The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1910-12-02
sANNuAL
REPORT
WANT OF FUEL is ONE GREAT
DRAWBACK TO ALASKA
DEVELOPMENT.
Gov. Clark Pleads for Opening Of Coal
Fields-Declares Natural Resources
OF North Are Needed for the Proper
Development Of the Country.


THE want of cheap fuel and the
delay in opening the Alaska coal fields
are the strongest adverse factors in
the present problem of territorial
progress"
He estimates the white population
of Alaska at 30,507.
Upon the sound theory that the in
vestment of capital in frontier coun-
try should be encouraged in proper
ton to the natural obstacles which are
to be encountered" says the governor,
it would seem that government aid
for railroad construction in Alaska is
not only justifiable, but absolutely ne
cessary to the early development of
the territory's great resources and to
the settlement of the country.
Assistance should be in the form
of a guarantee of interest on the bonds
of railroads, the construction of which
upon routes selected by government
board, should be authorized only after
competitive bidding"
Government Not Mentioned.
The question of territorial form of
government is not mentioned.
The report says that conditions do
not warrant large influx of laborers.
Special legislation is declared neces-
sary to compel the attendance of ma
tive children at school.
Gov. Clark recommends that 5 per
cent of the Alaska fund be placed un-
der the supervision of the governor for
the purpose of relieving destitute
whites.
"The law provides rebate of por-
ton of the tax on canned salmon to
the canneries maintaining private
hatcheries," says the report, 'but does
not provide for any check on state
ments as to the number of salmon fry
released each year, upon which re-
bate depends. This defect should be
amended by providing that the bureau
of fisheries determine the accuracy of
the claims of the owners of private
hatcheries as to the number of fry re-
leased, or by repeating the provision
Vi LILO A0W ROANA00AA6 ASt~AAVA AO0 esASA
turning them over to the bureau to
operate"
Power Of Attorney Evil.
Gov. Clark holds that better treat
ment for Alaska's insane could be OBJ
tanned on Puget sound than is possible
in the unfavorable Alaska weather.
MANY of the rules and requirements
of federal forest supervision which
rightly apply in settled countries are
out of place in Alaska and Should be
either abolished or modified" he says.
Power Of attorney stalking and asso-
citation claims are said to result in
grave evils.
"The ill-advised policy of forbiddine
all development of large coal re.
sources Of Alaska" says the report,
"or of placing such restrictions upon
development as to make embarkation
of private capital impossible, is to be
deprecated, while the policy of con.
versation by proper use is to be en-.
couraged.
"This coal is needed for the indus.
tries of the territory and for the phys.
ical comfort of our people, and on no
account should it be withheld from
these uses.
Should Mine Own Coal.
"A sufficient amount of our coal
should be mined to meet the needs OF
the present generation. A large part
of the coal used in Alaska IS imported
from British Columbia and is made all
the more expensive to the consumer
because of the payment of duty.
"By reason of conditions in the Brit
ish Columbia mines, there was an in
termitten coal famine in nearly all Of
| the coast towns last winter, even at