Evening star., 1952-02-13
Congress Told Of vasl
Zinc Find, Shortage
l0f Electric Power

/ A dim view of the Nations elec.
.ltric power supply and a bright
outlook resulting from the largesl
lzinc discovery in many years have
Ibeen reported to Congress.
/ A House Appropriations sub,
committee examining Interior De-
Epartment budget requests for thu
coming fiscal year today published
la record of recent closed hearings
lat which Or. Paul J. Raver, ad.
lministrator Of the Bonneville
Power Administration. testified
that:
THE indications are that the
Nation. as a whole. is right Oh
the ragged edge of power supply
with possibilities Of being deficient
la couple Of million kilowatts ii
capacity this year.
He added that the Southeast Il
AN especially critical area and thai
some other sections of the country
need more electric power facilities
| to handle defense expansion work
| Would Develop Power Sites.
Representative jackson, Demo
lcrat, of Washington. noted that
about 50 million kilowattS were
used in the United States last veal
land that the load expected foi
this year will be about 80 to IS
million kilowatts. The subcom-
mittee was informed that the
Icountry's present capacity is about
I85 million.
Mr.. jackson declared that this
situation calls for developing po-
tential hydropower. not merely in
the Northwest. but throughout the
country. He described electric
power as the backbone of our
whole system of military defense. y
He said he did not know "of a
better investment than expanding
our power facilities, whether pri-
lvate or public"
Worth $lS5 Million.
The subcommittee got a more
encouraging picture when Geo.
logical Survey officials told of the
discovery of 100 million tons OF
zinc ore deposits near Knoxville,
Tenn.
THAT is more new zinc than
has been discovered in all the rest
|of the United States in 80 years. "
the subcommittee learned from
Chief Geologist Wilmot Fl. Brad
ley. Other officials said they re-
|ceived an estimate that the newly
discovered zinc concentrate would
represent at least $135 million
worth of zinc.
This single discovery" Sub
committee Chairman Kirwan,
Democrat, of Ohio declared, "is
probably worth more money than
the Government and the taxpay-
Iers have put in the Geological
Survey in all the years of its ex-
istence."
WiIdlife Endangered.
The subcommittee was urged by
Fish and Wildlife Service officials
to improve the almost desperate
situation in Alaska where the
Government has only 20 game
|wardens, as compared with al
most 200 in the 193Os. Director
Albert M. Day suggested that some
|of the earnings from the Pribiloi
Island seal operations which an
nually shows a profit of almost
SIS million could be used to dc
the emergency job Of protecting
our wildlife and fishing resources
of Alaska"
The hearings also brought q
warming against Russian in
filtration" But it concerned q
growth of poisonous weeds. in
stead Of subyersives. Marion
Clauson, director of the Bureau
Iof Land Management, testified
that the halogeton weed, believed
Ito be indigenous to Southeastern
Russia, has spread over is mill
lion acres since 1885, especially
lin the Northwest, and Is q killer
Iof cattle. Representative Jensen
Republican. of Iowa, said it "coulc
Iplay havoc with the land Of the
whole Nation, II we cannot heac
iif off y