INTERIOR AND INSULAR AFFAIRS EIGHTY-FOURTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION PURSUANT TO H. Res. 30 TO AUTHORIZE THE COMMITTEE ON INTERIOR AND DECEMBER 3, 4, 5, 6, AND 7, 1956 Printed for the use of the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs CONTENTS Ambrose, Daniel W., insular Democratic Party.. Bornn, D. Victor, vice president and cashier, Virgin Islands National Bough, James A., member, Revised Organic Act Commission_. Canegata, D. C., M. D., administrative assistant for St. Croix.. Hodge, Walter I. M., president, Legislature of the Virgin Islands 48, 84, 214 Joseph, C. Lloyd W., acting chairman of the Virgin Islands Civic Ottley, Earle B., vice chairman, Legislature of the Virgin Islands. 7, 54, 143 Rohlson, Henry E., vice president, St. Croix Democratic Party.. Silverman, Irwin W., president, West Indies Bank & Trust Co., Young, Warren, chamber of commerce, St. Croix- 223 VIRGIN ISLANDS, 1956 MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1956 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON TERRITORIAL AND INSULAR AFFAIRS The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10 a. m., in the legislative chambers, Charlotte Amalie, Hon. Leo W. O'Brien (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. Mr. O'BRIEN. The meeting of the Subcommittee on Territorial and Insular Affairs of the House Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs will come to order. Sitting with us today is the subcommittee of the House Committee on Government Operations. I would like to note the presence in the room of Mr. Stewart French, counsel to the Senate Interior Committee, who is representing that committee as an observer. I would like to say at the outset that we are all, of course, very happy to be here. We appreciate your warm hospitality. We are here primarily because of a pledge we gave to a number of your representatives during the recent session in Washington. They urged us strongly to come here and discuss with you on the grounds some of the very vexing troublesome problems you It has been my experience in my short time in the House it is a very difficult matter to legislate for Territories so remote from Washington-especially difficult because, unlike the States which we represent, for which we legislate, you do not have voting representation. I have found it-and I am sure the other Members have found it very difficult to try to legislate in these matters from a study of maps or even a consideration of testimony by people who come to Washington for that purpose. It is much better when you are enacting legislation to visualize the place, the people, for which and for whom it is being enacted. I think all of the Members of Congress here this morning will agree that each in a way is your Representative in Congress. To a great extent it is our job to overcome your greatest enemy in Congress, which might be described as indifference-not studied or callous indifference, but the indifference of people who are concerned primarily to a great degree with the problems of their own districts. Our responsibility as members of this committee is to represent not only our own districts but to represent you, of course. So we come here today with very open minds. I might point out that on our subcommittee here this morning we have some very distinguished members of the full committee, the House Interior Committee. 1 |