The daily Alaska citizen., 1919-12-31

That the prospects for the erection by the government of a power plant in interior Alaska are bright Is the opin- ion of John A Davis. governor of the Alaska chapter of the American Min ing Congress and head of the local experiment station of the bureau of mines. Mir. Davis in an excellent speech delivered at the last annual convention of the American Mining Congress in St. Louis during the latter part of November elOQuently Gdvocat- ed the establishment of such plant and introduced a resolution endorsing the movement which was unanimous ly passed by the convention
 A copy of the resolution was re- ceived by the Fairbanks Commercial club on the last mail from the outside It reads as follows:
 WHEREAS. the interior of Alaska Is a vast storehouse of mineral wealth and agricultural possibility requiring only systematic development to be- come an empire comparable 10 that produced by the development of the west since the Civil war; and
 WHEREAS, settlement naturally follows agricultural development and such development is only possible where there Is a market for produce th{c frfC IanarHC directly or indirectly for it's present existence and future growth upon the development of its mining industry to furnish such a market and fOun- dation for future prosperity; and
 WHEREAS, under present condi- tiOns of inadequate transportation facilities and the practically prohibit tive cost of power which have all but annihilated an industry that has produced $85,O0O 900 in gold which is only a fraction of the amount which may be recovered. the mining industry of interior Alaska is today facing the crisis of possible extinc- tion; and
 WHEREAS. the congress of the United States, realizing the national opportunity inherent in the systema- tic development of this territory in which the nation still owns 98 per cent of the land, has already ex- pended $G5,OOO,OO0 in the construction of railroad from tidewater 10 the
 interior of Alaska 10 furnish trans portation facilities, and has provided an additional $1T,OOO0OO to insure its completion at the earliest possible moment; and
 WHEREAS. the construction of power plant of sufficient capacity lo supply adequate power for industrial and mining development at a reason able price can only be accomplished by government effort but will quickly repay the investment with interest;
 THEREFORE, BE TT RESOLVED, ] that this the Twenty-seCond Annual Convention of the American Mining Congress does heartily indorse these acts Of the Congress of the United States and the provision of funds 10 carry the railroad to completion, and urges upon congress the continu- anCe of a policy of systematic de velopment of Alaska by constructing a power plant of sufficient capacity 10 provide reasonably cheap power for the mining industry of the in teriOr thus insuring the successful development of the mining industry, of agricultural and of the settlement of the public lands on the Last Frontier"
 AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLV- ED that copies of this resolution be transmitted 10 His EXcellency The President of the United States, to the Honorable. the Secretary of the h. teriOr, and to the senate and house of representatives thru their respective presiding officers.