Mr. Jackson to Mr. Hay.
Athens, June 25, 1904.
Sir:
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In regard to the development of the petroleum industry in Roumania, the Government appears to be constantly on its guard in order to prevent anything of the nature of a trust. The recently enacted measure regarding concessions to exploit private petroleum lands (dispatch No. 97, of the 27th ultimo) will, it is said, more or less guarantee the holdings, and will help put an end to the practice of leasing these lands several times over, which has prevailed to a certain extent. No objection seems to have been raised to it as yet. New rules have been made in regard to the petroleum reservoirs at Constantza, which are under government control and which have just begun to be used. All petroleum exported from Constantza must pass through these reservoirs, and, in order to prevent the squeezing out of small producers, a regulation has been made prescribing the reservation of at least one reservoir for the common use of producers whose business is not sufficient to warrant their having a reservoir for their sole use.
I have, etc.,