The Alaska daily empire., 1920-07-22

ed mammoth pulp and paper mlll to be established on Gastineau Chan nel by the Alaska Gastineau Min ing Company will probably start early next Spring, was the state ment made by B. L. Thane, man aging director of the company, Tn an interesting talk before the mem bers of the Juneau Commercial As- socjatiCs today at their luncheon meeting at the Alaska Grill. Mir. Thane stated that considerable pre- liminary work remains to be done by the company's engineers before work on the plant can be started, but he expressed the opinion that so much encouraging progress has been made that he felt warranted in making the statement.
 Company's Efforts Told
 MT. Thane sketched briefly the history of the company's efforts in becoming interested in the pulp in dustry and explained that because If it's established position and al ready acquired knowledge of the country, power costs and other lac tors entering into the manufacture of paper the Alaska Gastineau Com pany was in a particularly favor able position to consider launching into the new business. He said that engineers who had examined the proposition pronounced the To- cal project the most attractive oi it's kind they had ever seen. The Gastineau Channel project MT. Thane pointed out, has the ad- vantage over all others considered in one very important particular, and that is that D per cent. Gf the money needed to establish paper plant has already been expended here in the power plant, equipment, machine shops, buildings, dwellings, etc, now on the ground. This he said, was a most important factor. lJn addition. the Channel offers won derful facilities in the way of schools, churches. homes, banks and business houses already established.
 Costs Are Compared
 Comparing production costs at Ocean Falls, B. C., where $16,0O,- 900 has been invested, with esti- mated costs of making paper on Gastineau Channel MT Thane said the local project has the advant- age. While transportation costs are slightly higher in the North an dthe labor conditions and power possibilities practically identical i'll ters superior logging advantages and a larger supply of the right kind ol timber.
 North of Wrangell Narrows, said Mir. Thape. there is room for only one large central paper manufac- turing plant, and Gastineau Channel is the logical location for such plant. Smaller pulp mills could bt established to advantage in the dis trict. but they will act only as feed CTS for the main plant.
 Mir. Thane discussed in a most interesting way conditions in tht mining and financial world. Ht said something would have to bt done to place gold mining on pay ing basis, but expressed the belie that relief would not be had fol some time yet On account of tho large supply of copper now or hand he felt that it would take nearly two years for copper to gel back to q normal basis.
 Fuel Oil Shortage
 The speaker also spoke on the shortage of fuel oil on the Pacific Coast and said that he believed that Alaska would be able to give con siderable relief to the fuel situation with the development of the coal and oil fields to the Westward.
 In closing, Mir. Thane pleaded for a spirit of cooperation among the citizens of Juneau. Juneau will always be a first-elass, substan-