The Alaska daily empire., 1920-01-03
ALASKA NEEDS TRANSPORTATION
 SAYS REPORT
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larger ventures like dredging, shows that it is by no means hopeless" The report planes transportation conditions largely for the decrease in the mineral output of the Territory which was less than at any year since 1916, and $10,0O0,000 less thaa Iin- 191s.- The gold output for 1919 is estimated at $9,O00,000. ., >. S- Alaska Needs Better Transportation
 Concerning transportation condi tions the report says 'except for railroad construction during the year transportation conditions in Alaska have been worse in 1919 than in any previous year" Continuing, 1t says The coastal steamboat service has been unable to meet the demand for freight and passenger transportation. and the river steamer service on the Yukon and tributaries has been worse than ever. These conditions have tended to discourage those who were planning new ventures
 The report says the placer camps employed 900 fewer men last year than in the year previous and there has been a corresponding decrease in the number of prospectors.
 The report urges the construction of roads to connect with the railroad and water transportation. It says: The best that can De given the min CT and prospector is good transporta ton service by water and land and reasonable freight rates. Of first importance is the completion of the Alaska railroad, but better and cheap CT steamboat service, on both ocean md river, are also imperative. More over if the railroad is to be fully Ised for development of the resources of the Territory it must be supple mented by trails and wagon roads"
 Mineral Output
 The report says that since the min Ing of $20,000 worth of gold from placer mines near Juneau in 1850 marked the beginning of the gold mining industry in Alaska, the value of the total mineral output of the Territory down to the close of 1919 has been $437, 100000. The high point was reached in 1916 when it was 4S,600,OO0, This year, the small est since that time, was $18,S50 COG. Tn 1918 it was $2S,254.000 The min. sral output in 1919. like that of pre- vious years, was mostly gold and copper.
 The 1919 output of Alaska's' mines s divided as follows: Gold, $9.000,- 100; copper. sS.5Oo.0O0; silver. $65O,. 900; coal. $350.OO0; lead, $1O0,000; in $50,O00; platinum, palladium. quicksilver, petroleum. marble and gypsum. s2OO,O00.
 Juneau Mines Show Increase
 The product of the gold quartz mines showed an. increase in 1919 over 1918 from $3,473.0O0 to s41O0,. 100. This is due to the increased output of mines near Juneau.
 In placer gold the Yukon districts md those of tributaries of that river showed decline of $4.264,00O in 1918 70 $2,630,0O0 in 1919. The Seward Peninsula district showed an increase from $1,108, 900 to $1,300,0 900.
 Hyder Development
 The report says ''the most impor- ant event of the year bearing on ode mining in Alaska was the devel- ,pment of some large ore bodies in he Stewart river basin of Portland canal. The only properties developed sufficiently to prove the value of these bodies are on the Can adian side of the International Boun- iary, but close to 1t the same geo. logical conditions occur on the Alas l<a side of the boundary. where met qlMferous lodes have long been known 10 occur and where many claims have been staked. The natural sea ,oard outlet for the Canadian as well IS the American properties in the Stewart river basin in the town of Hyder, on the Alaska side of Port land Canal"
 The values of the district are said to be silver, lead and copper