Nevertheless, I recognize his sincerity, and I think he is just as anxious when we have a complete record to terminate these hearings as I am. What the Chair would like to suggest is this: I know that we have postponed the testimony of the members of the Tennessee plan delegation, but they have been most cooperative in that respect. They are here, and will be here during the remainder of the session. We also have some other witnesses, including Mr. Glen Franklin of the Alaska Miners Association, who was mentioned. I do not know what his testimony will be, but I understand it will be somewhat technical, and I do not think from what he told me, he is taking a positive stand one way or the other. So we should not take too much time with Mr. Franklin.

Then we have Dr. Gordon Gould, I understand, flying in from Philadelphia.

Mr. BARTLETT. He is in the room now.
Mr. O'BRIEN. He is in the room now.

Those people, and some others we have here naturally want to get home. They have other things to do.

If the members of the Tennessee plan delegation will bear with the Chair, I think tomorrow we will atempt to take on some of these other witnesses first because we cannot possibly conclude the hearings this week. I am rather glad of that, because I think some members had the impression when we started that we were going to hear just the proponents and then gallop away.

By having further hearings when we get the time and I assure the committee that will not extend into June or July, but a reasonable time—we will hear the opposition. I think the opposition has had an opportunity as a result of the point raised by the gentleman from New York last Monday to learn that they are wanted here if they want to come. We now have three witnesses listed for the opposition. I do not know how many more there will be. But I do want to get the individuals on their way back home who desire to return home. Even though Alaska is an expensive place in which to live, I am sure so is Washington. And we do not want to add to their expenses in any

way.

I hope the Senator will bear with me, and the gentleman from New York will bear with me, and we will not proceed with him tomorrow. We will take on one or two of these other witnesses and then bring Senator Egan back.

Mr. PILLION. Excepting I will not be here next week. I would like to conclude my discussion here with the Senator. I think it is very interesting. May I do so after I return?

Mr. O'BRIEN. There is no reason why not, because the Senator will be here, and I would think he and other members of his delegation would rather welcome an opportunity to answer some of the questions, and clear up some of the problems we have here.

Mr. EGAN. We will be here any time.

Mr. ABBOTT. In all likelihood, because of our present legislative workload, our regular full committee days, or Wednesdays can be saved for perhaps 30 to 45 minutes on some of these close-out witnesses.

Mr. O'BRIEN. Chairman Engle has suggested there is not very much, if anything, for the full committee next Wednesday, and that we could have that date, or part of it at least, and that would be very helpful.

But I will assure the gentleman from New York that any testimony which is received, say, next Wednesday, or while he is necessarily absent, the witness will be called back unless it is somebody who has made a one-day trip.

Mr. PILLION. Surely.

Mr. BARTLETT. Mr. Chairman, may I offer for the record a letter that came from Mr. Victor P. Guns. I wish the gentleman from New York would stay to hear this.

Mr. Guns is an attorney of Ketchikan. He formerly lived in Anchorage, and he submits this letter as a presentation against statehood.

Mr. PILLION. If there are any more of those, I would be pleased to have them.

Mr. O'BRIEN. Without objection, it will be made a part of the record.

(The letter referred to is as follows:)

KETCHIKAN, ALASKA,

March 11, 1957.

Re Alaska statehood hearings.

HOUSE TERRITORIES SUBCOMMITTEE,
United States Congress,

Washington, D. C.

GENTLEMEN: This is to register my feeble protest against the proposed statehood for Alaska. I have no ax to grind except that I am now living in Alaska, have had my children born here, and expect that unless something unforeseen happens, I shall spend the rest of my life here. My only interest is in seeing that in the end, myself, my children, and my country will profit and prosper. I beg of you to consider, if separation is your desire, that you consider the separation of southeastern Alaska from the balance of the Territory. Southeastern Alaska is a vast mine of natural wealth-salmon, mining and timber. We have the basis of the development of a potential State. We are not burdened with millions and millions of acres of nonproductive land. We never shall be in that position. Every foot of southeastern Alaska can and does now produce.

