ustxtxb_obs_1956_08_22_50_00008-00000_000.pdf

Minutes of the School Land Board show that the Board, on Jan. 25, 1949, approved extension of oil and gas leases for five tracts of school land, using a sliding scale of royalties. An order was accordingly issued to the oil companies which were leasing the property offering them certain terms for extension of their leases. These companies protested the terms of the extension and asked for a lowering of the sliding scales. They wanted more for less. The School Land Board approved an adjustment for one of the companies while the request of the others was disapproved. This disapproval was made unanimously by the late Governor Beauford Jester, former Land Commissioner Bascom Giles and then Attorney General Daniel. Later Giles, in spite of the School Land Board action, offered adjustments to all the companies. Price Daniel did nothing to stop this. The companies accepted. Because of this, Texas will lose money that should go to operate our schools when the extensions become effective in 1960. Nothing can be done about this now because of a statute of limitations. On Jan. 15, 1949, the School Land Board authorized extension of lease agreements to oil companies leasing submerged land in Nueces and Kleberg Counties. Humble Oil and Refining Company protested some of these leases. All of the facts cited in this article are to be found in public record : minutes of the School Land Board and the office of the State Auditor. Attention, Texas Democrats Price Daniel says he is willingeven eager for his record as attorney general to be made public. Let’s take him at his word. Here is a part of that record: Here’s some examples of what went on in the School Land Board when Price Daniel was a member, while he was attorney general, charged with enforcing the state’s laws : The Board made an adjustment on these leases and contracts were made under the authorized adjustment. Bascom Giles, without authorization from the Board, also made adjustments on leases on which this adjustment had not even been re-. quested. Orders for these leases were then inserted in the minutes and amended contracts were signed. These and many more “discrepancies” in the operation of the General Land Office and the School Land Board were found and listed by the State Auditor. The State Auditor wrote a letter to Price Daniel, then attorney general, asking what action should be taken. The auditor also asked specifically what the intention of the board had been in regard to the extension of the Humble Oil leases. The record shows that Price Daniel never even answered the Auditor’s letter. The record shows that the matter was never even brought before the School Land Board for correction. Price Daniel let the matter slide until it was too late for the leases to be changed or for recovery action to be brought. The question is: Why was Price Daniel reluctant to ask Bascom Giles t9 correct his “errors?” Another ‘question is:. Why, in the face of all the evidence presented by the State Auditor, did not Price . Daniel, as Attorney General, launch a full-scale investigation of the General Land Office? If this had been done, the millions lost by the state and veterans under he Veterans Land Program might have been saved. Still another question is: Why, after Price Daniel had been warned by the State Auditor about operations in the General Land Office, did he permit “block deals” to take place, defrauding both veterans and the state, during his tenure on the Veterans Land Board? Think about these things when you get ready to vote Saturday, Texans. Think about them’ and then vote for the DEMOCRAT in the governor’s race. The DEMOCRAT in the governor’s race is: Ralph Yarborough