The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1911-07-14

ALASKA COAL FIELDS LOOK
LIKE EASY MONEY TO
ADMINISTRATION.
Three Plans Under Consideration by
Interior Department, One OF
Which is Direct Operation OF
Mines by the Government-No
Doubt Some Action Will be Taken
Soon.

DOuOC SOmC hCtAOA VIII " AeAOAA
Soon.
Seattle, July S.-A Post-Intelli-
gencer Washington special says: Act
ing on the SECRETARY of the navy's
recommendation, Secretary of the In
terror Fisher is considering plans
whereby the government will open
extensive mines in Alaska, to fur
nish coal for the navy and revenue
cutter service.
Secretary Fisher said today that
he had several plans under consider
alton. One of these is for the gov
eminent to superintend the direct
operation of it's own mine. The bu-
reau of mines is now doing this on
a small scale in Pennsylvania, where
it operates mine to try out rescue
devices and experiment for causes
that lead to explosion. In the sec
ond place, the government could dig
it's own coal indirectly. by leasing
the mines, the lessee supplying the
government with coal at so much a
ton. The third plan is a leasing
of the coal lands to operators on a
straight royalty basis.
Government Control Pays.
There is no doubt that the popu-
lar clanor about the Alaska lands
has made itself felt in Washington.
and as result, there is pretty well
crystallized opinion among officials
here that Uncle Sam ought to use
some horse sense and avail himself
of the business opportunities offered
by his great Northern territory.
This feeling received an impetus dur
ing the past week when the bureau
of fisheries reported that govern
ment control of the Pribiloff islands
during 1910 netted the government
an even $1.OOO,0OO. 1t is shown
that this revenue is $750,000 more
than in 1909, when the government
did not have this control. DR.. Ever
man, in charge of the new bureau
of Alaska fisheries, boldly asserts
today that in eight or ten years
these industries would net the gov
eminent $2O,OO0,OO0 instead of ST.
100000.
Shipped from Pennsylvania.
So it is with the coal fields. The
navy has pointed out to the interior
department that 275,000 tons of coal
were shipped from the Pennsylvania
field in 1910 to Seattle, San Fran
cisco, other California points and
Honolulu, for. the navy alone, at an
average cost of $4.85 ton, In
other words, the government paid
the railroads and navigation COM
panies $1,250,O00. This does not
include the coal shipped west for the
revenue cutter service and the pub
lie buildings.
Advantage in War.
In addition to this economy in
money, the navy points out that with
the government mines in Alaska the
United States would secure ire
mendous advantages in case of war
on the Pacific. Again, there is no
doubt that the difficulty in trans
porting coal has been one reason for
keeping such small part of the fleet
on the Pacific. With Alaska coal
there would be more equal division
and this would mean more mining
activity and more business for the
Alaska country. With the compile
ton of the Panama canal there
would be no reason why the govern
ment could not compete with the
Pennsylvania fields in supplying the
coal for the Atlantic fleet.
The first step that the navy took
in its advocacy of government mines
In Alaska was to get report from
the bureau of mines on the efficiency
of the Alaska coal. This bureaus
experts reported that the Alaska coal
stands up to the Pennsylvania coal
In every test; it has the same keep
ing quality in storage; the same
suitability for forced draft; no
greater deleterious effect on marine
boilers and has a calorific equal to
the Eastern coal.
Something to Be Done.
Secretary Fisher, Of course, would
not say what his recommendation
would be. He does say. however.
that something will be done at once
to relieve the troublesome Alaskan
situation.
The government has been sitting
on the Alaskan lid long enough. The
country is sick and tired of the gov
ernment's inactivity and We propose
to hurry matters to settlement as
fast as Is consistent with careful al.