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Show I Wtuting Oil 1 1 t OVERPRODUCTION of oil In the United States is a serious problem which Is being be-ing recognized by leading oil officials. Drain-1 Drain-1 ing of a natural resource to enrich a few means that one of the war essentials of the nation is being wasted. "There is no sense in producing more oil than can be consumed," says President Beaty of the Texas company, in commenting on the situation. "It is the waste of a natural resource re-source which can never be replaced. . It is more than that, for tanks must be built to hold the surplus. Many tanks are filled but once. So we have the spectacle, not only of oil being brought to the surface before it can be used, there to evaporate and waste, but of steel and labor being absorbed In storage less efficient than nature's.," Wells can be pinched down or cut In and the crop of oil .regulated accordingly. This Is not easy of accomplishment, however, because be-cause of legal inhibitions against agreement to such end, and because of the human desire of every operator to obtain the maximum yield from his Own property. But good sportsmanship sports-manship is displayed in the oil business at many times and places. . "I have no doubt that as the large purchasers pur-chasers and refiners find themselves unable to take 100 per cent of potential production of wells and proceed to buy on a pro rata basis," says President Beaty, "even though It falls to 25 per cent in California and 50 per cent In midcontinent, producers will recognixe the justice jus-tice and wisdom of ths course." ' The draining of the-great pools of oil, in California Is causing a big overproduction" in the United States and the protest against this needless and unnecessary wasting of this natural nat-ural resource will no doubt cause action by congress some time In the future. v |