Joint resolution consenting to an interstate compact to conserve oil and gas
PL 82-128 (S.J.Res.42), enacted 08/28/1951

65 STAT.] 
PUBLIC LAW 128—AUG. 28, 1951 
199 
designating 1951 as Audubon Centennial Year in observance of the 
one-hundredth anniversary of the death of John James Audubon. 
Approved August 28, 1951. 
Public Law 127 
CHAPTER 349 
AN ACT 
To authorize and direct conveyance of a certain tract of land in the State of 
Floi'ida to the Saint Augustine Port, Waterway, and Beach District. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress asse?nbled, That the General 
Services Administrator is authorized and directed to convey by quit-
claim deed without monetary consideration to the Saint Augustine 
Port, Waterway, and Beach District, in Saint Jolms County, Florida, 
all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to the follow-
ing-described tract of land, together with all improvements thereon, 
in,Saint Johne County, Florida: A strip of land situate, lying and 
being partly in section 8, township 7 south, range 30 east, and partly 
in section 9, township 7 south, range 30 east, and being a part of or 
lying innnediately adjacent to the plat of "Vilano Beach", unit A, as 
recorded in map book 4, at page 47, records of Saint Johns County, 
Florida, and more particularly bounded and described as follows: 
Beginning in the southward line of Mario Eoad, at the intersection of 
the eastward line of Anahma Drive, produced; thence eastwardly and 
southeastwardly one thousand two hundred thirty-eight and hine-
tenths feet along said southward line of Mario Road and binding on 
the several curves thereof, to the westward line of Zamora Street pro-
duced ; thence south eighty degrees four minutes west four hundred 
and seventy-two feet; thence northwestwardly and westwardly six 
hundred forty-nine and eight-tenths feet on a curve, or curves, con-
centric with the curve or curves of the southward line of Mario Road 
and distant therefrom three hundred and thirty-three feet, measured 
normally to said curve or curves; thence south eighty degrees four 
minutes west two hundred and fifty feet, more or less, to the Tolomato 
or North River; thence northw^ardly three hundred and thirty-three 
feet, more or less, along said Tolomato or North River; thence north 
eighty degrees four minutes east tw^o hundred and fifty feet to the 
place of beginning. 
Approved August 28, 1951. 
August 28, 1951 
[S. 1214] 
St. Augustine Port, 
Waterway, and Beach 
District, Fla. 
Conveyance. 
Public Law 128 
CHAPTER 350 
JOINT RESOLUTION 
Consenting to an interstate compact to conserve oil and gas. 
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the United 
States of Anrierica in Congress assembled., That the consent of Con-
gress is hereby given to an extension and renewal for a period of 
four years from September 1, 1951, of the Interstate Compact to 
Conserve Oil and Gas, which was signed in the city of Dallas, Texas, 
the 16th day of February 1935 by the representatives of Oklahoma, 
Texas, California, and New Mexico, and at the same time and place 
was signed by the representatives, as a recommendation for approval 
to the Governors and Legislatures, of the States of Arkansas, Colo-
rado, Illinois, Kansas, and Michigan, and prior to August 27, 1935, 
said compact was presented to and approved by the Legislatures 
and Governors of the States of New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma, 
August 28, 1951 
[S. J. Res. 42] 
Oil and gas conser-
vation. 
Consent of Congress 
to extension of com-
pact. 
200 
PUBLIC LAW 128—AUG. 28, 1951 
[65 STAT. 
Illinois, Colorado, and Texas, which said compact so approved by 
the six States last above named was deposited in the Department 
of State of the United States, and thereafter such compact was, 
by the President, presented to the Congress, and the Congress gave 
consent to such compact by H. J. Res. 407, approved August 27, 
4
9 Stat. 939. 
1935 (Public Resolutiou Numbered 64, Seventy-fourth 
Congress), 
and which said compact was thereafter extended and renewed for 
a period of two years from September 1, 1937, by an agreement 
executed as of the 10th day of May 1937 by the representatives of 
the States of Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, Illinois, and 
Colorado, and was deposited in the Department of State of the United 
States, and thereafter sucli extended and renewed compact was, by 
the President, presented to the Congress and the Congress gave 
consent to such extended and renewed compact by S. J . Res. 183, 
approved August 10, 1937 (Public Resolution Numbered 57, Seventy-
50Stat.617. 
fifth Congress), and which said compact was thereafter 
extended 
and renewed for a period of two years from September 1, 1939, by 
an agreement duly executed and ratified by the States of Oklahoma, 
Texas, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, and Michigan, and was depos-
ited in the Department of State of the United States, and thereafter 
such extended and renewed compact was, by the President, presented 
to the Congress and the Congress gave consent to such extended and 
renewed compact by H. J. Res. 329, approved July 20, 1939 (Public 
53Stat. 1071. 
