As a member of the Committee for a National Minerals Policy, I organized the American Antimony Committee to continue to work specifically for antimony.

The Alaskans being so appreciative of our efforts, it was deemed advisable to have Mr. Earl R. Pilgrim from the Territory as our vice chairman.

Unemployment is a vital topic of the day. A most interesting article was recently read on a building project with emphasis to give employment to the construction industry. Why the preferential aid to the builder, the farmer, and neglect the miner?

In at least a few thousand letters to the United States Senators, United States Congressmen, the United States Department of the Interior, State governors, members of State legislatures, and other officials, we have endeavored to present to them the facts, as we people actually and financially interested in antimony mining see them. We most earnestly request that you assist us in seeing that antimony is placed on the long-range national minerals program.

We have prepared a statement, Salient Statistics for Antimony in the United States, 1925-57; source: Bureau of Mines Minerals Yearbooks (short tons, contained antimony), available for all members of the committee as well as others interested.

We are supporting the Western Governors Mining Council, appreciating the resolution adopted February 28, 1958, at the business session, Colorado Springs, Colo.

I quote:

As to antimony, chrome, asbestos (and possibly manganese), the House Ways and Means Committee to approve legislation allocating import receipts to maintain a minimum nucleus of production in these metals.

We trust this resolution will achieve the favorable results that we are so earnestly looking for, since it will assist in the life's essence of the whole industry.

Less than 10 years ago, domestic miners supplied 42 percent of domestic primary consumption, while today, they supply less than 5 percent.

Somehow the antimony miners have looked to me for justice of domestic production and a happier day.

We believe the "baby moons" or satellites have been one of the greatest warnings since the ringing of the Liberty Bell; therefore, as chairman of the American Antimony Committee, and representing these many miners, we will continue to work in behalf of domestic mining, feeling it is a rightful heritage to operate our mines. Thank you.

Senator MALONE. Thank you, Mrs. Priester.

We are very glad to have you here. You have been very active in this industry in the Western States.

What did you mean when you mentioned our top policymakers?

Mrs. PRIESTER. I meant the men in the Department of the Interior and the State Department, and others.

Senator MALONE. They are unable to do anything if Congress doesn't vote for it.

Mrs. PRIESTER. That is certainly true. Of course, Congress, too. Senator MALONE. I think you had better get back to Congress. Mrs. PRIESTER. We miners are all looking to Congress to greatly assist us.

Senator MALONE. We used to be the top policymakers before 1934, didn't we?

Mrs. PRIESTER. Yes.

Senator MALONE. Well, now, the suggestion of yours that "allocating import receipts to maintain a minimum nucleus of production in these metals"; isn't that just a kind of a stopgap or patent medicine to stay in business, Mrs. Priester?

Mrs. PRIESTER. No. I understand from the resolution by the Western Governors' Mining Council that they certainly do want a long program.

Senator MALONE. I understand that too.

But do you know how much these receipts might mean and what they would mean per unit or per ton if it were applied?

What amount of import receipts from each of these metals or minerals do you get now, and how far would it go if you start to pay it out? Mrs. PRIESTER. At the moment I don't know exactly what they have figured.

Senator MALONE. I don't know whether anybody else does either right now or not.

And, as a matter of fact, it might not even touch the subject.
Mrs. PRIESTER. That may be.

Mr. PILGRIM. There would have to be special legislation, wouldn't there, to change it? Nothing in use now would work, I think.

Mr. REDWINE. May I suggest that Mr. Pilgrim identify himself at this time for the record.

Mr. PILGRIM. Earl R. Pilgrim. I am a resident of Alaska. I have been a resident of Alaska for 37 years.

Senator MALONE. Do you live in Alaska?

Mr. PILGRIM. Yes.

Senator MALONE. You really are a "pilgrim" down here in Washington, aren't you?

Mr. PILGRIM. That is right.

Senator MALONE. You are welcome and we are glad to see you.

Now, what I would like to find out from you, Mrs. Priester, and you Mr. Pilgrim, is what you really want is to get back on a principle, not only in mining, but every other product in the United States, do you not?

