The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1955-04-01

lDS(Iucl1ouS. Il po1ltSQ UuC 10 FOl
that the attorney for the land boart
| (Olsenl. after the injunction pro
hibiting the selling of leases was is
sued, proceeded Immediately to tn,
district court, on May 4, 1853 will
the intention of securing an immedi
ate hearing before the Supreme Cour
of Montana.
GOVERNOR AT FAULT
FOR DELAYS
''You entered the case as an inter
venor, on the side of the oil interests
represented by your personal at,
torney, Sam Ford" she continued
despite the attempts of the at.
torney general, acting for the land
board, to hasten the action of the
district court, your attorney and those
employed by others, succeeded in de-
laying the action of this court by a
variety of occasions. On three sepa-
rate occasions your attorney, Sam
Ford, petitioned for delays, twice in
the district court, once in the Supreme
Court. Two of these petitions were
granted"
81 think that if you are to con-
tinue to make public statements
claiming that money has been lost
by the delays in the school land
litigation Contrary to your state
ment in the Land Board meeting)
you should, in fairness, confess to
al l. L. Il
caused the delays you complain of.
'The school land case has not
caused a loss to the schools or to the
taxpayers. When we sell leases on
oil lands, we sell part of the oil in the
land, if the lessee can find and re-
cover it. If we do not sell, we have
the oil for sale in the future. If we
have sold no leases, then the oil is
still ours, to sell in the future. That
is the real point of the whole contro-
versy-shall we sell everything now,
for quick profit, or use it wisely,
now and tomorrow?
THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT"
"The most important point in con-
is whether or not we can
ret full market value for our oil lands
1t a fixed 1914 % royalty. I, and a
majority of the land board, do not
hink that 12159o royalty is full mar
,et value in hot oil country. This is
more especially true when the lease
,ranted is forever. A forever lease
annot be renegotiated to obtain full
market value.
'sThe confusion in the minds of |
he people, which you, perhaps I'M
have helped to create is
nost regrettable. | believe you, as
Governor, have an obligation to make |
II of the facts clear, rather than to
id the propaganda efforts of one
acct of our economy.
81 call on you to debate the SUBJ
ject of oil leases on state lands with
me at any time or place, or before
any audience you choose. | sincere
ly urge you to accept this oppor-
tunity to help me clarity this situ-
alton for the people of Montana.
realize that your personal expert
ence in the oil business may give
you an advantage-but | feel that
my experience of nearly seven
years on the land board gives me
a background in the management
Of the state land grant for the
benefit of Montana education,
which is my only purpose"
o POINT IN DEBATING ISSUE
Monday the Governor replied to
ISIS Condon's challenge to debate
e issue, stating he could see mo
lint" in publicly debating the mat
+. He then went on to say "the real
sers in the oil leasing controversy
e the taxpayers of Montana, whose
ligation it is to support a public
hool system.
Contradicting his earlier statement
Thursdays land board meeting, .
'onson said millions in speculative !
lues have been lost in the last few =
ars by reason of the position of . .
e majority of the land board" =
Firing back Immediately at the =