The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1910-11-28
ASKED FOR BY GOVERNOR OF
ALASKA IN REPORT TO SEC
RETARY OF INTERIOR.
RESTRICTIONS OPPRESS
Coal Is Needed by People For Com
fort and tndustry--Advocate
Lease System -- I'M
ports and Exports.

| Washington Nov. 27.--Express1nE II
as his opinion that the want OF
cheap fuel and the delay in opening
/ the Alaska coal fields are the strong
est adverse factors in the present
I! problem OF territorial progress, Go.
ernor Walter f. Clark, of Alaska, il
his annual report to the secretary oi
the interior, made public today, de,
tlares that "the ill.advised policy oi
/ forbidding all development Of the
| large coal resources of Alaska, or OF
lplacing such restrictions upon the de-
/ yelopment AS to make the emhArka
ton of private capital impossible, Is
to be deprecated, while the policy of
! conservation by proper use is to be
!, encouraged.
This COAL" he says, sis needed for
the industries of the territory and for
the physical comfort of our people
and on no account should 1t be with
held from these uses"
| The present impossibillty Of min
ing coal, either under title or lease
he explains. Is in measure responst
bic for the suspension of one of the
| principal railroads. This has caused
la general feeling Of discomagemenl
ever the business situation In those
parts Of Alaska where development
and settlement ought to he going OF
most rapidly.
| Governor Clark says ii appeared j,
4 public discussions Of the subject tina
| the opposition to opening the, Alasis;
coal fields Springs chiefly from two
sources those persons who fear
j monopoly and those who would hapt
this coal held as reserve supply fol
the future" NHe further says tha
while the present coal land law Il
not a good one "it certainly lends NJ
hope to monopoIists. but rather is cal
culated to discourage the embarka
ton OF capital"
In declaring his hope for the adop
non of the leasing system to develoJ
these lands, Governor Clark says. Il
| will be found quite feasible, accordiny
10 the best authorities, to devise suit
ale terms for leases, protecting boli
the public and the operators, and In
surfing intelligent conservation"
Little progress has been made II
railroad building in the northwe4
territory during the past year, 1t !.
asserted. The officers of the Alaski
Northern Railway which vii, tap th'
Mantanuska coal fields, declare tina
| the principal factor in preventing
continuation Of construction is th,
unsettled state Of the coal land ques
ton and the inability of any citizel
10 obtain title or lease to thes
lands.
| Governor Clark recommends gov
ernment aid for the railroads in tn,
form Of a guarantee of interest OF
their bonds He declares that thu
opening of new wagon roads an,
trails, with the accompanying lowe
freight rates on supplies, has en-
abled mining TO he carried on in dis
tricts which either could not hav,
opened at all, or would have uffere,
cnly precarous opportunity to tn
miner.
Signal corps men who have charg
OF the telegraph eyestem in Alask
are commended by the governor
i They endure great hardships in Tn
maintenance Of some of the lines an
are ito be commended for their brav,
! efforts which result in keeping tn
lines open with remarkably few II
terruptions." He declares the ocea
cable will have to be replaced in
few years "unless large improve
ment In wireless communicable
takes place"
Domestic coal to the value Of s20S
359 was shipped to Alaska from IL
| United tSates during the fiscal yea
ending June 80, according to the re
port.
i In addition to this, foreign Goa
valued at $356.4S5 was imported dur
ing the year, bringing the total of al
coal importations for the year up 4
$5Gf,794. The increase IN the tota
, value Of the domestic coal importe
during the year over 1909 was s3G
! 12f
/, The importations of domestic moi
! chandise from the United States In
/. Guiding coal, lumber hardware an
machinery, provisions, liquors, etc
showed an increase in 1910 over 100
Of s7SG,202.
. Merchandise and precious metal
Z shipped from Alaska to the Unite
: states during 1919, amounted to $S4
c2S5a5 an increase over 1909 q