Mr. PILGRIM. I would much prefer to get the mine open and keep it operating. I am not familiar with your mining down here. And I have read

Senator MALONE. We do not have any now.

Mr. PILGRIM. No.

But in the antimony business I have heard in some of these hearings their requests for a hundred percent tariffs and all of that. And I never asked for that. Because I know what we can operate on up there.

We have a transportation problem much greater than anything you have down here. But we also have ores that are much better than anything you have down here.

And perhaps if I read this to you, it would be clearer.

Senator MALONE. Yes.

You may proceed.

Mr. PILGRIM. A few things I have put in. There seems to be a misunderstanding among some Government offices like the Office

of Defense Mobilization, GSA, as to what the price of metals are at times.

Senator MALONE. Do you think that is a misunderstanding? Maybe they thoroughly understand what they are doing. I think they do. And it is not intended that you be in the mining business. That might be news to you. But we are glad to have you here to get your ideas about it. Some of us intend to get back in the mining business as well as the textile business.

And while I am talking about it, here is a nice linen napkin that I just picked up off the Senate dining room table. It says "Made in Western Germany."

I suppose your mining, your antimony, and tungsten, and manganese would be made in some other country. But no textile industry can compete with a napkin made in Western Germany.

It is exactly the same as antimony or anything else.

Mr. PILGRIM. Before I forget it: That article that Mrs. Priester read-I don't know whether that is clear or not, but the Government of the British Empire, they didn't ask for their legislative body to make this duty; it is established by them.

Senator MALONE. It is established by executive order, isn't it?
Mr. PILGRIM. They just set it out, yes.

Senator MALONE. You see, nearly every nation in the world has it arranged so that all they have to do to protect their industry is just put out an order. And they are very smart.

And we are today the only free-trade nation in the world. Other nations that have trade agreements with us, either multilateral or bilateral-multilateral made in Geneva, or bilateral made by the State Department or their executives-there is a gimmick that they don't have to abide by their part of the bargain as long as they are short of dollar balance payments.

They can show that until our wealth is entirely divided among them. Mr. PILGRIM. It is getting pretty well divided too.

Well, that amounts to 40 pounds per ton-I presume it is a long ton-if they just said on there that is just like saying we are putting 5 cents a pound on Belgium or any other country shipping metal, antimony, into our country. Then they will cry their eyes out at our request to put up a little duty or some restrictions.

Senator MALONE. It might be appropriate at this time to say that other nations, especially the European nations who have lived rather at wits for 300 years on colonial nations or others-you can take freight rates, for example: our tariffs-and if you have a leeway of 5 or 10 percent of fixing freight rates or tariffs, you can dry up any area or make another area produce. You understand how that would be?

I served 811⁄2 years on our ratemaking body at one time, the Public Service Commission of Nevada. Before I had been on that ratemaking body a month, I said give me a leeway of 10 percent and I will dry up any part of the country or develop any other part.

And they were doing it up in New York. But tariffs work the same way. They know by long experience that if they protect their industries, have a tariff or a duty or import permit or exchange permit, then in order to get their markets, investors have to build plans or mines in their country. Then if they can get the free trade or the free imports into a market like ours, the production plant or the mine

will be located in their area, and then their markets will be furnished and they tax the plant and then they can sell to other nations.

So, it is the same thing that has been going on for 300 years. And, of course, these nations take advantage of it. So, the only chance, it seems to me, and has seemed for a long time, is just to go back to the Constitution of the United States. It is not very far back.

If we just sit still this session and do not pass anything, we are operating under the Constitution, I guess. And then you would have the tariff on which a fair and reasonable competition is based, so that the American workingman and American investors would be competing with each other for the American market.

Woud that sound reasonable?

Mr. PILGRIM. It sure would to me.

Senator MALONE. You are an American up there. You would be competing for the American market?

Mr. PILGRIM. We are kind of second-class Americans.

Senator MALONE. How do you explain that?