Resolution Numbered 31, Seventy-sixth Congress), and which said 
compact was thereafter extended and renewed for a period of two 
years from September 1, 1941, by an agreement duly executed and 
ratified by the States of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, New 
Mexico, Illinois, Michigan, Arkansas, Louisiana, New York, and 
Pennsylvania, and was deposited in the Department of State of the 
United States, and thereafter such extended and renewed compact 
was, by the President, presented to Congress and the Congress gave 
consent to such extended and renewed compact by H. J. Res. 228, 
approved August 21, 1941 (Public Law 246, Seventy-seventh Con-
55 Stat. 666. 
gress), and which compact was thereafter extended and renewed for 
a period of four years from September 1, 1943, by an agreement 
executed and ratified by representatives of the States of Kansas, 
Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arkansas, Louisiana, and 
Kentucky, and was deposited in the Department of State of the 
United States and thereafter such extended and renewed compact 
was, by the President of the United States, presented to Congress and 
the Congress gave consent to such extended and renewed compact 
by H. J. Res. 139, approved July 7, 1943 (Public Law 117, Seventy-
57 Stat. 383. 
eighth Congress) and thereafter the representatives of the States of 
Montana, West Virginia, Alabama, Illinois, Michigan, New York, 
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida, Tennessee, and Indiana executed coun-
terparts of said agreement, and said counterparts so executed were 
deposited in the Department of State of the United States; and which 
compact was thereafter extended and renewed for a period of four 
years from the 1st day of September 1947 by an agreement executed 
and ratified by the representatives of the States of Alabama, 
Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, New 
Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee, 
West Virginia, and Indiana, which was deposited in the Department 
of State of the United States, and such extended and renewed com-
pact was, by the President of the United States, presented to Con-
gress, and Congress gave its consent to such extended and renewed 
6
1 Stat.316. 
compact by S. J. Res. 122 (Public Law 184, Eightieth Congress); 
and thereafter the representatives of the States of Kentucky, Illinois, 
Mississippi, and Michigan executed counterparts of said agreement, 
which executed counterparts were deposited in the Department of 
65 STAT.] 
PUBLIC LAW 128—AUG. 28, 1951 
2 0 1 
State of the United States. The agreement to extend and renew 
said compact for a period of four years from September 1, 1951, to 
September 1, 1955, duly executed by the representatives of Alabama, 
Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michi-
gan, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, 
Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia, has been depos-
ited in the Department of State of the United States, and reads as 
follows: 
AN 
AGREEMENT 
TO EXTEND 
T H E 
INTERSTATE 
COMPACT TO CONSERVE OIL AND GAS 
Whereas, on the 16th day of February, 1935, in the City of Dallas, 
Texas, there was executed "An Interstate Compact to Conserve Oil 
and Gas" which was thereafter formally ratified and approved by 
the States of Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Illinois, Colorado, and 
Kansas, the original of which is now on deposit with the Department 
of State of the United States, a true copy of which follows: 
Text o
f compact. 
" A N INTERSTATE COMPACT TO CONSERVE OIL AND GAS 
(( 
ARTICLE I 
"This agreement may become effective within any compacting state 
at any time as prescribed by that state, and shall become effective 
within those states ratifying it whenever any three of the states of 
Texas, Oklahoma, California, Kansas, and NeAv Mexico have ratified 
and Congress has given its consent. Any oil-producing state may 
become a party hereto as hereinafter provided. 
"ARTICLE II 
"The purpose of this compact is to conserve oil and gas by the 
prevention of physical waste thereof from any cause. 
"ARTICLE III 
"Each state bound hereby agrees that within a reasonable time it 
will enact laws, or if laws have been enacted, then it agrees to continue 
the same in force, to accomplish within reasonable limits the preven-
tion of: 
"(a) The operation of any oil well with an inefficient gas-oil 
ratio. 
"(b) The drowning with water of any stratum capable of 
producing oil or gas, or both oil and gas, in paying quantities. 
"(c) The avoidable escape into the open air or the wasteful 
burning of gas from a natural gas well. 
"(d) The creation of unnecessary fire hazards. 
"(e) The drilling, equipping, locating, spacing or operating 
of a well or wells so as to bring about physical waste of oil or 
gas or loss in the ultimate recovery thereof. 
"(f) The inefficient, excessive or improper use of the reservoir 
energy in producing any well. 
