The Alaska daily empire., 1917-06-29
Immediate Development Is Urged Before a Committee of
 the Senate.
PARAMOUNT NECESSITY
Asks for More Liberal Leases for Those Seeking Great
 Developments.

WASHINGTON, June IA (By mail. )-Delegate Charles A. Sulzer of Alaska yesterday made a vigor- ous appeal for the development of
 Alaska's coal and oil lands at a
 hearing before the Senate commit tee on Public Lands The hearing
 was attended by all the members of
 the committee and was with relation
 to Senate Bill No. 45, introduced by
 Senator Thomas J. Walsh. of Mon
 tana, providing for the mining of coal, phosphate, oil, gas, potassium,
 and sodium on the public domain. Immediate development as the par amount necessity was emphasized by Alaska's representative in Congress during his testimony. More liberal
 leases by the government to those seeking to develop the resources of the Territory. in view of the pioneer conditions, were suggested by him as remedy for the lethargy now
 existing in regard to oil and coal conditions in Alaska.
 "Mr. Chairman and Senators of
 the Committee, in the emergency which confronts the country at this time," Delegate Sulzer said in open ing his testimony, q think that all who are thoroughly familiar with
 conditions existing in the Territory of Alaska realize that the resources of Alaska are of vital importance
 in the prosecution of the war The exports of Alaska consist principally of food fish products, copper ore and
 the rarer metals, all of which are
 of great importance in the war" Larger Leasing Area
 Delegate Sulzer, asked specifically for larger leasing area in both coal and oil leases, so that capital could be induced to come into the fields
 and expend the money necessary tc
 develop paying and productive
 mine or well. He also asked for less restrictions in an operating lease. "A man should be given more lib eral consideration in order to induce him to come into Alaska" he said "and take the risks involved in de veloping an entirely new country The conditions existing in the coal
 areas are largely problematical j;
 there are faults and various geologi cal phases which have not been thor oughly demonstrated and a person engaged in developing an enterprise
 of that kind should have more liberal , treatment, according to my idea, than
 one operating in known and de
 veloped field
 Protect Government
 "The interests of the Government should be protected but the manage ment of a coal mine in a pioneer
 field must be accorded more latitude and discretion than in a field where
 all the conditions have been thor
 oughly demonstrated Otherwise, peo
 pie will not undertake to make the
 necessary investments. The Alas
 kan coal fields are very extensive and it is extremely important in this
 emergency that the laws and regu- lations be such as to induce immed
 fate and adequate development" MT. Sulzer based his main argu ment for the necessity of opening
 the oil fields on the acute situation that is developing because of the
 great demands for the oils of the
 California fields for war purposes
 He said the fishing industry of Alas ka was imperiled because of the lack of gasoline and distillate for the op eration of the fishing boats.
 Given Keen Attention
 , Throughout the hearing MT. Sul ger was given keen attention by the members of the Senate commit.
 tee. Senator Myers. of Montana,
 chairman of the committee, asked many questions, as did Senator Shaf- froth of Colorado
 Senator Walsh of Montana, also i, assisted Mr Sulzer at times in the matter of explaining certain things
 with reference to his bill
 MT. Francis S. Peabody, chairman
 Of the committee on coal production
 under the National Council of De.
 fense. made an earnest plea for the utilization of the oil and coal of
 Alaska.
 ! Any laws that can be passed that will loosen up the reserve fuel and oil supplies of Alaska and the west coast should be adopted" he said We cannot wait until we are whipped to open up those fields We are sending our sons now; we are In not sending them three, four or five years from now; we must protect those sons; we must win this war; we cannot win this war unless we utilize every resource available. If it exhausted the coal of the United I States to win this war. we must win it. We must not hold back any