We might as well get into that. How do you explain second-class citizens? Do they charge you anything to bring your stuff in?

Mr. PILGRIM. I am 65 years old, and I have never voted for a President. There was once or twice when I was in the Armed Forces in World War I or in some new camp and had not been a resident long enough to vote. Otherwise, I have been up in Alaska-Alaskans have no right to vote.

Senator MALONE. You are talking for statehood?

Mr. PILGRIM. I didn't come to this meeting to talk for statehood. Senator MALONE. Well, then, what did you mean by this remark that you were a second-class citizen?

Mr. PILGRIM. That is commonly believed up there by residents of Alaska.

Senator MALONE. Do you have any trouble selling your stuff here in the market? Does it cost you anything?

Mr. PILGRIM. Yes, but not because

Senator MALONE. Not because of being second-class citizens?
Mr. PILGRIM. No.

When I came in Thursday, when I arrived in Seattle, I had to produce evidence that I was a citizen of the United States.

I had to tell the customs officer that I was born in the United States and where I was born, the town, and I had to produce evidence that I was a citizen.

Senator MALONE. Well, I live in Nevada, and I have to produce it when I come in.

Mr. PILGRIM. To Washington?

Senator MALONE. From England or some place like that.

Mr. PILGRIM. But Alaska is part of the United States.

Senator MALONE. I like Alaska. I have been all over Alaska.

I am the one they sent in behind the Japs in Dutch Harbor.
I made a report on Alaska in World War II.

Mr. PILGRIM. It is a darned good country.

Senator MALONE. You have tungsten up there and a lot of things. I made an industrial report of Alaska and the 11 Western States and the Philippines and Hawaii.

Did you ever seen that report?
Mr. PILGRIM. No.

Senator MALONE. You ought to take at look at it. It is a pretty good report.

Mr. PILGRIM. I have seen just about every place in Alaska.

Senator MALONE. I think your evidence is going to be interesting if you want to confine it to your subject.

Mr. PILGRIM. I come from three generations of miners. And all we are interested in-or all I am interested in in Alaska is to try and get this mine and others operating so that they can sell enough ore and keep a few miners employed. So with your permission I will present my statement at this time.

Senator MALONE. Proceed.

STATEMENT OF EARL R. PILGRIM, VICE CHAIRMAN, AMERICAN ANTIMONY COMMITTEE

Mr. PILGRIM. My name is Earl R. Pilgrim. I have been a resident of Alaska for 35 years. For three generations my people have been miners in the United States.

Since 1937 I have been trying to make the Stampede antimony into a continuous successful operation. When that prospect was taken over and work started there was no thought or expectation of operating the mine as a war project. It was hoped the mine would have a long and useful life of peacetime operation.

We are not looking for a war nor are we hoping for one. All that we are interested in is to have a fair opportunity to mine and sell enough ore to support a few American miners with their families. We have mined and shipped to the stateside smelters over 2,600 tons of crude high grade ore and also 900 tons of mill concentrate. Senator MALONE. Is this antimony you are talking about? Mr. PILGRIM. Yes, sir.

Recently because the stateside market was so glutted with Mexican, Bolivian, south African, Yugoslavian, and other foreign countries' ores, we made two shipments to Kobe, Japan.

We have a little bit of a chance to compete with them on transportation from Bolivia.

Senator MALONE. You understand we have to give all these other nations a market for their minerals and textiles and all the rest of these products; don't you?

Mr. PILGRIM. Yes, sir.

I know we should give them a certain market. I do not see that we should give them the full market.

Senator MALONE. Not quite all of it.

Mr. PILGRIM. No.

Senator MALONE. That sounds reasonable to me.

Mr. PILGRIM. We are now closed down and shall remain so unless something is done to improve our lot. We have plenty of milling ore, plus 8 percent antimony-and we call that milling ore there. I understand there is a mining company operating on ore running around 2 percent, but we consider up there we had to have 8 percent to be workable.

And a very fine body of high grade recently opened up. We have a certificate of discovery from the Defense Exploration Agency, referring to that new body.