The claim covered by said bill was first called to my attention sometime in 1927, and I was of opinion that the same was barred in view of the fact that no suit had been instituted thereon against the Director General within the period provided by Congress in section 206 of the Transportation Act of 1920, which statute provided that all claims against the Director General arising out of Federal control should be put in suit on or before February 29, 1922, otherwise they would be barred. I so stated to the representatives of Jersey City, and told them that having such an opinion, I was not willing to approve the payment of this bill. There was nothing to have prevented the attorneys for Jersey City in having the matter presented to a court in order to ascertain whether or not my opinion was well founded. They did not see fit to take this course, but instead of that, they presented the above bill to Congress for relief. Owing to the present illness of our comptroller, I have been unable to verify the correctness of the amount of these bills, but should the committee desire this done, I will send one of our accountants to New York City to go over the books of the Erie Railroad Co. and verify the amount claimed. We have had a great number of meritorious claims presented which we have had to decline owing to the aforesaid statute of limitations, the courts having held that the Director General had no authority to waive the benefit of such a statute, and I know of no special reason why an exception should be made in this case. Congress adopted the policy of giving all claimants a period of 2 years from the passage of the act within which to proceed in court. Should your committee desire any further information in relation to this matter, I shall be most pleased to furnish all within my power. Respectfully yours, SIDNEY F. ANDREWS, Assistant Director General and General Solicitor. О TO PROVIDE FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF A CENTRAL RESEARCH AND EXPERIMENT STATION OF THE BUREAU OF MINES AT SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH MAY 15, 1935.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed Mr. MURDOCK, from the Committee on Mines and Mining, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. R. 7322] The Committee on Mines and Mining, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 7322) to provide for the establishment and maintenance of a research and experiment station of the Bureau of Mines at Salt Lake City, Utah, having considered the same, report favorably thereon and recommend that the bill do pass with the following committee amendments: On page 1, in the title, and line 5, strike out the word "central". On page 2, line 18, strike out the period and add in lieu thereof ", Provided, That nothing herein shall be construed to limit or curtail the development of any other Bureau of Mines station." This bill authorizes and directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish and maintain in Salt Lake City, Utah, under the Bureau of Mines, a research and experiment station to investigate the mining, preparation, treatment, and utilization of ores and other mineral substances and to disseminate the information thus obtained with a view to improving conditions in the mining, quarrying, metallurgical, and other mining industries, safeguarding life, preventing waste of resources, and otherwise contributing to the advancement of these industries. The Bureau of Mines has continuously maintained a mining experiment station at Salt Lake City, Utah, since its establishment in 1914, under general authority vested in the Secretary of the Interior by the organic act creating the Bureau of Mines. Financial support accorded this station has varied with appropriations provided by Congress for the Bureau's work, originally $25,000 per year. The amount that could be allotted to the Salt Lake mining experiment station has now been reduced to about $14,000, as a result of drastic cuts in Bureau appropriations. The bill under consideration approves an increase of $50,000 in annual allotments for the Salt Lake City station, making the total available approximately $64,000, or $75,000 in the event the appropriations were restored to their former level. The development and utilization of the mineral resources of the United States, and especially in the western portion, constitute a general problem of intricate nature. The metallic ores throughout that area are largely of the variety known as "complex"; that is, ores in which from three to six or more metals occur together, and, therefore, require special, and often localized, methods of treatment in order to reclaim the metals. The area is also rich in nonmetallic mineral resources which require technical treatment for extraction and treatment. The general problem is such that it cannot be solved through private agencies for obvious reasons and therefore requires attention by the National Government. This situation has been recognized by Congress through the establishment of Bureau of Mines stations in various Western States. These stations have been of important service to the mineral industry and are to be credited largely with the development of important mineral and metallurgical processes which have converted many formerly worthless materials into useful products. The problems of this area are becoming more complicated and require greater attention from the Government than formerly in order to assure the perpetuity of the industry through improved economic utilization of the useful minerals in that area, to amplify the mediums of employment, and promote the material advancement of the entire country. It is necessary that a station of the Bureau of Mines properly equipped to handle basic and major problems of the area be established within this area to supplement the field and local work. Such a station should have sufficient initial equipment and personnel to inaugurate its work properly and should be increased from time to time in accordance with the needs of the industry and the problems that present themselves for solution. The service of such a station would be rendered largely in the study of problems of general application throughout the field or the Nation and such problems as would be referred to it from the various local districts throughout the area. It is obviously not practicable to provide for each district the equipment and personnel necessary to handle general or intricately involved problems. The results of the work accomplished by the enlarged station would, of course, be made available for the benefit of the industry throughout the entire area and for the benefit of the public generally. It is not proposed or contemplated that the station shall be operated for the benefit of any private interests, but that the results of its operations shall be made available for the information and benefit of the entire industry, except that in certain cases private companies or individuals should be permitted to make arrangements whereby their own personnel could at times utilize the facilities of the station upon payment therefor and without cost to the Government or prejudice to the public interest. The history of such arrangements for use of the facilities of the Bureau of Mines in the past shows that in instances where such arrangements have been made the results have almost invariably been made available to the public. In the western area, especially, there is an almost total absence of secret methods and processes; in fact, private companies have again and again supplied funds and technical personnel to assist the Bureau in the determination of problems of the industry and have joined in giving the results the fullest publicity. Salt Lake City is the logical place from all viewpoints for the location of such a station. It is the