"The enumeration of the foregoing subjects shall not limit the scope 
of the authority of any state. 
u ARTICLE IV 
"Each state bound hereby agrees that it will, within a reasonable 
time, enact statutes, or if such statutes have been enacted then that it 
2 0 2 
PUBLIC LAW 128—AUG. 28, 1951 
[65 STAT. 
will continue the same in force, providing in effect that oil produced 
in violation of its valid oil and/or gas conservation statutes or any 
valid rule, order or regulation promulgated thereunder, shall be denied 
access to commerce; and providing for stringent penalties for the 
waste of either oil or gas. 
"ARTICLE V 
"It is not the purpose of this compact to authorize the states joining 
herein to limit the production of oil or gas for the purpose of stabiliz-
ing or fixing the price thereof, or create or perpetuate monopoly, or 
to promote regimentation, but is limited to the purpose of conserving 
oil and ^as and preventing the avoidable waste thereof within reason-
able limitations. 
"ARTICLE VI 
"Each State joining herein shall appoint one representative to a 
commission hereby constituted and designated as the Interstate Oil 
Compact Commission, the duty of which said commission shall be to 
make inquiry and ascertain from time to time such methods, practices, 
circumstances and conditions as may be disclosed for bringing about 
conservation and the prevention of physical waste of oil and gas, and 
at such intervals as said commission deems beneficial it shall report 
its findings and recommendations to the several States for adoption 
or rejection. 
"The Commission shall have power to recommend the coordination 
of the exercise of the police powers of the several states within their 
several jurisdictions to promote the maximum ultimate recovery from 
the petroleum reserves of said states, and to recommend measures for 
the maximum ultimate recovery of oil and gas. Said Commission 
shall organize and adopt suitable rules and regulations for the conduct 
of its business. 
"No action shall be taken by the Commission except: (1) by the 
affirmative votes of the majority of the whole number of the compact-
ing States represented at any meeting, and (2) by a concurring vote 
of a majority in interest of the compacting States at said meeting, 
such interest to be determined as follows: such vote of each State 
shall be in the decimal proportion fixed by the ratio of its daily aver-
age production during the preceding calendar half-year to the daily 
average production of the compacting States during said period. 
u 
ARTICLE VII 
"No State by joining herein shall become financially obligated to 
any other State, nor shall the breach of the terms hereof by any State 
subject such State to financial responsibility to the other States join-
ing herein. 
"ARTICLE VIII 
"This compact shall expire September 1, 1937. But any State join-
ing herein, may upon sixty (60) days notice, withdraw herefrom. 
"The representatives of the signatory States have signed this agree-
ment in a single original which shall be deposited in the archives of 
the Department of State of the United States, and a duly certified 
copy shall be forwarded to the Governor of each of the signatory 
States. 
"This compact shall become effective when ratified and approved as 
provided in Article I. Any oil-producing State may become a party 
hereto by affixing its signature to a counterpart to be similarly depos-
ited, certified, and ratified." 
65 
STAT.] 
PUBLIC LAW 128—AUG. 28, 1951 
203 
Whereas, the said Interstate Compact to Conserve Oil and Gas has 
heretofore been duly renewed and extended with the consent of the 
Congress to September 1,1951; and, 
Whereas, it is desired to renew and extend the said Interstate 
Compact to Conserve Oil and Gas for a period of four (4) years from 
September 1,1951, to September 1,1955; 
Now, Therefore, This Writing Witnesseth: 
It is hereby agreed that the Compact entitled "An Interstate Com-
pact to Conserve Oil and Gas" executed in the City of Dallas, Texas, 
on the 16th day of February, 1935, and now on deposit with the 
Department of State of the United States, a correct copy of which 
appears above, be, and the same hereby is, extended for a period of 
four (4) years from September 1, 1951, its present date of expiration. 
This agreement shall become effective when executed, ratified, and 
approved as provided in Article I of the original Compact. 
The signatory states have executed this agreement in a single orig-
inal which shall be deposited in the archives of the Department of 
State of the United States and a duly certified copy thereof shall be 
forwarded to the Governor of each of the signatory states. Any oil-
producing state may become a party hereto by executing a counter-
part of this agreement to be similarly deposited, certified, and ratified. 
Executed by the several undersigned states, at their several state 
Capitols, through their proper officials on the dates as shown, as 
duly authorized by statutes and resolutions, subject to the limitations 
and qualifications of the acts of the respective State Legislatures. 
