Evening star., 1919-07-27

which really should b0
subdivided so as to ap-
ply to each individual industry. One
trouble with Alaska is that we do not
BET the full benefit Of industries es-
fablished within our borders. Take.
for instance. the fisheries: the great
est benefit obtained by the territory
from the fisheries is taxation on cam
terieA This benefit Is not inconsid-
cradle, as seventy five per cent of our
taxes are levied on the canneries, the
export value Of which amounts to
some fifty millions of dollars annual
1y. but the industry is only seasonal.
In April and May large proportion
Of the cannery crews are shipped
from the states. and returned to the
states at the end of the season. when
they are paid off.
Our placer mines are frightfully
handicapped. Costs Of mining ma
chinery scared during the war and
are still soaring. Prices of supplies
doubled and trebled in value, while
the price of gold has remained sta
tionary. Wages have increased. In
plaCeF mining Is no
longer the great territorial industry.
Then. too. placer mining is mostly
seasonal All Is hustle in the gold
fields from breakup to freeze-up,
then comes the period Of inaction.
X X y
Farming has reached the stage of
overproduction of vegetables to feed
fha LOT Co
Ing is to become a great industry we
must find markets. Now. this is inn
possible. for while northern vegeta-
bles are equal, and in many instances
superior, to products Of the states,
Still we cannot compete on account
Of high freight rates. We must build
up our permanent population to cre-
ate market for our farmers There
are thousands of acres Of good wheat
land and hardy wheat has been
developed under experimentation by
the Department Of Agriculture, but
where is our market? At present the
farmer makes hay out of his oats or
wheat crop.
We have numberless copper mines
producing, or capable Of producing,
10 to Is per cent copper ore. These are
known as low grade mines, but trans
portation is not available for these
ores at a price to make mining profit
able, nor Is there smelter within
the territory for treatment. On Prince
William sound a smelter would create
a large and permanent mining popu-
lahon. Coking coal is available in
both the MataprSl.o
coal fields. A short railroad only is
necessary to open up the Bering river
fields. while the Matanuska fields are
already connected to tidewater by the
government railroad terminating at
Seward.
In southeastern Alaska we have
large stands of spruce suitable for
paper pulp. Mills would have been
established several years ago If terms
for wood satisfactory to the pro-
moters. could have been made with
the officials Of the forest service.
Practically all of the wooded areas
of the coast have been withdrawn
within forest reserves The investor
ooes not like to engage in enter
prise where he must be governed
by arbitrarily revocable permits and
changeable regulations 1t la not
probable that the present regime
would take any arbitrary action to
the detriment of bona f1de investors,
but on account of the millions of dol
lars lost. the individuals ruined and
the great damage done to the terri
tory by the ultra conservative with
drawais covering the coal and oil
helds and forests. capital cannot be
blamed for being skeptical of regu-
Iatory administration. A prominent
official OF the forest service once said
TO me: "The hardest part of my Job
as far as Alaska is concerned, is to
live down the mistakes Of my prede-
cessors." 1t is not only hard for him.
but the territory has been put back
in development at least twenty-five
years.
We have oil. and probably lots of
it. but it is all closed to entry. There
are two patented claims in the Katalla
field from which oil is being pumped
In small quantities. There are
great number of oil seepages in vari-
Gus parts Of Alaska. but a man can
neither locate. buy nor lease oil lands.