Dr. Alfred H. Brooks, formerly chief
of the United States Geological Sur
vey in Alaska, and now chairman of
*
the Department of the Interiors spe
cial advisory committee on Alaskan
affairs has recently completed an
eight-day session at Seattle, when a
mass of information relative to the de
velopment of the resources of the
territory was obtained and it is hoped
will prove of value to Secretary
Payne in his plan to do some con
structive good for the opening of the
many dormant resources. The trans
portation problem was also thorough
ly investigated.
"Everybody seemed to be agreed
that something is wrong with the
present system of transportation,”
said Colonel Brooks. "They realized
that there is an economic loss in the
operation of the ships. Without
passing on the equitableneso of the
present steamship rates, it doesn’t
seem that Alaska’s industries can be
developed properly under the present
tariffs. All the evidence is along
that line.
"Just what can be done in this mat
ter is the chief problem confronting
the committee. Certain conditions
seem to affect all the routes.
SEASONAL TRAFFIC HAMPERS
“During certain seasons of the year
there hardly seems to be business
•enough to justify the present services.
During other seasons, the business
taxes transportation facilities. In other
words the business is irregularly dis
tributed, being due to the fact that
the north has a number of seasonable
industries such as the salmon packing
industry. In the case of the salmon
industry there is an extremely heavy
northbound movement of men and
cannery supplies in the spring and an
extremely heavy southward movement
of men and canned salmon in the fall.
That condition cannot be overcome.
There is no way of making the salmon
change its habits. Moreover, canner
ies have to be located at the points
where the salmon are found, which
means that many of them are operat
ing at remote and lonely points, in
volving long-distance transportation.
“As regards the transportation prob
lem, then, it becomes a question of
developing other lines in the North
that will furnish business for the
steamships the year around. Or, to put
it another way, we have to get rid
of the peak load. It is a difficult
problem, as we canot make the salmon
run in the winter.
“As virtually all that is known of
Alaska coal is on file in Washington,
we did not have much testimony at
our hearing in regard to that re
source. The coal is broken up and it
is expensive to mine, but nevertheless
it is the best coal on the Pacific Coast.
Alaska’s good coal is 50 per cent bet
ter than Washington's good coal.
However, the government has only
the surface data on the Northern coal
fields and the next step is to begin
digging to find out what we have
down below the surface.
MIGHT UTILIZE LIGNITE
“There are large quantities of lig-1
Hite on the Coast and in the interior,
some of it on the government’s new
railroad, and while it is not of high
enough grade for exportation, some i
method may be worked out in the
future by which it can be utilized.
“In this connection, I might point
out that the coal fields of the Pacific
I oast states are limited and at some
time in the future—it might be with
in a generation—you may have to fall
back on Alaska coal.
‘Here, again, however, we find a
■condition, that obscures the problem. !
put here on the Coast you are sub
stituting fuel oil for coal on an
enormous scale, not only in your
ships but also in your industries, j
Whether Alaska coal is to come into
its own in some future year depends
on the oil situation. If new sources
of oil are not discovered, you will
have to draw on Alaska’s coal sooner j
or later, as the coal fields on the j
other side of the Western mountains
are too far away.
FUEL QUESTION IS VITAL
“I have little or no knowledge of
the oil industry, but I am convinced
that oil will be produced in Alaska
and it may be produced in large quan
tities. In that event, part of the
North’s transportation problem would
be solved as the oil would not only
furnish the steamships with cheaper
fuel but also would furnish them with
a new cargo movement that would be
at, round-the-year proposition. De
velopment of large oil fields in Alas
ka, moreover, would mean the up
building of population and growth in
population involves increasing busi
ness all around. The north is now
consuming enormous quantities of
fuel oil which has to be bought here
and transported to its ports. The
north also .is importing Washington
and British Columbia coal. It then
can be easily understood why the de
velopment of large oil fields in the
north would mean so much to its
growth and prosperity.
“All I have said in regard to oil
however, is speculative. I have no
means of knowing whether or not
Alaska is to become a large producer
of oil, but its posibilities must be
kept in mind in considering future
transportation needs.
“Business begets business. In the
old days the Treadwell mine was the
great factor in opening up Alaska.
Miners would work there until they
had saved a grub stake. Then they
would push on into the interior in the
search for placer gold. As a result
new camps were established.
“The chief problem of gold mining
in Alaska, as elsewhere, is that gold
now is not worth as much as it used
to be. That is a world-wide condi
tion. It is an interesting fact that
Alaska’s gold production always
closely parallels the gold production
of the world. If you draw a chart of
the world's production and a chart of
the North’s production you will find
that the line of production in both
cases always have about the same
curve. The production of gold has now
been heavy for years and gold is now
cheap. Various schemes have been
suggested for helping the gold miner,
including the bonus plan, but T have
no opinion on that phase of the prob
lem. It is a question for the finan
cial experts.
“As regards copper mining in the
north, the problem is closely tied up
with the transportation question.
PULP WILL FURNISH CARGO
“Development of a pulp wood indus
try undoubtedly is coming in south
eastern Alaska and it will help solve
the transportation question, as it will
furnish a steady cargo movement for
ships.
“As to farming in the north, there
are large areas of agricultural land,
especially in the interior around
Fairbanks, where there are enough
arable lands in that district to sup
port any population, but the farmer
will have to find his market locally.
