Items of Interest October 11, 1913 Issue

Items of Interest

The retention by the United States government of oil lands in California, Arizona, Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado is involved in the suit of the government against the Midwest Oil Company and others. Technically the suit involves title to only one hundred and sixty acres of land in the Wyoming oil fields, valued at from one million five hundred thousand to four million dollars. In reality it involves the validity of an order issued by the President on Sept. 27, 1909, withdrawing from all forms of entry three million forty-one thousand acres in California and Wyoming. At the original hearing of the suit, in Cheyenne last year, evidence was introduced to show that the amount of oil in the land withdrawn in California alone was four billion barrels, which represents a value of two billion dollars. The suit was brought by the government against the Midwest Oil Company, the Reinvestment Company, and others. Federal Judge Riner of Cheyenne ordered the suit dismissed, and the present hearing is on the government's appeal. Judge Riner held that the President did not have authority to withdraw the lands from entry.

The latest efforts of the government to check the present scarcity of beef consists in enlisting the aid of the Indians to raise cattle for the market. Not only is Commissioner of Indian Affairs Sells stocking the big Indian reservations with large herds of fine breeds of beef cattle, but he is mapping out plans for improving and developing all of the live stock of the Indians. In many instances the Indian has shown considerable aptitude for handling live stock, and in order to encourage him the commissioner has authorized the purchase out of Indian funds of beef cattle herds for a number of reservations. Commissioner Sells has issued advertisements calling for bids on nine thousand head of cattle for the Crow Indian reservation in Montana. He is also increasing the stock of sheep on the reservations in Arizona and New Mexico.

The admission of water for the first time into the locks of Panama canal was begun Sept. 25 in the upper chamber of the Gatun locks. The filling of the locks was largely in the nature of test of the lock gates and operating machinery. Water was let into the Culebra cut from Gatun lake through four twenty-four-inch pipes under the Gamboa dike on the following Wednesday morning. Oct. 10 is the date set for the destruction of the Gamboa dlike. The current report of the Panama canal commission shows that the grand total of cost down to May 30 is $295,587,518.41. Of this amount there was spent for sanitation in the Canal zone $16,132,056; for civil administration, $6,370,866; for fortifications, $2,965,939; and for construction and engineering $182,187,886.

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