T H E STATE OP ALABAMA 
By 
JAMES E . FOLSOM 
Dated: 12-4-50 
Attest: SIBYL POOL 
Secretary of State 
[SEAL] 
Dated: 10-11-50 
Attest: C. G. HALL 
Secretary of State 
[SEAL] 
Dated: 
Attest: 
[SEAL] 
Dated: 
Attest; 
12-1-50 
GEO. G. BAKER 
Secretary of State 
Nov 15—1950 
R. A. GRAY 
Secretary of State 
Governor 
T H E STATE OF ARKANSAS 
By 
SID MCMATH 
Governor 
T H E STATE or COLORADO 
By 
WALTER W . JOHNSON 
Governor 
T H E STATE OF FLORIDA 
By 
FULLER WARREN 
Governor 
By 
T H E STATE OP ILLINOIS 
Dated: 
Attest: 
Governor 
Secretary of State 
204 
PUBLIC LAW 128—AUG. 28, 1951 
[65 STAT. 
T H E STATE OF INDIANA 
By HENRY F . SCHRICKER 
Governor 
Dated: 10-25-50 
Attest: CHARLES F . FLEMING 
Secretary of State 
T H E STATE OP KANSAS 
By 
Governor 
Dated: 
Attest: 
Secretary of State 
T H E STATE or KENTUCKT 
By LAWRENCE W . WETHERBY 
Governor 
Dated: December 11,1950 
Attest: GEORGE GLENN HATCHER 
Secretary of State 
SUSAN B . RUTHERFORD 
Assistant Secretary of State 
T H E STATE OF LOUISIANA 
By EARL K . LONG 
Governor 
Dated: November 1,1950 
Attest: WADE O . MARTIN, JR. 
Secretary of State 
T H E STATE OF MICHIGAN 
By G. MENNEN 
WILLIAMS 
Governor 
Dated: January 31,1951 
Attest: F . M . ALGER, JR. 
Secretary of State 
T H E STATE OP MISSISSIPPI 
By F . L. WRIGHT 
Governor 
Dated: Nov. 8,1950 
Attest: HEBER LADNER 
Secretary of State 
T H E STATE OF MONTANA 
By JOHN W . BONNER 
Governor 
Dated: November 22nd 1950 
Attest: SAM C. MITCHELL 
Secretary of State 
T H E STATE OF NEW MEXICO 
By THOMAS J. MABRY 
Governor 
Dated: 
Attest: ALICIA ROMERO 
Secretary of State 
T H E STATE OF NEW YORK 
By THOMAS E . DEWEY 
Governor 
Dated: 2-20-51 
Attest: WALTER J. GOING 
Deputy Secretary of State 
65 STAT.] 
PUBLIC LAW 129—AUG. 28, 1951 
205 
T H E STATE OF OHIO 
By FRANK J. LAUSCHE 
Governor 
Dated: 1-3-51 
Attest: CHARLES F . SWEENEY 
Secretary of State 
T H E STATE or 
OKLAHOMA 
By ROY J. 
TURNER 
Governor 
Dated: Oct 7,1950 
Attest: WILLIAM CARTWRIGHT 
Secretary of State 
T H E STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA 
By JOHN S . F I N E 
Governor 
Dated: 2-21-51 
Attest: GERALD SMITH 
Secretary of State 
T H E STATE OF TENNESSEE 
By GORDON 
BROWNING 
Governor 
Dated: 2-16-51 
Attest: JAMES H . CUMMINGS 
Secretary of State 
T H E STATE OF TEXAS 
By ALLAN 
SHIVERS 
Governor 
Dated: October 3,1950 
Attest: Louis SCOTT WILKERSON 
Ass't Secretary of State 
T H E STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA 
By OKEY L . PATTESON 
Governor 
Dated: January 8, 1951 
Attest: D. PITT O'BRIEN 
Secretary of State 
SEC. 2. The right to alter, amend, or repeal the provisions of sec-
tion 1 is hereby expressly reserved. 
Approved August 28, 1951. 
Public Law 129 
CHAPTER 351 
AN ACT 
To amend section 1732 of title 28, United States Code, entitled "Judiciary and 
judicial procedure" by adding a new subsection thereto "To permit the 
photographic reproduction of business records and the introduction of the 
same in evidence". 
August 28, 1951 
[H. R. 4106] 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That section 1732 
of title 28 of the United States Code entitled "Judiciary and judicial 
procedure" is amended by inserting " ( a ) " immediately preceding the 
first paragraph thereof, and by adding a new subsection to read as 
follows: 
"(b) If any business, institution, member of a profession or calling, 
or any department or agency of government, in the regular course of 
62 Stat. 945. 
Photographic repro-
duction of records.