center of one of the most potentially productive and varied mineral areas of the world. A circle of 600 miles radius with Salt Lake City as its center embraces an area which has yielded in recent years about 80 percent of all the gold, 90 percent of all the silver, 55 percent of all the lead, 75 percent of all the copper, and 25 percent of all the zinc produced in the United States, including Alaska. It also includes some of the greatest phosphate, iron, and mineral earth deposits of the United States, only partially developed. The Salt Lake Valley is the greatest nonferrous smelting center of the United States. The city is conveniently accessible from all parts of the area affected and is the center of a mineral field so varied and interesting that it commands the interest of mining and metallurgical technicians and students in all parts of the world. In and adjacent to Salt Lake City are elaborate and most unusual mining and metallurgical processes in operation, and residents there are mining and metallurgical experts of world-wide experience and repute. The presence and availability of these plants and these experts constitute an important advantage to be gained through the location of the proposed station at Salt Lake City, as they always have and may be expected to continue to cooperate fully with the work of the Government for the benefit of the entire industry. Under the proposed amendment on page 2, line 18, the committee recommends the insertion of the following words: "Provided, That nothing herein shall be construed to limit or curtail the development of any other Bureau of Mines station" for the purpose of specifically protecting existing stations from being deprived of personnel, records, or other activities, and to protect the existing stations from the possibility of diverting funds from the existing activities to the enlargement of the station proposed in the measure, the purpose of this measure being to enhance the value of existing stations through the establishment at Salt Lake City of a station with sufficient facilities to adequately serve the mining industry and the problems thereof involving the particular types of minerals mined and processed in the West. Under the bill the Secretary of the Interior is authorized to cooperate with the State of Utah in carrying out the provisions of this act, and for such purposes to accept lands, buildings, or other contributions from the State. This proposed legislation has been the subject of considerable investigation and study by the Bureau of Mines. In recognition of the urgent need for increasing Government aid to the mining industry through technical service such as could be provided by a research station in Salt Lake City, the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Mines recommend the passage of this measure. Copy of the report from the Secretary of the Interior is attached hereto and made a part hereof. Hon. JOE L. SMITH, Chairman Committee on Mines and Mining, MY DEAR MR. SMITH: INTERIOR Department, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. Replying to your letter of April 16, requesting a report on H. R. 7322, a bill to provide for the establishment and maintenance of a central research and experiment station of the Bureau of Mines at Salt Lake City, Utah: The Bureau of Mines has continuously maintained a mining experiment station at Salt Lake City, Utah, since its establishment in 1914 under general authority vested in the Secretary of the Interior by the organic act creating the Bureau of Mines. Financial support accorded this station has varied with appropriations provided by Congress for the Bureau's work. Originally $25,000 per year, the amount that could be allocated to the Salt Lake mining experiment station has now been reduced to about $14,000 as a result of drastic cuts in Bureau appropriations. Salt Lake City is the center of a large metal-mining district, and is a suitable location for a large experiment station. The Salt Lake station has contributed notably in the past to improvements in methods of beneficiating low-grade complex ores characteristic of the region. Fundamentals of differential flotation, developed by investigators at this station, found wide-spread commercial application not only in the intermountain area but also in other parts of the United States having similar problems. With funds now available metallurgical research is practically suspended and facilities of the station laboratories cannot be utilized to any extent in solving additional problems of the industry, made more acute by current low base-metal prices. It is also impossible, because of lack of travel funds, for employees of the station to visit mines and plants to obtain first-hand information regarding operating problems. This bill would provide an increase of $50,000 in annual allotments for the Salt Lake Station, making the total available about $64,000. This amount could be advantageously used in studying mining and metallurgical problems of operators in the intermountain region and would also enable the Bureau to extend much needed service to small operators, who are constantly appealing for technical assistance to improve their operating practices. Work of this nature conserves natural resources in that waste is reduced through improved methods and lower-grade material is made commercially available. The language of the bill, in conjunction with the broad powers conferred on the Secretary of the Interior by the Bureau's organic act, and by the Foster Act specifically authorizing establishment of mining experiment stations, gives ample authority for the conduct at the Salt Lake station of any type of investigation pertaining to the mineral or allied industries that might, at any time, be considered especially opportune or desirable. However, efficient administration seeks to avoid duplication of facilities and effort. The Bureau now has a laboratory at Bartlesville devoted to oil and gas investigations, well equipped and manned by personnel long trained in petroleum research. To duplicate, even on a minor scale, equipment and investigative personnel for petroleum studies at Salt Lake would be unnecessary and unwise at this time. If at any time in the future it should seem advisable to undertake work of this nature at Salt Lake, ample authority already exists and need not be provided in this bill. While the language, as now written in the bill, would not compel the initiation of petroleum studies at Salt Lake, the specific mention of oil and gas and the hydrocarbons is unnecessary because they are included under "other mineral substances" (p. 2, line 1). Their mention might give rise to the expectation that an oil and gas laboratory would be established at once and criticism would result if such expectations were not realized. It is, therefore, suggested that the parenthetical phrase beginning on page 2, line 1 ("including coal, oil, gas, and the hydrocarbons") be stricken out. I also suggest that the word "central" be omitted from page 1, line 5, as unnecessary and likely to arouse opposition. The Department has been obliged to resist earlier efforts to strengthen the Salt Lake station by transfer to Salt Lake of personnel and equipment from other stations, at mining centers in other States. This bill, however, would provide additional funds for the Intermountain station without affecting other Bureau activities, thus meeting objections previously raised and protests received from those interested in Bureau stations of other States. In recognition of the urgent need for increasing Government aid to the mining industry through technical service such as provided by the Bureau of Mines, the Department is in sympathy with the purposes of this bill and I recommend that it be favorably reported by the committee. Sincerely yours, HAROLD L. ICKES, O |