The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-03-19
ALASKAN COAL LANDS.

We see by the dispatches of ycstcr-
! day morning that the Alaska coal sit
| Jation is attracting official attention
in WASHINGTON rs we'll it may. The
| fact is getting to be understood by
the Administration that. although there
is plenty of coal in Alaska. the steam.
ships plying between Seattle and
Alaskan ports cannot get any coal in
| Alaska. because no one is privileged
to mlue it, aud they have to get their
coal supplies from British Columbia
and Australia
! Apparently, in order to clear the
way for Il better condition of things.
| It is announced that the new Secre.
Jary OF the Interior, Mr.. Fisher. will
give his immediate attention TO the
| Alaskan coal locations, with the prob.
ability That he VIII cancel pretty much
| lll Of them on the allegation of fraud
| This will be entirely satisfactory TO
| everybody no doubt, except those
| claimants, especially if it will clear
| TIC way for the exercise Of the law.
| ,dl rights Of citizens of the United
States 10 file on coal lands and open
| coal mines, lt is absolutely ridiculous
FOR us TO have vast deposits Of coal
'asily, available in Alaska. and at the
'~mc time have To 20 20 foreign coun
t'jes to get coal supplies for the use
4 Our own people.
| /. In this connection il is stated that
Governor Walter Il. Clark of Alaska
has been summoned TO Washington to
confer with President Taft on ''the
impending opening of vast coal fields
in Alaska. Governor Clark, being in.
tervlcwed, is strong on the need for
| Alaska of more railroads and better
| transportation facilities. He cites as
one of the obstructional features of
the present administrative policy of
this country, that the steel mill on
Puget Sound is importing iron ores
| from China, aud coke from Belgium.
He shows that Alaska has abundance
Of iron ore, and coking coal, and should
have steel mills of her own, besides
supplying Puget Sound mills with raw
material. He expects that in short
time Alaska will be shipping copper
and gold ore to Puget Sound TO be
smetod. Of this ore he says seventy
per cent is gangue, but the ore cac-
not be smeted in Alaska, because there
is no coal available. And he is in
sistent that the Interior Department
should adiudicate the coal claims at
once. He says further that the loss
to shipping during the past winter has
been appalling. because Of lack OF
| lighthouses, buoys, and bells, and that
all rates of insurance are now so high
as to be almost prohibitivc. All TINS
is powerful arraignment Of the Gov
ernment for its neglect of Alaska, and
It's failnre to provide safeguards for
shipping engaged in the Alaskan trade
The great thing to be done is to give
Alaska a chance. 1t is by far the
greatest area that we have in de-
pendence upon Congress. But Congress
sional neglect and Pinchot fanaticism
together, held Alaska back in the de.
| cennial period from 1900 to 1910, so
that there was no increase in popula-
| tion or development. 1t is to be hoped
that the new administration of the In.
| terror Department will be able, while
preserving the confidence Of the coun,
try, to give to Alaska fair oppos-
tunity for development and progress.
The immediate thing is the opening of
the coal mines. If it is found that
any of the present locations are taint-