Evening star., 1937-08-14

chiefly from Wa a>utnstou - and IL
806 tons from toreIgn countries CnIet1y
Brush Columbia. Thus, the total con-
SUMPTION OF coal IN Alaska last yeai
was about l15 +49 tons and he entire
3mOunt might have Oeen supplied 10
col lily If some means could have been
found 10 eliminate difficulties arising
from The peculiar geologic formation
OF The terrain. me lnaCceSslbilitN Of
mining regions and The great dlsta nces
TO the sea board or 10 other sections
within the territory.
|hE results OF opening up certain
sections where Tins natural re-
source abounds would be tar-rea ching
As fsr back as 1912 Waller l.. Fisher.
then Secretary OF The Interior. re-
marked: "AaSkan coal can be opened
50 IS 10 enable q larger or smaller
number or individuals Oh groups Of
individuals 10 make money out of its
deVe lOpment bringing with This de-
veiopment conSidera bic Incidental ben
eft 10 the community, as whole
through The expenditure of money
and the employment of men Or it
ca be opened on terms which will
offer 70 the opera TOR a sufficient profit
20 furnish an adequate incentive for
his investment and his efforts. but
which will result in pia cling the coal
upon the market at lhe chea pest price
consistent with this incentive, con-
terring upon the community the ma nj
fold advantages OF cheap fuel and of
the development OF he many forms
OF industrial enterprise that cheap fuel
renders possible | think there can
be no room for doubt that the second
OF these objects is the one TO be at
aimed"
Also in that early year The Phiia-
delphla section of the Mining snd
Metallurgical Society of America went
on record 10 say: 1t is essential for
the proper development of Alaska that
its coal fields be opened for CONNER
cial use without further delay
Yet Today. a quarter Of century
la Ter, little further has been done to
, develop our national resources in the
Alaskan Territory beyond what was
done when Mr.. Fisher made his
recommendation There are. in fact.
at present only three producing coal
compa MES in Alaska These are The
Evan Jones Coal Co. employing about
40 men: the Black Diamond Coal Co..
employing about 10 men, and he
Heaiy River Coal Co. employing bout
so men
/ The first two companies are located
! in what is known as the Mata tanuSka
district about 200 miles distant from
the Healy River district BY the usual
mode OF travel, these properties are
approximately 1000 miles from Seat
tie, Wash, which is the nearest port
OF embarkation within the physica
boundaries of district 90, as laid out
by the Guffey act. From 8 TO 10 days
are required to make the journey from
| Sea- tile 10 any Of the three properties
so, from the sta ndpoint OF accessibility
these Alaska mines are farther from
the State of Washington than are the
mines OF Pennsylvania.
HE average annual production oi
coal in Alaska Is about $50 ,0G[
tons, practically all Of which is solo
along the line of The Alaska Railroad
This railroad operated for years by
the United States Government at 9
loss, but with a paper prof1t' this
year for the first time. runs from
Seward on the coast. to Fairbanks, ir
tn. interior distan ance OF 472 miles
This limited market and the difficulty
OF transportation are reasons that con.
tribute to the problems OF develop
ment Of this industry In the region