Salt Lake Telegram | 1931-08-17 | Page 1 | Texas Clamps Lid on Oil Production

TEX TEXAS S Gl CLAMPS liD LIDON ON Oil P PRODUCTION Governor Sends Troops Out to Enforce Shutdown in Four 1 County Zones tB Dr 81 Associated Press AUSTIN Texas Au Aug 17 17 Gover Cover J I nor or Ross S. S Sterling declared mar mar- Ual al law in the east cast Texas oil oU field at t 6 o'clock this morning and ordered ordered or- or dered ered nil aU producing wells shut hut down The gov governor acted to prevent deletion depletion de de- de- de of the resources of this vast field while the state railroad commission commission com corn t mission Texas oil regulation body C put ut into action the oil conservation measure passed last week by the legislature leg leg- legI I L Governor Go Sterling said the J I commission would need a week neck or two to o do this Some oil men said 20 da days s 's J I would be required The fields field's overproduction over over- t production is gen generally blam blamed d by oil oilmen oilmen men for unsettling the Industry and S depressing prices 1 OVERS WIDE AR AREA A l The Thc military zone as outlined by byle bythe I Ithe r the le governor In included four counties Rusk Gi Gregg egg Smith and Upshur Upshur- the ic area covering 2815 square miles There here are arc approximately 1600 producing pro- pro clueing wells ells in the with a recent rc- rc ent cent dally daily avera average e production of bout about barrels Notice of the proclamation was as communicated to Brigadier General Jacobs acobs F. F Welters Wolters commander of oC the brig de who had men mobIlized mobilized mob- mob at Kilgore ready to move into the he adjoining oil fields In his proclamation Governor Sterns Ster Ster- hug ns asserted It is evident that there exists an organized and entrenched group roup of crude petroleum oil and natural l gas cas producers In the cast east Texas oil field who arc aro in a state of Continued on P Pace a Two TX S U UON LID LIDON ON Oil P PRODUCTION PRODUCTIONS j S Continued from Irom r rue Pare se One Insurrection against waste of or cru crude le petroleum oil oU and natural gas and andare andare are arc in open rebellion against the ef efforts ef- ef forts Corts of oC the constituted civil authorities authorities author author- of this state to enforce such I laws EXPRESSES FEAR The governor go expressed fear tear that citizens in the area might aught attempt to take the law Into their own hands and by force of oC arms shut down the producing oil wells unless the state acted Issuance of oC the martial law order follows by nearly nearl two weeks such action action ac ac- ac- ac tion In Oklahoma by Governor W W. H H. Alfalfa Bill Murray Oklahoma's Oklahoma's Oklahoma's mas ma's prorated areas were closed down August 4 when Murrays Murray's demand for 1 a barrel minimum for crude was not heeded The order still holds