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Show OIL OPERATORS BEFORE SENATE WASHINGTON, March 14. California Califor-nia oil operators appeared before a sonato committee today to oppose a bill providing for government operation opera-tion of oil and gas lands in tho California Cali-fornia and Wyoming naval reservoirs. Tho government's plan to ulllizo the reserves as a huge reservoir In which to conservo oil for the future needs of tho navy was denounced as Illogical Illogi-cal and impacticable. "Tho bill will not get the results seemingly desired by tho navy 'department," 'de-partment," declared R B. Henderson of San Francisco, assistant general manager of tho Associated Oil company com-pany and now connected with the United States fuel administration. . "Tho government is going to try and keep In tho ground vast amounts of oil that cannot be conserved. Tho thing to do is to get this oil above the ground." Plan Not Feasible. One reason, Mr. Honderson said, that tho plan is not feasiblo is the fact that in case of a future sudden declaration of war it would be impossible im-possible to get this oil out of the ground in time to bo of any benefit. ; Replying to Senator Swanson's question ques-tion as to what plans ho would su gest, Mr. Henderson said tho government govern-ment should buy what oil is necessary for its use and store it, Tho oil in the California naval .reserves, .re-serves, he continued, Is not of a serviceable serv-iceable character and before foing used by the navy would have to undergo under-go refining processes lo remov volatile vol-atile properties that make Hi handling han-dling dangerous. The Pacific coast oil shortige is acute, Mr. Henderson said. Tte shortage short-age now amounts to betweotf 30,000 and 35,000 barrels daily and, If tho government takes over oil, it will force tho shut down of many indastries, ho said. "The necessity for fuel on the Pacific Pa-cific coast is tremendous and it has got to be obtained from somewhere," he asserted. "If tho supply obtained from the naval reserves Is taken away the shortage on the west coast will be Increased approximately to 73,000 barrels a day. This will not only affect af-fect California industries but tho copper cop-per industries in Arizona." . .nn |