The Alaska daily empire., 1918-02-27
ALASKA COAL DEVELOPMENT
lValdez Minerl


 Newspapers throughout the Territory and at man points in the States have devoted during the past t"' or three years columns of space to the aavanlagt @ which would accrue Alaska and the Pacific Coas States when the fuel resources of Alaska could Dc delivered Pacific Coast points for about $o per LOT and at this price yield the producers handsome nroft Experience proves these figures to be far iron accurate. L., changed or a new and liberal statute enacted governing the development of the coal measures II Alaska has met with decided protest from the com mercial organizations of Anchorage, who hold tha the present leasing law is all that is necessary tt promote the development of the Matanuska flelds Men with the capital to develop these lieds, nola oll ferently and despite the fact that the government railroad has been completed from Anchorage to the coal fields but two or three units have been leased and in process of development
 Matanuska coal sells in Anchorage at $ll per ton This is probably cheaper than imported coal could be sold at that place. but this coal cannot as British Columbia coal is now delivered at these places. Coal at s11 per ton at Anchorage cannot be delivered Seward, Valdez or Cordova the towns the coal fields at price within two or three dollars per ton of the present price of imported coal Therefore, unless vital changes made in the law under which these fields are being developed; unless there is inducement offered to capital tc develop these fields upon commercial basis with reasonable maximum price fixed for the product the expenditure of $35,000,000 for the government railroad is practically wasted far as providing fuel to the Territory and the Pacific coast is concerned
 The present regulations, least far devel opment has progressed under them, have failed of the intended purpose They have led to no cheapening fuel, which is greatly needed in the developments of the resources of Alaska and the indications are that great reduction from present prices may be looked for in the future. At the present price the demand will be limited to Anchorage and possibly Seward, with the result that the value of the entire output of the Matanuska field will not be equal tc the interest the cost of the government railroad while the share which the railroad will get out of il for transportation will be but drop in the bucket of operating expenses.
 The prominent engineers" who figured that Mat anuska coal could be delivered at San Francisco fo, $6 per ton must have dropped figure somewhere n their calculations else those engaged in the development of the coal measures of the Matanuske must be cassed with the most hoggish of profiteers.
 Private capital is building railroad from Con troller Bay privately owned coal mine, and it is hined that coal from this will be placed upon the markets in the Alaskan cities at price far below that of the imported article. Time will tell whether this promise will be carried out but it is the on! hope remaining that Alaska may benefit from the boundless fuel resources within her borders, until such time there is radical change in the regula tions under which these may be developed