Cseh Valentin szerk.: „70 éve alakult a MAORT” – tanulmányok egy bányavállalat történetéből (2009)
Zsuzsa Kovács: The Oil Age and Its Impact on Everyday Village Life In Zala County's Settlements
Hitrydtiy ii/c in Gelknbchp in /be period 0/ the oil industry boom space for the tool pushers and engineers arriving in great numbers, who were given night time accommodations in the houses of the village's residents. In 1950, when the first drillers came to the village, good human relations characterised the reladonship between those living together on account of mutual interdependence. Later on, when construction and expropriation of lands for drilling commenced, the relationship of villagers and the oil crews worsened. From the time when the erecdon of derricks, the construction of servicing buildings, and the housing development was started on farmers' lands, there were innumerable legitimate complaints. Needless to sav the companv paid for expropriated land, but regardless of whether or not owners gave it freely, such land did not remain theirs. In many cases, payment did not arrive or arrived late after expropriation, which lead to further dissatisfaction. 2 '' The destruction of roads bv heavy vehicles making their way to the derricks was another cause of constant complaining, because the company did not pay any compensation for damages dirt roads, and the short section of paved road sustained. As evidenced by Executive Committee minutes of meeting, management was called upon several times to repair the road on the outskirts, which had become totally impassable by cart. 2 ' 9 In addition to the dirt roads in the side-streets and the outskirts, even the new paved road was crumbling under the weight of heavy motor vehicles, and frequently became impassable because of the mud carried onto it from dirt roads. Later on it was not just the continuous deterioration of road conditions that caused problems for the farmers, but also the increasing areas of meadowlands that became useless because of oil flows. Executive Committee tninutes of meeting from the second half of the 1950s often address the destruction of lands and meadows at the start of spring time work. One of the documents, dated Julv 1950, reports that oil had ruined 100 thousand acres of land during the vear, so urgent measures are required in this issue. 26 " Such urgent measures, however, were never taken in the majority of cases. Starting from the 50s - in the period of agriculture's forced transformation - the oil company's presence in the village was a burden for everyday life, and an excuse for the central decrees coerced on the settlement at the same time. The ( Council's men used the issue of non-harvestable grass that was ruined by oil to promote the method of silo use which was considered to be modern, and decreed centrally. Their argument was that seeing the oil-covered meadows, there was nothing left to do, but use silage for feeding livestock during winter. 261 On the other hand, the fact that handing in the volume of grains that was in line with plans proved impossible on the impassable roads and ruined land served as reason to ameliorate the remorseless burdens of produce surrender. 262 Starting from 1949, agricultural a series of cooperatives were set up in the surrounding villages (Bocfölde 1950, Perikeresztúr 1950, Ormándlak 1951, Lickóvadamos 1951 263 ), vet they managed to postpone this issue in Gellénháza all the wav until 1960. The reason for this was that in the first wave of cooperatives being established, the destruction of land bv the oil company served as the excuse for organising one. The Central Management also obliged the 38 /.MI. Gellénháza Village Council Executive Committee minutes of meeting, February 29, 1955. ZML Gellénháza Village Council Executive Committee minutes of meeting, November 19, 1955. :< " ZML Gellénháza Village Council Executive Committee minutes of meeting, Julv 7, 1955. ZML Gellénháza Village Council Executive Committee minutes of meeting, November 19, 196(1. The problem of lands and roads being ruined was a constant topic of EC minutes of meeting. The source of the specific case quoted above: ZML Gellénháza Milage Council Executive Committee minutes of meeting, May 26, 1956. 363 GAÁL-VASS 1988,171-191.
