The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-10-26
GOVERNMENT WANTS
GOALS OF ALASKA
Economy Demands Opening of
Mines in Territory, Ac-
cording to Experts.

Alaska Will undoubtedly make de-
nland when congress meets again for leg
islation which will permit Of the opening
OF the rich coal fields in that territory.
The entire Pacific coast Will beneft by
having the Alaska coal made available.
The government. which is paying about
million dollars year In freights TO get
Pennsylvania and West Virginia coal car
ried around to the Pacific coast for the
use OF the feet in order that the Alaska
coal may be conserved" will also benc-
nj, On this point. Senator Perkins,
chairman OF the committee on naval af-
fairs. said recently:
III that coal Is az good as, they.
(namely, the geological survey) "say 1t
Is. and we can get II at reasonable rates.
1t would be of very great benefit 10 the
navy as we'll as to the commercial inter-
ests.
Admiral Dewey. president Of the gen
eral board of the navy, in IA report TO
Secretary Meyer. made a similar state
"The report of the geological survey"
TO quote Senator Perkins further. was
an agreeable surprise TO many of us. We
water at 50 or $3.50 per ton. and we
could then get 1t to San Francisco and
other coast ports for about 81 a ton,
'As chairman OF the naval affairs COM
mittee. would like very much to SEQ
the mines opened Private capital would
do 1t with a chance to get title to the
lands. think we might charge small
royalty. based on commercial usage. We
must give some Inducements, but che
question could be yhandled on a business
basis
Congress has bungled the coal question
In Alnska. In order that there may be
has been persistently before the public
for many months. let us see what the
government, eeoioFlst; Alfred H. Brooks;
suryeY. emitted, @The Mining Industry
tion."
Laws Are at Fault
Mr. Brooks remarks that two factors
Bering River and Matanuska fields. one
being the advances made in the Call
fornia oil fields and the other the nn-
tbe DGar existing In regard to
can be taken up" He explains the legal
situation very succinctlv. as follows:
ra;I,ts,1sg Though laws INTENDED to enable the
have been on the statute books for the
yet Gully !. 1870 gone to patent. 1t is.
has been checked In the coal fields and
that many who would undertake their de-
velopment have become discouraged.
simply extended to Alaska the provisions
OF the coal coal land laws IN the United
states, This law was ineffective, for IL
provided that only subdIvided lands could
land surveys In Alaska, The matter WAS
rectifed by the act Of April %. 1904.
which permitted unsnrveyed lands to be
the expense of. the entrymen Unfortu-
nately, the law provided that only tracts
OF $50 acres could be taken up. and no
recognition was given to the fact that IL
was impracticable TO develop an isolated
coal field requiring the expenditure OF
a large amount OF money by such small
Remedial legislation was sought and
enacted In the statute of May 2s. 1908.
This law permitted the consolidation OF
1906, in tracts OF 1850 acres. One clause
Of this law invaldated the title IL any
indtvidual or corporation at any time In
d4eetS on nnS
one tract. The purpose OF this clause was
TO prevent the monopollzation OF coal
fields; It's immediate effect was to dis
courage capital. It was felt by many
that this clause might lead to forfeiture |
OF title through the accidents Of inher- |
itance or might even be used by the un-
scrupulous In Matchmaking. II would ap-
pear that land taken up under this law !
might at any time be forfeited to the |
government through the action or any
individual who. innoccntly or otherwise |
obtained interest in more than one coal |
company, Such a title was felt to he too |
insecure insecure TO warrant the large invest
DttOcu lot mining 0eVeIODmentS, |
The difference between theamin- |
Ing of coal and the mining OF placer gold |
has not always been recognized A |
placer claim may yield a profit to the
who has hut a supply of pro-
Visions and a few simple tools but as a
necessary preliminary to coal mining at
east several thousand dollars must be
on each claim Even after the
money necessary to patent has been
spent, no profit from mining can accrue
Until sufficient capital has been invested
rrNJ. ons ~ |
facilities. These explanations, obvious to
every coal miner. are made here because
he idea seems prevalent that any indi-
itdual prospector. after stalking a coal
claim, can proceed to develop II at n
profit as he might gold placer
New York Mining Stocks.
James a, Pollock & Co., bankers and
oroLpre furnish fbn fnIIou,I,c rocoI,,nd /