The Cordova daily times., 1922-12-19
DIRECTOR BANS REPORT

metal mining, coal and oil mining possibilities and their relation to the development of the Territory, or as he phrases it, "winning for civilization the great silent stretches of the North,' shows the clear and lucid thought of an intelli gent student and observer.
 Dr. Bain has not paltered to previously former conception held by thousands of Ameri- cans, including many residents of Alaska, that in the Territory is the national coal pile, bill lions of billions of tons of high grade fuel ready for mining and capable of being pro- duced in such quantities as would flood out all other coa1s in competitive market. He has pictured something different entirely. He pre- sents a comman-sense view of lands with coal deposits sufficient for every local need, for the home and the industry in the Territory; of high grade fuels that present serious prob lens of mining; of low grade fuels suitable for domestic needs, capable of extremely cheap production costs, but not desirable to export. How large the production of the latter will be in the near future, as he sees it, depends largely upon how extensive a development takes place in the metal mining industry and other lines of endeavor; whether or not there will be any export movement of the former grade rests on how great is the need of the Navy for steaming coal and, presumably, upon the discovery of beds of coal that can be mined, in the light of present knowledge, on la basis that will permit it to be shipped to Pacific Coast points in competition with sim liar coals from other sections
 If he was conservative in his delineation of the coal mining situation in Alaska. he was not
 less so in reporting on possible oil fields in the Territory Evidently he is convinced that the lesson of years of practical experience IS the only safe guide-that is, the only sure test of an oil field is in drilling There are some districts, he said, that are worthy of actual prospecting with drills and it is not unlikely that oil will be brought in when wells are drilled. The Cold Bay field, where drilling will soon be started, Chickaloon and Yakataga are three zones named as desirable for pros pecting.
 The most encouraging fact about the whole report is Director Bain's evident desire to see development take place in all kinds of min ing. Neither directly nor by implication did he suggest that further restriction should"-be put on any resource with which his organiza ton is connected On the contrary he makes a suggestion that certain limitations now inn posed may have to be altered and better terms offered if development of possible oil lands on the Arctic slope is to be undertaken. Undoubt edIy he is correct in this matter A similar view las been taken by some other officials of the Department of the Interior and a tentative plan suggested several months ago to put the suggestion into effect. It is to be hoped that the Director will be able to accomplish some thing
 As a whole the report is valuable contri- button 10 the already overwhelming mass of documents, official and otherwise, which has been compiled on the Territory. It is sane, we'll balanced and an intelligent effort to pre- sent a true picture of mining and possibilities Of tie mining industry fir Alaska "as <he~Br~ reau of Mines has made contacts with it.-EX.
 Angora and Moscow appear to be preparing to make trouble.
 Texas is leading in road building But Texas needs in that respect are so much greater.
 With Christmas only few days off, nowlis when Dads bank account is put to the final test
 The conservative young man does not fall in love until he has looked up her fathers commercial rating
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