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The Cordova Daily Times
GREATER CORDOVA’S GREATEST NEWSPAPER
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SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
Single Copies .* .10 Six Months (In advance) ... $ 6.00
One Month . 1.00 One Year (in advance) .... 10.00
Daily and Weekly, by carrier or mail, $1.25 per month.
ASSOCIATED PRESS TELEGRAPHIC REPORTS.
Entered at the Postofflce at Cordova, Alaska, as second-class matter.
H. G. STEEL, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.
CORDOVA, ALASKA. FRIDAY RVEXING, MAY 12, 1916.
POLITICAL COAL IN ALASKA
A petition presented in (lie senate by Mr. Jones, ot Wash
ington, from the ('handier of Commerce <>l Cordova, Alaska,
shows a curious misunderstanding of the majestic theory ami
practice which the federal government follows. There are
three available Alaskan coal fields, Bering river, Matanuska,
Xenana. In the days of darkness private capital would have
been allowed to develop mineral resources. You can’t buy coal
lands. You may lease them. A private railroad can only lease
coal lands for its own use. This privilege is valueless, for the
small amount used by a railroad cannot be mined cheaply.
A railroad wants coal to transport as well as to burn. But
enlightened laws forbid' an Alaskan railroad to carry coal
mined bv it or in which it has any interest. The railroad can’t
own or lease coal lands, neither can a coal company own a rail
road. If the two combine, they arc guilty of conspiracy or
unlawful combination. The Copper River & Northwestern
runs nearly half the way to the Bering fields. Once it took an
option on some 5,000 acres in those fields, surveyed and would
have built a road, and dug coal mines. The stern parent at
Washington forbade the crime. The Copper River & North
western people were accused of conspiracy and monopolistic
intention. Their coal land title was torn up. Virtue was \ indi
cated. The coal needed for the development of the rich copper
region stretching a hundred miles along the (kipper river and
Chitina valleys is safe in the bowels of the earth. The owners
of claims have spent their money and time in vain. Save for the
one great mine for which the Copper River & Northwestern was
built, the mineral treasure is mostly helpless and useless. X'o
railroad, no coal; no coal, no railroad; no railroad, no copper;
no coal, no copper; a mighty industry is choked, but let us
praise the famous wisdom of congress, of conservation! \ irgin
jxiasKa:
Leased lands means government railroads. To all intents
and purposes there can bo no private railroad building in Ala>
ka. irrespective of the law, who is going to face government
competition .' Coal for Alaskan use, coal for industry, is a vital
necessity. Watch the benevolent government in the railroad
; iness. Tin* Cordovan petitioners recite that under the act
. -(ingress of March 12, 1M14, the president has had surveyed
and ordered built a line from Seward to Fairbanks, with a
ranch to the Matanuska coal fields, 504 miles, while nearly
500 miles are yet to be located; that the designated mileage
will open the Matanuska and Nenana coal fields, hut not the
Bering, the nearest to the market of all the Alaskan coal lands.
The distance from Nenana to Fairbanks is 104 miles, from Ma
tamiska to Seward 1S4, from Bering river to Cordova OS. The
estimated cost with time of building railroads to the three fields
is $3,000,000 and three years, $7,000,000 and three years, $1,
000,000 and six months. Do the simple Cordovans wonder at
tiie government’s choice? They plead, in their innocence, that
the Bering coal, being tin* nearest and necessary for great cop
per mining and smelting, the government should build the
thirty miles of road from the terminus of the Copper River &
Northwestern to the Bering field, and twenty miles additional
to tap the Katalla oil field.
The memorandum of Senator Jones says naively that “the
principal value of the (Bering) coal is for local uses.” The
plain value of Alaska coal, of Alaskan resources in general, is
political. Unmined, it fills the hunkers of the simon-pure
“conservationists.” Shall they lack fuel that tin* Copper river
valley may be prosperous? Mr. Jones bares the bones of truth
in another part of his argument:
“The Bering coal has long been the subject of political
controversy. The most astonishing lies (why ‘astonishing?’)
have been told about it and retailed to the public for political
purposes. The Ballinger-Pinchot quarrel ranged about it. The
enemies of tin* Taft administration used it freely as a weapon
of attack in the Cunningham coal cases and the Controller Bay
incident. Its uses for such purposes ought to have passed. The
time seems to have come when it should be put to its natural
uses.”
Jts natural uses are political, cnuce IN:M> congress has
passed six acts about Alaska coal land. Alaska coal remains
political. Congress must have occupation.