Western Alaska bases its entire economy on the military. That is all they have. Having lived there, both in Anchorage and Fairbanks, I know that when the Congress, in its wise wisdom curtails further new construction in these areas, they will be dead as the proverbial dodo, and about as valuable as a flat cat. Please note that the Anchorage, Fairbanks and westward group, who continue to vote so overwhelming for statehood have been in the Territory so little time. Over 90 percent of them less than 10 years. They have no stake here they still regard the States as their home, and when they have made their pile, they will go south like the summer goose.

Also note the proposed constitution-2 of the members of the esteemed Alaska Statehood Committee-have informed me that they are going to open up Alaska-and make it a bigger and better Reno. Think-they say-of all the construction, the free and easy money. Gentlemen, if it comes to this I will leave. I do not want to raise my family in this type of climate. Do you?

Don't be sold a bill of goods by the group of entertainers that are back there on taxpayers' dollars. "Tennessee Ernie Gruening and his trio." They are being paid to attempt to sell you how wonderful it will be for all of us. Please convey a message to them from me. Get off our back. Respectfully submitted.

VICTOR P. GUNS.

You have my permission and request to read this to the committee.

Mr. O'BRIEN. May I say one other thing? The gentleman from Nebraska made a point at the start of this hearing that witnesses, where practical, should have prepared statements. I know that is a rule of the House, but it is phrased in such a way that it is not too binding a rule.

Unless the committee overrules the chairman, I shall not deny any witness the opportunity to be heard because they have not a prepared statement, because I think if this committee of Congress ever adopted that practice, we would be in trouble with the general public, because some people, to be frank, do better without a prepared statement than with one. I think that covers the witness who has just testified.

So the hearing will be adjourned until 10 o'clock tomorrow morning. (Whereupon, at 12 noon, the subcommittee adjourned, to reconvene at 10 a. m., Friday, March 15, 1957.)

STATEHOOD FOR ALASKA

FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 1957

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

SUBCOMMITTEE ON TERRITORIAL AND INSULAR AFFAIRS
OF THE COMMITTEE ON INTERIOR AND INSULAR AFFAIRS,

Washington, D. C. The subcommittee met, pursuant to adjournment, at 10 a. m., in the committee room, New House Office Building, Hon. Leo W. O'Brien (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.

Mr. O'BRIEN. The Subcommittee on Territorial and Insular Affairs will come to order.

I would like to explain what the hearing plan is for this morning. Some of the witnesses who were scheduled to appear today include Governor Gruening and Mr. Rivers, and they have been most understanding of the situation. They will be here right along, whereas some of the other witnesses are anxious to get away. So they have yielded today to these other people.

As you know, we have given up any hope of concluding the hearings this week. I suppose it was overoptimism on the part of the chairman to start with. But we will have another hearing next Wednesday, and it certainly is my earnest hope that we will have concluded the hearings before we begin to commence the hearings on Hawaiian statehood legislation.

At this point, we will hear from Mr. Glen Franklin, of the Alaska Miners Association, who is a resident of Fairbanks.

Mr. Franklin.

STATEMENT OF GLEN D. FRANKLIN, CHAIRMAN, LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE, ALASKA MINERS ASSOCIATION, FAIRBANKS, ALASKA

Mr. FRANKLIN. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, I have my papers filed with you there in perhaps a little disorder. The first sheet that I should cover is about myself, and you will find that on the back of the page dated March 5. Since I have been sitting in hearings, I felt sure that in order to more fully explain our point, I needed supplementary information. So I prepared a supplementary statement, and that you have also.

First of all, my name is Glen D. Franklin. I reside at Boundary, Alaska. I married an Alaskan girl and have two daughters born in Fairbanks.

I was educated in the State of Washington, in the primary grades and high school. I went to Alaska in the fall of 1933 and attended the University of Alaska. I graduated from the University of Alaska in 1936 with a bachelor of science degree in business administration and a major in accounting.