The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1917-10-09

NASHlNGION, u. u, Oct. 9.-ln
the five billion dollar urgency def
cheney bill which was finally concurred
III by the House the day preceding the
adjournment, after the Senate had
largely amended it, there is amendment
No. 70, providing an appropriation OF
S25, 1000 for the Geological Survey to
ascertain if there is oil and gas upon
lands near Charleston OF sufficient
quantities to Justify further develop
ment, so that fuel Of that kind may be
had for the government armor plate
Plant authorized, but yet to be built at
Charleston, w. Va.
Amendment No. ~ was slipped into
the bill in the Senate, but nobody in
that body has laid claim TO being the
author OF what was discussed in the
House as a Joker" Mr.. Fitzgerald,
chairman OF the committee on appro-
priations, made a noble effort to defend
and explain it when 1t was questioned
by Mr.. Norton, but it was evident that
the New Yorker did not know much
about 1t himself, and that when it came
10 knowledge Of oil and gas drilling he
wasn't very strong. He particularly
yhied at that word validating" as
applied to the oil and gas business.
but, being in charge Of the bill, he did
Lis best to protect that interesting lit.
tie $4,000 legislative Joker" which,
to the minds of West Virginians here,
means that somebody, or bodies, is go.
ing to get SOME land developed with.
out cost TO them, and they are not at
an especially great loss TO guess who.
Their knowledge OF the men that bene-
fitted most by the selection OF Charles
ton as the location for the proposed
armor plant, enables them heap in
guessing who pulled the wires which
set this little appropriation up and sent
1t through.
Chairman Fitzgerald explained that
there are $4,000 acres of supposed oil
and gas lands within IA miles OF
Charleston, which had been offered to
the government for S1,200,000. 1t
would require 100000 to pipe the oil
and gas 10 the yet.to.be.built armor
plant, If oil and gas were found, and
the Secretary OF the Navy had request
ed an appropriation OF $1,000, 900 to buy
the land and to develop it, and pipe
The product, if there was any product,
ard the $4,000 appropriation was to
enable the Geological Survey to inyes,
tigate and see whether 1t was oil and
gas land, or just mere land. Who the
owner or owners OF the land are--or
what men at Charleston have an op.
ton on it-and who offered it to the
government-none of these interest.
ing things came out in the House dis.
cussion.
Mr.. Mondell expressed the opinion
tnat the government should get some
coal lands also, and Mr.. Norton ex.
pressed the hope that the Navy de.
rErtment authorities are not trying to
establish the precedent of going over
the country 'wildcatting.'
In all this discussion, which was
lively but not unusual as showing that
the men engaged in 1t didn't know
much about 1t, Congressman Adam B.
Littlepage took no part. The Charles
ten member could have enlightened
the debaters on many things that they
needed enlightening on, but he sat ST.
lent. He didn't have anything TO do
with slipping in the alleged Joker" in
the bill when it was pending in the
Senate.
Among the batch of small bills
passed by the Senate, many OF them
bridge bills, which the House put
through in its final hours, was S.2774
by Senator sutherland, which grants
permission to the Pittsburgh Coal Co.
to bridge the Little Kanawha river at
or near Gilmer Station on the Coal and
Coke railroad In Gilmer county.
An objection by Cooper, of Wiscon'
Tin, held the bill up for few minutes
while there was a breezy little debate
in which he, Adamson, Speaker CLARK
and Congressman Stuart F, Reed In
culged.
''I would say to the gentleman from
Wisconsin" said Mr.. Adamson thai
Senator Sutherland is deeply interest
ed in this bill and he says 1t is all righ
and va halIeYO him. u n n stream