The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1911-01-05
TOFLfCT SENATOR'S
BY POPULAR VOTE
(By F. j. DYER.)


day, January 9Th, the judiciary com
mittee OF the senate will present to
that body, Providence permitting, a
report unequivocally in favor of the
election of senators by direct vote of
the people.
This will be regarded as a tre1aen-
dous step in advance by all who have
been shouting the slogan, "Let the
People Rule. - The Hon. Johnathan
Bourne, of Oregon, in particular, with
be expected to weep tears of joy when
this report is brought in. The Ore
gon senator believes most enthusiast
cally in the principle of the direct
vote, for he happens to be in Washing
ton through the favor of his fellow
citizens. There are several others in
the senate who believe as does the
Oregon senator, but there are few
who do not give up the old for the
new, with facility, and they will give
the reformers merry battle.
Even the Judiciary committee itself
is not unit on the report. The sub
committee which acted on it consisted
of Senators Rayner, Borah and Dilling
ham. Dillingham; dissented from the
report. 1t is understood that others
on the main committee will be a
minority report and perhaps more than
one. What will become of this report
when it is given to the senate is not
hard to guess. There will be flibus
tering over it, and it seems likely that
there will not be any action at this
session. But to get favorable report
on this subject out of committee and
to get the issues squarely before the
senate is an achievement, and the ad
vocates of popular government will SO
regard it.
| Mining in Alaska in 1910.
The annual report on the mineral
1910 is now in preparation under the
direction of Alfred III. Brooks, of the
United States geological survey The
more important. features of this report
relating to the mining development
during the year are distracted in a
statement just issued.
! The value of the mineral output of
Alaska in 1910 is estimated at $17,-
100000; the value in 1909 was $21,-
146,42 OF this, the estimated value
of the gold output in 1910 was $16,-
100000; that of 1908, $20,371 ,078.
The copper production in 1910 is esti-
mated to have been 5,6000,000 pounds
valued at about $4,000; that of 1909
was 4,l24,7O5 pounds, valude at 1885,
211. The value of the other mineral
products, including silver, lead, gyp-
sum, marble and coal, is estimated at
$500, ,000-an increase over that of
1909.
| The total value of the Alaska min
eral production since 1880, when min
ing was begun, is, in round numbers,
1886, 100000, of which $179,000,000 is
represented by the value of the gold
output.
General Conditions.
The decrease in the value of the
able to the 9th ts-Thets3 9dbceftncrh
mineral production is entirely charge
able to the falling off in the output
of Fairbanks, Seward PENINSULA, and
some of the smaller placer districts.
Except in these camps and the coal
fields, the output from all the mining
districts increased. In spite of the
decreased gold production and the
handicap because of the delay in open
ing the coal fields, considerable ad-
vancements were made in the mining
industry.
AS in previous years, says the re-
port, the lack of cheap fuel is the one
great hindrance to the advancement of
the mining industry in Alaska. So long
as the Pacific seaboard of Alaska and
the adjacent portions of the inland
region have to depend on expensive
coal brought from British Columbia,
Japan and Washington, so long will
the industries of the territory suffer.
With coal at So to $40 ton along the
Pacific seaboard of Alaska, even mines
located at tidewater are at great
economic disadvantage. Under such
conditions only the richest and largest
ore bodies can be mined at a profit.
Railways and Roads.
The railways are at double dis
advantage In the first pplace, they
are paying from $l1 to $12 ton for
coal used in operating, which should
cost only $3.50 to $3.50; in the second
place, the coal tonnage needed to help
support the railways is existent.
In spite of these handicaps, the back
ers of some of the railway projects
have shown commendable enterprise in
continuing construction work.
The Copper River Railway COM
lDlcItu tUt VI thc iihC oo
far as Chitina, l31 miles from Cor
dova at the end of September and also
put temporary bridge across the Cop
per river at this point. The remaining
so miles to the Bonanza mines are OF
easy construction, and the managers
report that the line will be completed
at an early date. This line will rem
der accessible both the copper deposits
of the Chitina valley and the placers
of the Nizina district. The Alaska
Northern railway maintained commu-
nication over II miles of track. Most
of the other railway projects appear
to have lain dormant awaiting the set
tlement of the coal-land question. The
completed railways were operated but
need no special mention.
For Better Roads.
What the national administration
thinks about the good road movement
is shown by the work it is doing
through the road commission in Alas