With a few exceptions he will not be
able to export. One of these excep
tions is stock-raising. There are
real opportunities for stock-raising in
Southwestern Alaska and on Kodiak
Island, where there are extensive
grazing lands. In connection with a
possible export movement of farm pro
ducts, we should keep in mind the
possibilities of the sugar beet indus*
try in the north. That industry ma$
be developed to the point where it
could engage transportation,
“It is only fair to say that the
committee has become convinced that
the development of Alaska has been
retarded by the present lack of local
authority to pass on important north
ern questions, it being necessary to
refer these questions back to Wash
ington, D. C., a condition that causes
infinite delay.
“Alaska also has to contend with a
definite lack of co-ordination in the
activities of the federal and territor
ial governments. For instance there
are something like six or seven funds
for building roads in the north and at
least three organizations are author
ized to build roads. Federal and ter
ritorial officers have tried to over
come this handicap by co-operating
as much as the law will permit them.
It is a condition due to the laws and
not due to the execution of the laws.
“We conferred with nearly fifty
persons in our Seattle meetings and
the committee feels that we wTill go
back to Washington with data and
facts that will prove of great benefit
to Secretary of the Interior John
Barton Payne in his efforts to foster
the developments of Alaska. We are
far more than satisfied with the re
sults of our trip to Seattle. The in
formation we obtained in any two or
three days of the conference alone
would have amply justified Secretary
Payne in sending us here. All of us
would like to have seen more
Alaskans at the conferences but we
had the representatives of several of
the northern chambers of commerce
with us and they gave us most valu
able aid.
“On the basis of what we have as
certained here, we hope to be able
to make constructive recommenda
tions to Secretary Payne aa to the
policies that should be adopted for
developing the north and also as to
special investigations that should be
made by Qualified experts.”
Milk shakes like mother used to
make at The Club Billiard Hall. 23-tf
Scarborough pictures that please at
prices that are right. Over Cordova
drug store. Phone 140—3 rings.
11
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BOTTLE
Means a prescription put up exactly as the
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“THE DRUG 8TORE OF ALASKA”
“SERVICE" is our motto
STEAM HEAT ELECTRIC LIGHTS
Overland Hotel
MR8. J. W. KENNEDY
Chitina, Alaska
" j
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Beef, Pork, Veal, Mutton and Poultry
Wholesale and Retail
All Orders Given Prompt Attention
j northern meat market
. — ---
TRAPPERS TRADERS
SHIP TO
GEORGE R. ( OSHAWInc.
DEALER IN
RAW FURS
SEATTLE NEW YORK
Alaska Building 127 W. 27th 8t
Ship direct to New York for highest prices paid for Raw
Furs. Your shipments are handled by expert graders and New York
market prices are paid on correct grading the day received. If de
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condition. Always inclose an itemized list of contents with name and
address. All payments are made by check on the Seattle National
Bank, or in any other manner desired. Special instructions, if any, to
accompany shipment.
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Alaska
Steamship Company
Regular Sailings Between Seattle,
Ketchikan, Juneau, Cordova, Valdez,
Ellamar, Liscum, Latouche, Seward
FROM SEATTLE— SAILS SOUTH—
. ALAMEDA MAY 8
MAY 20. ALAMEDA MAY 30
MAY 27. NORTHWESTERN JUNE 4
Frequent sailings of freighters carrying explosives.
This schedule subject to change without notice.
F. B. TRACY, Agent
________ *
Alaska—Washington—California ALASKA ROUTE
8afety Courtesy Service Speed
OFFICE EMPRESS BUILDING
WEST BOUND SOUTH BOUND
LEAVE CORDOVA LEAVE CORDOVA
EVANS, JUNE 6 WATSON, May 31
Watson calls at Kodiak and Anchorage
L. A. COUNTS, AGENT Res. Lathrop Apts.
Phone 132—2
^————————————
—
I lopper River and *
Northwestern Ry,
1 rains leave Cordova for Chitina Monday and Thursday. i
Trains leave Chitina for Kennecott Tuesday and Friday.
Trains leave Kennecott for Chitina Sunday and Thursday.
Trains leave Chitina for Cordova Tuesday and Friday.
Dining Car in Connection with all Regular
Passenger Trains between Cordova and Chitina. *
Freight received and delivered at Cordova
Wharf from 9 a. m. to 5 p m., except Sundays.
Tickets on sale at Second Street Depot office
"lie hour before departure of trains.
CALEB CORSER 8uperintendent
MARK M’ALLEN, TICKET AGENT
p.
FRED M. SCHAUPP
SANITARY PLUMBING
Steam-Fitting, Marine Pipe and Tank Work
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SECOND STREET, NEXT DOOR TO FEDERAL JAIL
PHONE 72
CIH BAKERY LUNCH ROOM '
Special Carefully-Prepared Lunch served from 11:30 a. m. Our Fine
French Rolls with every meal
Big Variety of Pastries and Cakes, Always Fresh
Sanitary Machinery of Latest Model. Patent Brick Oven. Best Ma
terials used by Expert Workm*»*. jroducing our Famous Cream Loaf
Best Coffee in Town
French Bread Rye Bread
WOOLENS REDUCED
Owing to reduction of 10 to 15 per cent on woolens by manufacturers, am
giving patrons the benefit to reduce living costs. You can save four to ten
dollars per suit. Cleaning and dyeing. Hats cleaned and blocked.
T. N. HUBBERT, MERCHANT TAILOR
Phone 130 American Shop
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