The Alaska daily empire., 1921-07-20

| ttti HOhOi Cu NO SuCCteu SUCH d splendid gentleman as Thomas 1 Riggs. I desire also to pay a tribute to Robert Sommers, who is also a truc Alaskan. He is man of the | finest caliber as I have observed in the month since I became Governor of Alaska. appreciate his spirit and l am glad to know from him that he will continue in Alaska and support my administration after he retires from office,' declared the Governor
 Optimism Is Keynote
 Optimism was the keynote of the Governors talk. Bulls and not bears are needed, he declared. Alaskas paramount needs are economic and not political, he said. Capital is needed for development and can only be obtained by being assured of profit in it's undertakings, Capital he said, would bring increased popu l lation. With the advent of more people, development of the agricul I tural lands of the Territory would come "The administration at Wash ington is behind me, or rather, be- hind Alaska" he declared. "I am a publicity man and I believe in the work that my friend Stroller White has been doing for the Territory in recent years" he declared.
 Capital Interested
 Capital is interested in Alaska, said the Governor, Men represent ing large capital are planning to visit the Territory in the near flu ture to look over possible fields for investment, he said The wood pulp and paper industry of Alaska is q fixed fact, he declared. He said that he had attended a conference while in Washington with individ- uals who are interested in the Thane paper mill project and that he was positive that it would be esta ablshed within reasonable time.
 For Simplified Government
 The Governor said that simplifi- cation of the present system of fed eral governing bureaus is to take 1 place in the near future He had no criticism of the personnel of those bureaus, but believed that the sys, tenn was improper We have too many bureaus" he declared. He re. 1 peated statements made by him pre-. viously relative to the visits of President Harding and Secretaries Fall and Denby, The former he said, would hardly be able to get here this summer, but would surely come not later than next year The secretaries. he said, will be here this year.
 Desires Cooperation
 T appreciate the honor of being | Governor of Alaska" said the Gov ernor. But there will be no en. during honor unless I am able to ac complish something lasting for the Territory. l am going to give every. thing there is in me to the work. desire the cooperation of your or ganization and l appreciate the will ingness and spirit with which you have offered this cooperation to me-" he decalred in conclusion. ~
 Paine First Speaker
 V. A. Paine was the first speake. introduced by Postmaster Faulkner MT Paine spoke on Home Life and Social Conditions in Alaska" He referred to the pioneering spirit of those who had come to the North to carve out a fortune, or home for themselves. There is little want, he 1 upt tv, cly l. are a neighborly people. He told briefly of the social progress of the | Territory in recent years. He was warmly applauded at the conclu- sion of his talk.
 Great Future In Mining
 The future of the Alaska mining industry is to be greater than it's past, declared B. D. Stewart, Terri torial Mining Inspector, who spoke on Mining" The value of Alaska's s mineral production on record, he said, was approximately $460, ,000, 900. Ninety-six per cent of this amount was represented in copper and gold 70 per cent being gold and 26 per cent copper production. He reviewed briefly present conditions in the mining industry which he said was admittedly poor. The gold mining industry is affected by increased op- erating costs and virtual exhaustion of the known bonanza placer depos- it's The Territory's mining industry is in a period of transition, he de. clared. The, change he said, was from the bonanza condition and the | working of vast areas of low grade gravels There is more gold content 4 proven to exist in low grade sgrav- els in the Fairbanks district than has been mined in the same region from the richer deposits. The low grade ground, he said. would be worked by improved and more .eco homie methods for years te come He predicted an increase of lode mining in the Interior in the future In that section, he said. there has been very little attention paid to lodes and little lode prospecting car \ ried on, attention being devoted al most entirely to the placer mining industry. Big things in both the