The people's voice., 1955-11-25
Continued from Page One)

political record being one of "al
errand boy for special interests"
| Here is the text of Olsen's pres
release:
| Commenting upon Governor Aron
| sons stand on state oil leasing a:
recited to the Montana Woolgrower:
Association, Attorney General ARNOLD
Olsen said, "The Governor and 9
group of cronies have attempted the
biggest giveaway in the history of
Montana.
"No previous governor, Democrat
or Republican, would ever sign the
kind of legislation that Aronson
signed. Previous governors, Demo
cratic and Republican, flatly refused
to sign the bill that Aronson signed,
giving the oil industry rights to the
states oil forever. They branded the
bill for what it was-a huge give
away.
when Aronson became Governor
the special interest crowd lined up
to get their share of the peoples
property. Of course, they didn't want
1t known that the door to the public
domain was being opened up.
"All of the violent attacks on
the people who are trying to pro-
tect the public are smoke screens
to try to hide the fact that the
special interest crowd was caught
with it's hand in the public cash
drawer.
"The cry now is that they were
only trying to sell oil leases.
''The Governor has spent his en-
tire political career as an errand
boy for special interests. Both as a |
legislator and as Governor, he and |
his gang have worked to pass legis-
alton that would make our school |
and leases the cheapest in the world.
STEADY DETERIORATION OF
STATES SHARE
"The Governor and his crowd have
insisted upon reducing the price of
he school oil leases by imposing price
eilings upon the values to be re-
eived for those leases. They insist
hat the State should not be per-
litted to receive more than a 12H%
hare of the oil taken from a state
ease, nor more than $1.00 per acre
nnual rental-that the State cannot
ccept greater share even though |
ffered. -Four years ago we were
citing the highest prices being bid /
the nation and we were selling 20 c
ear leases. Aronson, then an an1bi-
Gus State Senator, contended that .
le leases should be for a longer term e
Id should be sold cheap. While he p
as Senator he aided in passing the Q
rst price ceiling-that which limited 0
e State in its share of the oil TO n
taken from the ground, and after p
was Governor he insisted that this
ice ceiling which first applied to !
.ly 2O-year leases should be applied !,
school leases forever. :. :.
"The State of Montana is now Sc
aced with the ridiculous PROPOSE
ion that lands neighboring state ii
,nds receive 2O% and 3OB royalty til
hare of the oil, while the State ST
lust refuse to accept more than sc
21a% share. Other oil producing th
tates look to the competitive mar O,
eft TO determine what royalty Pl
nare and what rental will be de-
landed for given parcel of land. tic
ouisiana, Texas and California or
II receive greater shares than of
lontana. California has 80 year DO
verage of receiving 2O% share.
exas has a new minimum of ha
) 2s 20 share and higher pay is sih
'mmon. Just few weeks ago is
labama sold leases on a relative wo
wildcat area and the pledged eff
are to Alabama was 500. Else ma
here in the world split of the use
'ofits, 500 to the landowner and
'9o to the industry, is common no.
The Constitution provides that Ar
should look to the market and get thi
that the market will pay for Mon see
as leases. We already have sew the
examples where land neighbor- ing
state land is receiving 20ao royal
while the Governor is insisting Mis-
state lands shall refuse any Tel
ar of more than 121b oo share "kr