The daily Alaska citizen., 1919-12-17
OUR COAL CASE

If the statement alleged by the Nenan; News to have been made by Engineer-in Charge Browne to the effect that the Alas kan Engineering commission views the lay ing of steel across the Panama river so as tc connect Fairbanks with the coal fields a. purely business proposition is a corrcc interpretation of the views of the commis sion it is possible that the people of thi district will be forced to abandon the idei of using coal as a fuel for some years. II view of the reasoning upon which such al attitude is adopted 1t is not unreasonable to conclude that the men in charge of tht road $ construction will refuse to make tht needed connection until such a time as tn, permanent bridge is put in
 The Citizen believes that the cOmmiS sion is not justified in it's demand for guarantee of enough tonnage from the Ne mana coal fields to pay for laying the track Immediate tonnage is not the prime requi site Mr. BrOWne's s assumption that re quirement on his part of haul that vii cover his tracklaying expenses is based o1 sound business principles is itself open to contest The bona fide business man base his policies not so much on an immediat, return, especially if he be just launching business proposition, as upon the develop ment of his trade and the increase in vol ume of sales in the future. It is the excep tional business that shows a profit at it outset.
 As far as absolute need of the Nenan; coal is concerned, at the present time ther is little demand for 1t. The circumstance surrounding the use of wood as a fuel il this country make for such a condition In the mining industry, which is the prin ciple mainstay of this interior country, i is necessary for the operators to contrac for their fuel supply practically twelv months before 1t can be used. The sam thing, even tho in lesser way, applies t the individual buyers of fuel in town. we waited until we needed the wood be fore it was ordered cut and hauled iron the woods, the mines would be out of exis tence and the people freeze to death il their homes Our fuel supply must be ar ranged for ahead of time Thus, the ope1 atOrs have contracted for and had delivere, wood for the coming season. If they bOugh coal it would have to be stored for anOthe year before it would be needed, subject t deterioration and tying up money that l needed for other development work.
 The coal, if it can be secured at a req sOnable rate, offers a chance for cheape fuel. But it will have to be tested on considerable scale before it is known tha it can be used efficiently. Cheapness cut little figure unless it will also serve tn miners purposes. The operators agree tha Ia test is desirable. But they are not goin to pack the coal across the Panama river o1 their backs, nor pay an exhOrbitant rate t get it across. If the commission will pro vide an opportunity that will give the oper ators and the citizens of Fairbanks
 chance to prove the desirabiity of coal a a fuel, the rolling stock and motive powe now in use on the line between Fairbank and north Nenana will be hard pressed t handle the tonnage required to fill the de Imand for fuel next season. There are tw sides to every business proposition. MI Browne has wares to sell in the form O ,transportatiOn facilities. If he can demon strate that he has a desirable commOdit to transport he need have no fear of tn