Show aid for the industry As long as ns the Federal government is the only agency which can buy uranium concentrates it seems only correct that the government should take steps to see that this industry does not die because of ofa a lack of incentive It was the general opinion of industry heads gathered last week at Denver for forthe forthe forthe the annual Western Mining Conference that government aid in some form was a necessity if the industry was to to stay on its feet Although the uranium industry has been shrouded in semi-secrecy semi and closely regulated by Federal agencies during its relatively short life it was the initiative of the private the prospector who challenged and defeated the western wilderness to find the great deposits of today that made the industry great The announcement last October by bythe bythe bythe the Atomic Energy Commission that it had licensed all the milling facilities it needed and the subsequent closing of some lome of the older mills at the end of their contract period has covered the thee entire industry with shadow hadow Now with present mills running at capacity and ore already blocked out for mills under construction it appears that there is no market for any new deposits that might be uncovered by future pros pros- Thus the incentive that made the industry great is being taken away The New Mexico Economic and Development Development Development De De- De- De commission has called for the following program to stimulate the search for new ore bodies They call for Formulation of a government program program pro pro- program gram to encourage exploration for further uranium reserves essential to our national security by giving a prompt repayment of successful drilling costs b advance payment on a sliding scale of from 50 60 cents to 50 a ton on ores ranging from 10 per cent to 10 per cent uranium oxide c subsequent yearly advance payment on a sliding scale of from 5 cents to 5 5 a ton for ore ranging from 10 per cent to 10 per cent and d that these advance payments be reimbursed to the government government government govern govern- ment out of operating profits when and if the ore is mined They also call for a cooperative custom mill in the Grants area which would serve miners who dont don't have mill contracts and who vho cannot sell all the ore they mine Those attending the mining conference conference conference confer confer- ence were of the opinion that the government government government govern govern- ment should open the door for ura uranium ium sales and allow the mineral to be sold on the foreign or private market This would surely stimulate the industry They re received received received re- re encouragement from Jesse C. C Johnson John son director of the division of raw materials materials materials ma ma- Mr Johnson said that the Federal governments government's monopoly on uranium uranium uranium uran uran- ium buying may soon be over There seems to be no question as to the future of uranium for use in private enterprise and research This use however however however how how- ever cannot come about until tight goVernment government government gov goV- restrictions are eased cased |