The Daily Alaska empire., 1950-03-03
VOTE IS 186 FOR WITH 146 AGAINST BILL
Opposition Arises During Debate
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 BULLETIN - WASHINGTON, March 3-tRq-The House passed the bill granting statehood for Alaska.
 The roll call vote sending the bill to the Senate was l86 to 146
 Action on statehood for Hawaii vis postponed until next week.
 Vigorous opposition to Alaska statehood developed from repre- sentatives of large states. Oppo- sition's strength surprised SUD- pOrters of bill
 WASHINGTON, March 3--R- Legislation to make Alaska a state ran into opposition in the House today.
 The House hardly had begun con- sideration of the measure when Rep. LeRoy Johnson (R-Calif) inter- rupted to ask roll call to determine whether a quorum was present.
 When the quorum Ca majority was obtained. Johnson said he op- posed statehood for Alaska on the ground that the two Senators it would have as state could offset the votes of any pair of Senators chosen by far larger population | groups
 "Alaska's Senators. elected with possibly 10000 votes," Johnson told the House. could nullify the votes of the Senators from California, where there are 100000 voters, or the votes of the Senators from New York, where there are l2.OO0. 900 voters.'
 Reps. Jonas (R-IlD and Engle (R-Mich) also spoke against state hood for the Territory.
 T can't reconcile myself said Engle. ito giving two Senators, one Representative and three electoral votes to a Territory with fewer voters than my Congressional dis trict"
 Chairman Peterson D-Fla) of the House Public Lands Committee. which approved the statehood bill last year, led off the debate for the measure. He said Alaska's popula- ton of 100000 is more than many other Territories had when they were admitted to the union as states.
 Peterson barely had started when Johnson interrupted with his de- mand for quorum call.
 Population Dispute
 Johnson. in his arguments. dis puted Peterson's population premise.
 When other states were admit ted" Johnson said, the ratio of the Territorial population to that of the United States was one to 264 while Alaska's ratio is one to 1928"
 I Rep. Crawford R-Micn) chal- lenged the opposition as not mer- tied. He said Alaska as state would be more useful to defense than as as Territory.
 If it was in my power" he said. T would make Alaska state before the sun sets today
 While the amount of opposition surprised supporters of the bill, they still predicted it's passage. Asked how statehood would strengthen US. defenses in Alaska, Crawford said it would be accom- plished by increased settlement and development.
 None to Defend
 Right now. he said, there is no one in Congress who can vote to defend the people of Alaska against the monopolistic powers primarily opposing this bill" He said he re- ferred to the shipping and fishing interests
 Rep Delaney (D-NY) said that if obiiiiitCd tO tiiC uikiOAi, hiaohd WOuiu have 200 times as much representa- ton in the Senate as New York.
 He contended Alaskan statehood would open the door for the admis- sion of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and all other possessions as states if they asked it.
 Rep. Price CD-IlD said if De- laney's reasoning had been followed, the western boundary of the United States never would have been ex- tended beyond the Mississippi river.
 Crawford and Peterson argued Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are not in the same category with Alaska and Hawaii since the latter l <l