The Chitina leader., 1914-01-06
IF CONCERN ID ALASKA

Cordova the finest harbor in Alaska, is the caption of full of cuts showing of Corova harbor Corova and points of interest along the railroad in recent issue of Lesle's Weekly.
 There also an excellent article from the pen of Edward Allen Forbes, the well known magazine writer who member of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce party which made the trip through Alaska last How Canada Would Develop Alaska tells truths which hit Uncle Sam pretty hard for the which he has been neglect ing this territory Mr. Forbes of the few writers who kept their and able to get ntouch with the people and conditions in the north. .ea
 His contrast between Alaska and British Columbia flaering to the officials Washington He says after
 travelling through British Columbia and the Yukon Territory, the sensitive American feel the difference the moment he
 steps across own border however reluctant he be to admit it.''
 MT. Forbes figures that lack of national pride and enthusiasm is repo"e for condition Alaska other nation has done finer job than the United States in her other outlying possessions He says When you walk along the beautiful streets of Honolulu you stick your chest look around for audience and say this the American of doing things When you the old Bridge of Spain and land in the business Manila again your too tight for you If you Porto Rico either decton make yourself bore your fellow traveller by insisting upon telling him what this island looked like when Miles landed at Guanica 15 But when land Alaska in the company of few foreigners you keep dcreey silent about the American doing things Your chest becomes concave instead of,convex.'' s-4 s7-e,aS
 Mr. Forbes phetic future of Cordova once the national pride aroused and legislation favorable the development of the territory enacted Having travelled
 the world and being keen observer he knows that when the from the mines of the interior and the the Berng River coal fields dewaer here great reduc
 on works will spring up and that fleets of vessels will find safe anchorage Cordova the finest harbor Alaska WASHINGTON, D. G. Jan 2-The annual report of Alfred H. Brooks geoogs in charge of the division of Alaskan mineral has been handed the department
 shows that the total value of the mineral output for the territory last year amounted to $1S,900,000
 Mr. Brooks calls attention to the big decline in the produc ton of gold from the placers of the territory He says this due largely to interference the part of the which has kept the coal lands tied and prevented cheaper fuel being obtained He that the system taxing railroads in Alaska $10O per abolished That one yhi O tha of consequent shrinking of the gold and other metal production
 The report the construction of railroads in the terri cory to hasten its development is of the importance Second only to constructing trunk lines to the interior the elnment should make liberal appropriations for the purpose of constructing system of roads to act feeders for the railroad by furnishing tonnage He believes there many which would soon producers given assistance by the government through the construction of roads which the miners could transport their during the interval while the properties being developed to point where the construction of branch rail road would be warranted These wagon could sucted under the supervision of engineers and in the event of the camps developing and railroad becoming necessity much of the labor and would be lost but would facilitate the construction of the railroad
 Mr. Brooks is also of the opinion that the forest in Alaska should be curtaed They have served retard development of the mineral by adding fhe operations of those who trying open the mineral wealth of the territory to the world
 The development of the coal of Alaska has been held back account of the lack of legislation permitting the exploitation of the known extensive and valuable fields In 1912 the commercial product o coal in Alaska amounted to only 355 ons In addition 900 tons mined under the direction of the Bureau of Mines for testing by the United
 States navy The imports of coal into Alaska about 100000 tons annually but most of the transportation and manufacturing industries of the territory depend Cali fornia oil for their fuel New coal fields Alaska have reported to the department but experts have not yet had time to them Samples of the coal found tributary of the Kuskokwim shows is of high grade btuminous nature The other field is north of the Yukon river and is Ignite
 While the report shows falling off of the mineral production of the territory of optimistic showing that the placer god goldbearng ledge copper deposits coal fields and other minerals constantly being added and only await favorable legislation and assistance from the federal before they will add their wealth that of the nation.