Valdez daily prospector., 1912-09-10
TUESDAY. SEPTEMBER 10, 1912
ALASKAN PROBLEMS.

ton run wild. It's coal and wood and lands and all that they contain are being held in trust, not for any of Us but for our great-grandchildren. While We say hands off. Alaska is being starved. It is time to give those who are striving to develop this none too loveable land a chance to breathe and eat.
 It was good days work when the hands of the Wall street pion- cers were torn from the throat of inc far northern territory, but pro- tecting governmental fingers around that same throat can hardly be cal ed blessing if they stay there too long and grip too tightly.
 Alaskan coal and coal lands have bred many a scandal. The federal court in Chicago Will take up one of these cases before the snow flies. Hut because they have melted crook edness that is no reason for making them incommunicado for all time.
 
 The settlers and their strugggling in dustries need it. why not at least begin to devise a plan for letting some one use it.?
 One month ago on the dock at Cordova there were two piles of coal-550 tons in all-wating to be shoveled into the bunkers of the United States cruiser Maryland. This coal came from Canada and cost the American government, duty and freight on an oil burning steamer included, just $11 a ton. And less than fifty miles from Cofdova. on a railroad. Operated also with oil that was brought from California; there is one of the greatest coal fields in the world, thoroughly conserved and corked.
 The western coast of Alaska is one enormous pine forest. Every boat touchingg at Ketchikan. Sitka, Jul neau, Cordova. Valdez and Seward ca ries lumber to these Alaskan New castle. Ties and bridge timbers were imported to build the Copper River railroad. In this case the moving cause may have been the pique on the part of Morgan and the Guggenheims rather than economy The road costing $23,O0O,00O, makes possible the shipping of ore from the Bonanza copper mine. the high grade worth 5000 car. In little over a year $4,O00,OO has been taken from this mine, and the annual product from now on should reach at least that sum. They charge themselves $500 a car freight for hauling this ore less than 200 miles. so the 23'' 900. .oOO will son come back to one pocket or the other.
 Big figures-but ice was $50 a ton in Cordova this summer, with the Childs glacier, one of the largest in the world, fifty miles away.
 And while the treasures of the land are under lock and key the gold en harvest of the sea-the salmon is being reaped with thoroughness that means destruction. Millions up on millions Of fish are killed eacf year, and, with the exception of pu ny efforts by some canneries whicf operate small hatcheries, nothing is done to conserve this industry mac avert the inevitable day when tho story of the buffalo will be the story of the salmon.
 Alaska has it's problems and needs counsel and aid. Coast towns tha three years ago had population O 5000 today number 700 or less. The! are living in hope, hanging on ii expectancy and praying that some thing will happen. Anything, the! say, Is better than nothing. Conser vatlon isn't exactly popular wort up there, and yet the solid men O these towns admit that 1t has done lot of good. What they really woul' like Is a chance to demonstrate 1t benefits rather than leave that pleas ing task to the third or fourth gen eration.
 What Alaska suffered from frs was exploitation.
 What Is suffers from now Is suffo Cation,-Chicapo Tribune.