The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-04-30
THE USE OF COAL LAND.

The anomalous condition of Alaska
and of the industry and commercial
conditions attaching to Alaska and its
trade has aroused the attention of the
| East at last The Pinchot idea that no
coal must be mined in Alaska, that
nobody must be allowed TO obtain any
coal land for fear that some sort of
fraud would be committed, no matter
whether tho law allows them the
| honest requirement of coal land OF
not has created such a state of af-
| fairs as was never known before in the
| United States. With abundance of coal
within Immediate reach. Alaska can
| neither mine nor use its own coal,
but must buy coal from Australia or
British Columbia. The steamers and
power works could get Alaskan coal
at three dollars a ton, but they must
pay twelve dollars per ton for foreign
coal The result of all this restrictive
policy has been that, in the ten years
from 1900 TO 1910, the population of
Alaska was practically stationary. OF
all the unsettled regions in possession
of the United States, Alaska alone was
paraly2ed and made no progress. I'm
doubtedly the conservation outcry. of
which Pinchot is the special exponent,
was responsible for this holding back
of the development of our great
northwestern territory for the ten
years mentioned.
Undoubtedly any move that Secre-
tary Ballinger might have made to
loosen up tie bands which bind Alaska
would have been received with an
outcry Of denunciation, and with
charges of colusion and fraud But
Mr.. Ballinger is now out of Office,
and Mr.. Walter L. Fisher, man ac
ceptable to the faddists. is Secretary
Of the Interior, 1t Will be possible
for Mr.. Fisher to do much for
Alaska without any opposition from
the Pinchot gang, while il would
have been practically impossible
for Mr.. Ballinger, when he was
Secretary, to do even little.
Mr., Fisher can go far in re-
licving Alaska from the restrictions
which have held her back for so
many years, and it is 10 be boped
that, when he fully senses the situa
ton, he will take measures TO allow of
the development of that vast and i'm
mensely rich region. In the meantime
we note with satisfaction an editorial
In recent number OF The Indepepdent
on this subject, and IN line with the
position taken all along by us,
Under the title "Let the Coal Be
Mined" The Independent says:
A railroad from the rich Bonanza COP
per mine OF Alaska was completed a few
DAYS ago. and ore is coming down by the
trainload 10 ships that will carry IL to
Tacoma. When tho first of these ships
enters Tacoma harbor she will carry
ilag with these words on II;
First load Of copper ore from Bonanza
mine; d million tons to follow, We also
nave coal OF our own. Let us mine it."
There are mountains OF fine coal in
Alaska. but no one is allowed TO mine II |
Our laws relating to public land which
contains coal are out of date and absurd |
several groups OF men who attempted TO
obtain possession OF Alaska coal lands bv
fraud ESQ the indictments say) are on
trial or viii soon be tried Their claims, !
SSNIiNilIE an tNbtHulluIe OF a lew
hundred dollars. cover deposits OF coal I!
whose value is estimated TO be not less |
than $500 900. II they are guilty OF |
fraud they should not have this coal Nor
should there he any statute bv which a |
man for a few dollars can lawfully obtain |
possession Of public land worth millions !
Congress has known for years that the !
land laws ought to be revised. bur Con,
Eress avoids revision. 1t Ignores The /
earnest recommendations of the President
and of It's own committees Industries I'm |
y Igf i'm. tt
q cost Of $l2 4 ton. although there are /
millions Of tons near at hand and almost !
in sight. The Democrats in the House |
should add to their legislative programme
the enactment OF laws To permit the
mining Of this coal. even at the cost OF
one of their tariff bills