The Nenana daily news. (Nenana, Alaska) 1918-1921, 1919-03-22

making OF laws regarding the MIN
ing industry, in their respective
states, and when action by the ma
tional lawmaking body is necessary
or desired, the matter is referred
J to the parent body, the American
Mining Congress, who see to it that
appropriate action is taken.
/ He gave an interesting account
of the formation of state chapter
! of the mining congress in Alaska,
with headquarters at Fairbanks
To do this, he said, it was necessary
to send out a circular letter to each
miner and prospector, setting fort!
the advantages to De derived from
having a state chapter In response
TO the invitation coataired in the
circular letter, mining men Of the
district, met at the given date and
organized the Tanana Valley Miners
association. When the REQUIRED
number OF men eligible to member
ship in the American Mining Con-
gress had been assembled. an ap-
plication for charter for state
chapter was sent to the American
Mining Congress.
After the charter had been re-
ceived and the state chapter duly or
ganized, various questions having
an important bearing on the min
ing industry were taken UP and
acted upon. One of them was the
plan TO obtain federal aid to en-
courage prospectors. and he out
lined the methods that would be
adopted in putting this scheme into
practice as soon as the aid, which
had been applied for, was received.
and pointed out the magnitude of
the impetus that will be given the
mining industry thereby The ap-
plication TO the federal authorities
for aid TO prospectors took the form
Of bill which was prepared by a
SPECIAL committee appointed to look
into the matter The bill was for
warded TO the national organization.
the American Mining Congress, who
will see that the bill will be properly
sponsored and introduced in the
House and Senate at Washington
The other matter taken up was the
question Of roads and trails. and
told of the request that had been
made TO the territorial legislature
now in session at Juneau, for the
enactme 4 Of laws 10 impose a poll
tax on all males in the territory.
The money derived from this tax
is to be used for the building and
betterment of the roads in the dis
trict in which the taxes are col
lected a resume of this tax as
discussed at the meeting of the
Fairbanks Chapter of the American
Mining Congress appeared in the
News in its issue of March 18th.
The cost OF collecting such taxes,
hitherto, had almost absorbed the
money collected, and to obviate !!
this, it was suggested that all road |
overseers and other road officials be !
made tax collectors. They will be
paid small percentage of the CO =
lections. |
Another proposition taken up was
the question of cheaper power, and
Mr.. Davis told of the steps that had
been taken to gather data that would
bear the severest scrutiny. This
data would be placed before Con-
gress for the purpose of convincing
that body Of the urgent need exist
ing for plant such as is asked
for. The recommendations made by
the Alaska Chapter of the American
Mining Congress call for the cree
ton of power plant of 5000 horse
power, and capable of being in
creased to 10000 horsepower, at the
Ignite coal fields. The initial cost
Of the plant is estimated at six
million dollars. The exhaustive re-
port submitted by the committee
with the endorsement of the Alaska
chapter is to be sent to the parent
body, who will, as usual, see to it !
%Ao@ L = IL