The Washington times., 1914-01-21
j. 5. CONTROL OF
RAD|UN IS FOUGHT
1continhea from First Pagee

sxhsustibIe in Colorado according to
IIenahen. He said that only one for
.Ign company Is operating in the big
carnolite fields-l59 miles long and five
miles wide-and that Americans con-
stitute the majority of the stockholders
Seventy per cent OF all the carnoiite
mined in 1913 went TO the Standard
company and 30 per cent to foreigners,
Ienahen estimated One thousand
claims have been marked out already.
Passage OF the Federal ccnserva-
tion plan, he emphatically declared.
would wipe out ColoFado.s entire min
ing industry because radium is found
in practically every one of Colorados s
ores. "Tne business is on the verge
of bankruptcy now" he declared, be
cause of withdra wal of mineral bear
ing ores from public entry already.
Nobody has gotten TiCh yet on his
business. Ninety-nine per cent of tue
prospectors give up their lives in
-ain search for good metals.
A prospector will not go out hunting
for metals on which he must pay royal
ties to the Government. There have
been no new Cripple Creeks or Lead
ViIles since the Government has with
drawn so much land from public en-
Ury," he continued. You should of1er
every inducefnent you can to these min
ers. only in that way will you get
enough radium. II you withdraw these
lands ] venture to say you'll boost ra-
diuTn to half a million dollars gram
instead Of $4,000. All We want is TO be
lot alone"
ais States Rights Man"
Although voicing the strongest oppOai-
tion to Federal control, he admitted that
he is a state rights man." and that
probably Colorado would exact tribute
il it retains control, without any Federal
supervision.
You're just looking at this from the
human standpoint" Henahan snapped
as members insisted on a frapk state
views.
FIannery was the next witness. In
spired by the death of a relative from
cancer, he declared that he set about
10 discover a red plague" cure. His
experts sent TO Europe returneG with
the report that radtum was an effective
remedy. Then. with a small plant, he
started to manufacture radium. He
found starving miners in Colorado who
were willing to sell for a song their
carnolite ore files. Then they staked
out claims until today they have ninety.
radium, for $50 or 400 tons of ore are
needed to produce a gram of the life
saver. Radium experts at first tailed TO
make a success Of the business. but II
is now on good basis ne aoniitteo.-
Concern Is Coming On" .-.
He declared that while there mas been
only one secret extraction process an
other Pennsylvania concern is coming
on in the business.
Colorado, he declared, has enough ra-
diun 10 supply the entire worlds can
GER victims five times over. Two hum
cred grams, he estimated, as the amount
needed for the United States sufferers.
I'd be willing to contract to furnish
this amount in FIVE years to the Gov
elnment could manufacture it-at a
maximum figure of $4,000 a gram" said
the witness. Two grams was his COM
liany's product last year, and fourteen
grams this years estimates.
Radium, he declared, is twenty-five
times more valuable n other diseases
than cancer. II is positive cure for
rheumatism and other painful diseases.
Il object 20 paying any royalties to
The Government" he said. because il
viii Increase the raw material cost so
much that We can't drop the price to
the consumer. I'm making those claims
valuable and the Government has not
The right to tax me. rna doing enough
[OT the Government by opening Up this
business. Let the Government be what
e is-a Goyernment-and not GO into
..nterorises competing with private in
terests.'
FIannery's announcement was made in
the course of an impassioned appeal
that the Government not undertake it.
self to regulate radium extraction. His
exact words were:
There is a philanthropist who has q
plan to put up twenty institutions in
the centers Of population. such as New
York, Chicago, Boston, and the rest, at
a cost of sl5.OO0,OOO so that all cancer
victims may be treated free of charge.
He wants TO have five grams of radium
for each of these twenty places"
That's a lot Of money" interrupted
Congressman Austin. We're from
Missouri, and I'll have to be shown"
That wouldn't be the first time Mis-
SOurians have been shown real money, -
the witness retorted. This offer isn't
so remarkable when we consider all that
the country's milliOnaires such as Car
negie and Rockefeller, have under
taken"
Following the committee hearing.
Flan9ery flatIy refused TO discuss the
offer further.
Publicity would spoil the plan" he
declared. but IL seems to me that il s
a good idea il an old man wants to use
his money this way wGlen il won't dc
him any other good. That's the way
Rockefeller and Carnegie have done
II was apparent that Flannery regard