The Nenana daily news. (Nenana, Alaska) 1918-1921, 1919-05-08


This is not an easy task And there
must be some experiments tried be.
fore anything like a stable schedule
can be arrived al
''One of the serious disadvantages
that any new enterprise in Alaska
suffers under is the long distance
by water which all machinery and
supplies must be carried During
the war this has been particularly
embarrassing in the carrying on of
this work. Because of the highness
Of the rates charged and the I'M
certainty of the movement. the
Commission gave over employing
the regular lines and chartered a
transport from the war department
which ran from Seattle to Anchor
age for two seasons. This service
is invaluable to the railroad While
we were without it last season.
some such arrangement must be re-
newed if the railroad is to be COM
pleted at as fair q figure as has
been thus far maintained. Some
months since negotiations We're en-
tered into with the Shipping Board
looking TO the establishing of a line
between Puget Sound and Alaskan
ports which would serve the rail-
road, or al least 10 the putting on
Of single boat to Anchorage and
Seward. The board offered TO
charter to the Commission new
steel ship at $4,000 per month.
which was thought TO be too high
a figure, and negotiations are still
under way in the hope that this
offer can be bettered.
BY decisions of the commissioner
Of the land office. all of the claims
III the Matanuska coal field were
set aside, and by act of Congress
a leasing bill was put into effect
over the entire field. Under this
law number of claims must be
reserved to the government. The
field was surveyed and some of the
most promising portions of the fields
have been reserved.
Two leases have been entered
into by the government; one with
Lars Netland, a miner, who has a
hacker, Mr.. Fontana, businessman
Of Sarr Francisco. and the other to
liver LaDuke and associates. Meth
er of these parties have any other
Interests Of any kind. so far as
known. in Alaska or any connection
with any railroad. and neither Of
them have been successful in de-
veloping any large amount of coal
There are many thousands of acres
in this field which are open for
lease and which will be leased to
any responsible parties who will I'M
dertake their development There
Is no possibility of monopolizing
this field, even If some one wished
to do SO. for the government re-
serves are to be operated in case
such monopoly should arise. Thus
far, however, the government in
operating its own mine has been no
more successful than the private
lesees, for the coal is so badly
broken and faulted that exploration
work TO follow the seam must be
before DEVELOPMENT work
can be wisely done. And this is
being undertaken. Government ex-
perts who have examined this field
do not promise without further ex-
ploring larger output of coal from
this field than 10000 tons a year.
The population of Alaska has
fallen off during the war She sent,
l am told, 5000 men into the army,
the largest proportion to population
sent by any part of the United
States. The high cost Of labor and
materials closed some of the gold
mines. and the attractive wages
by war industries drew labor
from Alaska to the mainland. All
practically closed But
with the return of peace there is
evidence of new movement to-