Show Cut in Atomic Energy Funds is Blow to to I I Uranium Industry Spokesmen Say i The fhe uranium Industry was I delt a blo blow v this week where tt it was least expected These were the words leading beading a release from the Uranium Institute of America Amer ica lea t tu The ns bill for th the Atomic Energy Commission Com Corn mission was penciled blue-penciled by the tIme U. U S. S House of Representatives to the extent of 12 42 12 million mimon Almost Al AI most 6 million of the cut was programmed for the purchase of uranium concentrates and for tor forthe forthe the payment of production bonuses bonuses bo bo- I to new neWl producers The House action which was felt most seriously by small p producers pro was the subject of strong protest by the Uranium tute of ot America In previous years no difficulty had been experienced experienced ex ex- ex In securing adequate funds for the programs program from the Congress but consid conald crable erable difficulty has been encountered encountered en countered with the Bureau Dureau of the Budget UIA president Jess Larson called for a united industry effort ef fort to reinstate the deleted funds when the measure moves to the Senate for consideration in the coming week lie He stated that fast action was essential The production bonus was es established es by the In 1951 to toI I 6 encourage and assist the development of new sources of domestic uranium um production Originally scheduled to expire February In 1957 the Commission Commis aba sion extended the regulation to March 31 n 1000 It permits the payment of up to to the developers of ot new uranium mines In telegrams to the members of the Senate Appropriations Committee the UIA stated Elimination of ot bonus payments payments pay pay- ments to mine operators for tor I newly certified production w would uld ulde 3 be be e a s serious default of ot Federal j 1 Government to the Industry It Another reason given civen by the House for the cut wo we that the j had not been able to fully tully utilize past appropriations al- al allocated i located to the uranium industry officials have stated that this disparity was made necessary sary because of its Us difficulty to accurately estimate fund re requirements for or an Industry that was growing so rapidly The rae UIA WA accordingly submitted in Its ita wire Past last disparity between estimates and expenditures cannot justify redu reduced educed ed at this time tune j |