The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-02-28

simultaneously, Secretary of the
Navy Knox wrote letter to his
fellow-C hicagoan and friend, Sec
rotary of the Interior IckeS, which
said: Dear Harold: Here it isl.
He enclosed previously discussed
plans for tapping the Nays AL
askan oil reserve which had to be
okayed by Ickes as Petroleum Ad-
ministrator for War.
Ordinarily, it would have TAX
en- less than a week for Ickes,
who is a fast red-tape cutter to
return the papers to Knox. But
nearly three weeks passed and, as
this is written, nothing has hap
pened.
The Seabees have bene wait
ing so long in Washington that
their commander told them: "Get
on back to Camp Peary. There's
no use cooling your heels while
this project is being held up by
Ickes himself is out o town and
Ickes himself is out of town and
no explanation has come from the
oil boys working under him -
only significant silence. But here
is an interesting fact.
The oil men under Ickes are
working on a plan of their own
for the Government to pay for
drilling in another part of AL
aska. = the Southwest Peninsula.
Part of this property is under
lease to American oil companies,
including Standard Oil of Cal
fornia. It also happens that
Ickes' Deputy Petroleum Admins
traitor, Ralph Davies, was formerly
vice president of Standard of
California, and is still drawing al
most $50, 600 a year from that COM
pany as well as his government
salary.
with Tide Water Oil and Union
Standard of California, together
Oil Of California, have already
drilled 16 busters (dry wells)
in the Kanatak region of the
Southwest Peninsula, from 1923
to 1888. They went down I,
500 feet, got nothing but salt
water, abandoned the attempt.
1t cost a total Of $3,00O.O00.
But, now, the Government,
through Ickes' PAW, may fl
nance new drilling in this same
urea. Naturally, If oil is found,
the leases held by Standard, Tide
Water, Union and other private
companies in that area will in
crease in value.
UnqueStionably, the Governemtn
needs oil in the Alaskan area.
General Somervell's much-touted
pipeline from Canada to Alaska
is not finished and won't supply
too much, anyway. The Navy does
not oppose Government drilling
in the Southwest Peninsula, but
1t does object to Ickes' oil boys
holding up development of its own
reserves around Point Barrow.
'VICE-PRESIDENT' STETTINIUS
Following the recent publicity
about Under Secretary of State
Stettinius as possible candidate
for Vice President, friend OF
the family said to Mrs. Stettinius:
"Save me a piece of your In
augural dress for the family
quilt"
IF we make it," said Mrs.
StettiniuS, "I'l give you the
whole dress!"
LABOR BLACK EYE
A nasty labor situation exists
in MuSkegon, Michigan, which
gives all labor, no matter how pa
triotic, black eye. In the Borg
Warner plant, big Pole named
Tony Jankowsky turned out so
many Navy gun mounts every day
that his fellow workers ganged up
on him, and finally pulled strike
in protest.
Most Of the workers in that shop
turned out only Is gun mounts a
day, but big Tony turned out 80
a day. Union members approached
him and asked him to reduce his
production to Is. He complied.
Then they asked him to reduce
to 10. He refused, and went back
to a production rate of IS to 80.
Forty-one men in that depart
ment announced they would not
work with JankowSky there, and
left the plant. Later, the entire
plant was pulled, and 1000 men
walked out on strike, in spite OF
a contract which makes arbitra-
ton Of all grievances compulsory.
The War Labor Board ordered
the men back to work pending
. panel hearing. But the COM
pany refused to take back the
forty-one men who had quit
JankDWHlEyis department..