The weekly Alaska citizen., 1919-12-22
BROWNE ISSUES
 STATEMENT IN
 COAL QUESTION
GIVES COMMISSIONS OUTLOOK OF THE FUEL SITUATION SAYS IS PAYING PRICE MORE THAN R-CGHmaHHf;ifSSSSIGHI MAY MINE

tion to The Citizen setting forth what is presumably the views of the Alaskan Engineering Commission re- garding the coal question. This com munication follows in full:
 Editor Alaska Citizen.
 The question has recently come up concerning the delivery of coal to Fairbanks and to the creeks. Some time ago the attention of the Chief Engineer. Col. Mears. was called to the fact that coal was not being de- livered in sufficient quantities, or at all, to prospective consumers in Fairbanks: and in order to set alright few of the misunderstanding that were apparent. he requested me to have talk with the chamber of com. merce of Fairbanks and with the sev- eral editors of the newspapers of the interior. which has been done
 The impression that has been given is that the Alaskan Engineering Con- him to give authority. Unless the for the development of the coal meas ure of the Nenana field Let me make it perfectly clear that the commission was authorized to Operate and con- struct railroads in Alaska" and any venture indirectly attributable to this end had to receive authority from the President or someone delegated by him to give autohrity. Unless the commission is required to develop a coal mine on the ground that it re- quires the coal for its own use. it is quite out of the question to have such development prosecuted.
 In order to encourage the development of coal, a price that is considered more than fair is offered to a corporation to furnish the con- mission with coal We are now us- using it in our power plant at Nenana and in our locomotives and other machines. the coal from Nenana field in preference to wood, for three very good reasons: it is cheaper. it is cleaner and it is better. The relative values of the heating units of this Ignite coal as compared with wood has been determined by the bureau of mines; and while I have not been officially informed as to these rela tive values, understand that little over a ton of coal is equal to cord of wood. In order. therefore, that coal should be substituted in the home ranges, in the home furnaces and in general commercial activities of the neighborhood, such a price must be considered as will place this in competition. This involves the cost to the miner. the cost of transpOrta- tion of the railroad and the cost of delivery from the railroad cars to the consumers door. The commits sion is not in a position to determine other than the cost of transportation, and this price has been placed so low that 1t is questionable whether it pays for train crew service and fuel actually used.
 A short time ago new vein of coal was unearthed six miles from the then end of steel south of Nenana. In order to make this coal available the commission advanced their track to this coal measure, and it is now possible. or will be in a very short time. to have development made at this point.
 The commission stands ready at all times to transport this coal when it is offered to us as carrier, even to the transportation across the ice at the Panama river; and if any per son, or any mining corporation, wishes to use this coal, and to have it de- livered, it seems that the only method so far evolved is to make request to the mining corporation. If it is de- termined later that such corporation will not deliver the coal to our cars for transportation or cannot do so. then a new phase of the coal situa- tion has been presented and the commission may find itself in a posi- tion of helping, in as large a measure as the laws will permit, in the mining as well as the delivery of coal.
 As the matter stands at present the ( omission in bending every effort 10 see that this fuel, upon which the welfare of the future of Alaska is so firmly based. will be made available at as reasonable cost as possible
 Until. however, it is clearly demon. strated that the miners, who are now in the field, are unable or unwill- ing to supply the demands. the com mission feels that it must hold aloof. This state of affairs has not yet been reached.
 FREDERICK D. BROWNE
 Engineer in Charge