Evening star., 1937-08-14

Markers have been exteuded Mr.
Smith pointed out bN The efforts OF
lDdiNdia Coal compa mes no" op-
eratlng IN Aia>sa. tnO cOntInues ti-
forts along the same iint should prove
fruitful For example The Evan Jones
Coal Co III JoneSVIIle supplied Urac-
ucallt all oi NE IocOmotlVe ano power
fuel ior The ALASKA RallioaG q last Veai.
Win The exception oi The month o!
June thls nine operated on oaliN
average rate OF production Of neariv
l+0 IONS. Not only do thlS company
supply the railroad but II hlieo snv
oomeSLc orders for tuel sno VaS
active IN developing neW markets ot
furnishing coal 10 some Of The can
nerIeS III Southwestern Alaska sno
To The territorial and Federal Oh
sanizauonS throushou The Territory.
In The Healv River diStrcL. where
me plant OF The Healv River Coal
Corp IS equipped with modern ma
cnlnery necessary 10 ha mole readily
200 IONS or more Of coal a day. fuel
is being mined 70 supply the United
States SmeiJing Refining 81 Mining
Co, for furnishing power 10 lts
dredeeS and It's large pia Ger mining
operatl tons IN The vicinity OF Falr-
banks. This one company is ma KING
increa sing demands ior more pOWe,
calling Tor a greater quantity OF coal.
A growing market is being built up
al CordoVa and other points along
the peninsula. for power and domestic
fuel This mine vas in continuous
operation throughout 1885 and YIELDED
considers bIv more than half OF all
the Goa mined In Ala ska curing the
yeaf
There are extensive deposits OF
copper in Alaska auo II Is not al sli
unlikely that as the Territory is more
den>ely populated end colonial ton
takes q firm foothoid. more Smelters
and industrial centers will be esCab-
lished that will increase the need
for coal. There is also indication OF
some iron" in this country, although
IL is not developed to any commercial
, extent. If this mineral is developed
however al some future oa le. there
will be the ueeo for coke for making
steel
'WENrY FIVE years ago the Sec
reCarv Of the Interior made the
statement that the opening OF coal
/ mines and orsa nization of coal
business must precede the revival of
mining and the beginning OF manu-
/ factute.' Whether individuals Is will or
will not undertake development OF the
Alaskan mines or the Government
will actively concern itself with their
development is after that well
out of their hands. That is to say
with The natural growth OF Alaska
and its perma nent colonial Cion. needs
will natura liy arise TO make such de-
velopment Imperative
AS matter Of tact. ALASKA offers
| more real opportunity and larger
promise Of success today than did the
Lake Superior region when the first
attempts were made to coionize it
and develop the copper and iron that
have made Michigan and Minnesota
Ues lthv. Likewise, when Montana
was being pioneered, the hsndica ps
were greater by far than are now
faced 10 Alaska. yet in little more
than generation Montana has be-
come q rich and powerful Stale
The miner has always played a
leading role in such development, and
there are indica tons that Alaska will
offer no exception to the rule. Slowly
but surely her production figures for
coal are mounting, while her import
figures show A. steadv decrease. In
the Yea rs between 1880 and 1918, tor