Evening star., 1948-03-07
By John A. Giles


committee of Congress working on
proposition to give to few States
oil lands which the Supreme Court
has held belongs to all the States is
being unfolded on Capitol Hill
A Joint Senate House Judiciary
subcommittee headed by Senator
Moore, Republican, of Oklahoma,
himself an oil man, is considering
a bill to give the coastal States title
to submerged lands off their coasts.
AS it stands, without this legisla-
tion, paramount claim to these re-
sources is held by the United States,
according to a decision by the Su-
preme Court in the California Tide
lands case.
To the casual observer no oil in
terests are noticeable at the hear
ings which go into their third week
tomorrow. In fact, the principal
hackers of the bill are the represent
atives of virtually all the States
both coastal and inland.
Lobbyist Is From Nebraska.
The National Association of At
torneys General drafted the State
ownership measure under consid-
Grafton. The associations registered
lobbyist-Walter r. johnson is a
sort of master of ceremonies for the
proponents as he introduces the
several Governors, attorneys general,
port directors, and so on. Mr..
johnson is from Nebraska, which
might stand to lose cut IN oil roy
alties should title pass to the coastal
States.
There Is, with one exception, little
disposition on the part of the sub
committee membership to obtain
anything but favorable testimony in
favor of the measure. In addition
to getting a helping hand from
certain committee members, Mr..
johnson and his witnesses have
been given boosts from time to
time by Guy woodward, admins
trative assistant to Senator Moore
and himself former counsel for
oil interests.
At the start of the hearings the
Senator obtained unanimous con-
sent for Mr.. Woodward to question
witnesses as special counsel, and
Mr.. Woodward has been especially
diligent in bringing out points
which proponents overlooked.
Other Bills Languish.
And while Senator Moore's group
works feverishly on its State own
ership bill, two administration
measures worked out to conserve
natural resources and for purposes
of National defense lanquish in
other committees. The two bills
would % set up management
policy for the oil lands and, in
fact, give the oil States about as
much of the royalties as they now
receive; and CD relinquish all Fed
eral title to inland waters and
provide a solution for the prob
lens of docks, etc. The latter was
designed to quiet the cries Of in
vasion of States rights but. since
it is not under consideration, 1t
has had no such effect.
The two administration bills were
referred to the Committees on In
terror and Insular affairs. Those
committees are waiting Judiciary
committee action on the State own
ership bill sponsored by Senator
Moore and 20 other Senators and in
the House by 81 members. Why,
they ask, talk about managing
property we plan to give to the
States anyway?
The Moore group hearings were
in their 18th day yesterday when
Representative Hobbs, Democrat, of
Alabama, longtime advocate that
the Federal Government had para
mount rights" over the marginal
areas, took the stand against the
| measure. ~
| johnson and Texan Object.
f. The oil companies and the big
! oil operators" are surreptiously
financing the fight as they have
since 1885, Mr.. Hobbs charged.
Up jumped Mr.. johnson and At
torney General Price Daniel of
Texas, which is next on Attorney
General Clark's list of States to be
sued to establish title to submerged
oil lands, with shouts that the state
ment reflected on their integrity.
| Mr.. Hobbs refused to go further
into this charge, saying his infor-
nation did mot reach the level Of
evidence" However. he did trace
the fight back to the time when, he
said, the Standard Oil Co. bought
an electric railway along the Pacific
Coast and began drilling slanting
wells seaward from the right-of-
way. The company had s1,000,-
900 save our company fund, he
said.
Later Mr.. Johnson, who has been
invited to vacate his post as Ne
braska attorney general by Gov
Val Peterson of that State, ac-
cording to press reports, took the
stand to deny any oil company
connections. He received $500,
plus expenses, he said, from the
associations special fund to fight
for the bill and most of that fund
so far has come from the State OF
California. Thirteen States, in
Guiding North Dakota and Kansas
have indicated they will contribute
he said.
) Favorable Report Expected.
There isn't much doubt what the
J subcommittee will do, according to
Senator Moore, Senator McCarran
Democrat, of Nevada, Representa-
tive Gossett, Democrat, of Texas
I. dacy will afford an opportunity tc
, test the Eisenhower sentiment