
by leaps and bounds, besides there is
an extreme shortage of competent
help.
The propaganda now is being spread
to import more crude oil from South
America and other foreign lands. 1t
must be remembered that this oil is
all owned by the major companies
and is being produced by cheap labor
and can be injected into the American
picture to hold down the price of
pendents in the United States by fore
ing them to compete with cheap crude
and will hold the price of crude oil
Town so the Independents will cease
10 exist.
They also put out the propaganda
hat the oil reserves in the United
States are rapidly declining and will
only last for short time. l person
lily have heard this propaganda for
he last rs years and l know it to be
% and IL thousand feet deep and
he continental United States will pro-
luce an adequate supply of oil until
uch time as it can be economically
eplaced by some other sort of fuel.
1t must also be very evident to you
hat the major companies, with the
elp of the administration, are playing
10Th ends against the middle putting
ut propaganda which is resented by
he public and is just the thing that
hey want to happen and that is to
ventually control and dominate the
yhole oil business in the United
tates and eliminate thousands upon
thousands of independent producers
or the benefit of Is to 35 major COM
anies.
If you wish to protect the consum- :,
RS of the United States, as well as
lie small Independent oil producers
ho have been the backbone of the
Il business for the past 80 years,
gu gentlemen should certainly bring
ressure on Prentiss Brown to in
ease the price Of crude and hold
i refined products at their present
vel, but we must be given an in
ease in the price of crude if we in
ependents hope to survive.
Very sincerely yours,
E. B. COOLIDGE.
P. s.: Suggest that you check my
srsonal standing with representa-
yes of your local organization with
the state of Montana, as ] have
7ed in the state IS years and have
ways been consistent liberal and
pporter Of labor. E. B. c.