Mr. Jones quotes the Interstate Commerce law against dis
crimination, and asks:
“If it is criminal for a private corporation to strangle and
kill one locality while it upbuilds another, should not the gov
ernment itself refrain from doing the same thing?”
The government can do no wrong; but it is sure to have
troubles of its own in its railroad business’.—New York Times.
■-:o:
“Nobody wants Hughes but the people” is a slogan Col.
Harvey has invented after reviewing the presidential situation.
But sometimes the politicians and not the people make up the
lists of starters in the presidential race.
France has wisely decided not to let her war orphans be
adopted in other countries. She will need them all in the great
work of rehabilitation.
-:o:
Russia proposes a law barring luxuries for three years.
It is a safe bet that it would not be applied to Tsarso Selo.
# 11 1
Sixty Steam Heated Rooms Eletric Lighted
Hot and Cold Water in Every Room
With or Without Bath.
Cordova House
H. C. ROSS, Proprietor.
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Headquarters for Railroad and Mining Men
Satisfaction Guranteed
Rates Reasonable
Rooms With Bath First Class Dining Room
COMMERCIAL HOTEL
Mri. Catherine J. Palmer, Proprietor
Steam Heated Modem in Every Respect
Headquarters for Chamberlain’s Auto Service
CHITINA - - - ALASKA
DR. W. H CHASE
PHYSICIAN and SURGEON
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Office over Cordova Drug Store
Calls may be left at Cordova
Drug Store. Residence,
Alaskan Hotel
DR. C. L. HALE
D E N T I 8 T
Office In Adams Building
ASA C. BALDWIN
Civil Engineer
Patent Surveys
Address: Valdez, Alaska
E. F. MEDLEY
Attorney and Counsellor at Law
Room 1
Adame Block CORDOVA, ALASKA.
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CLOTHES
CLEANED AND PRESSED
All Work Given Prompt
Attention
CHARLES GAME
—
E. A. HEGG
PHOTOGRAPHER
--
PHOTO SUPPLIES
Views and Post Cards
STATIONERY
PICTURES and FRAMES
--—-— .-i
M. C. Thompson H. C. Murphy
The MECCA
Thompson A Murphy, Props
Dealers in
WINES, LIQUORS AND
CIGARS
Phone 107.
One Visit
Will
Make You
An
<U T •
Regular Patron
At
Slater’s
Restaurant
Private Boxes
For
Large or Small
Parties
MEET YOUR FRIENDS AT THE MUSIC ROOM
OF THE
Northern Drug Co.
Phone 94.
DEVELOPING AND PRINTING.
Victor and Edison Victrolas. Stationery.
Prescriptions Carefully Compounded.
We are the authorized agents for the U. S. Coast
and Geodetic Survey Charts and Tide Tables.
ALASKA
STEAMSHIP CO.
Fast and commodious steamers sailing between Seattle. Ketch*
Ikan, Wrangell, Juneau, Skagway. Cordova. Valdez, Seward and
ANCHORAGE, via INSIDE PASSAGE.
Kails from Seattle. Sails from Cordova.
May 5.NORTHWESTERN.May 12
May 5 . MARIPOSA.May 16
May 11.ALASKA.May 21
Regular freight service for Kefcnitcan, Juneau, Sheep Creek,
Treadwell, Douglas, Cordova. Ellamar, Valdez ard Latouche. Explos
ives, S. S. Seward. 8. S. Seward, 5th; S. S. Latouche, 15th; S. 8.
Cordowt, 25th of each month.
This company reserves the right to change schedule of steamers
without notice.
Tickets on sale at up town office Alaska Steamship Bldg. Baggage
or freight will not be received at the dock later than one hour before
sailing time.
F. B. TRACY, T. J. TALLENT, /,
General Agent Agent <|J
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Pacific-Alaska Navigation Co.
ALASKA PACIFIC 3. S. CO. ALASKA COAST CO.
PUGET SOUND ALASKA ROUTE
Next sailing from Seattle will be
ADMIRAL WATSON . May 14
ADMIRAL EVANS . May 21
ADMIRAL FARRAGUT . May 28
Via the INSIDE PASSAGE for Ketcnfkan, Juneau, Yakutat,
Katalla, Cordova, Valdez, Seward, Cook Inlet points and Kodiak
Island.
Seattle-San Francisco connecting with steamers Yale and Har
vard for Southern California Ports.
3chedule subject to change without Notice.
ALASKA TRANSFER CO., Local Agents
I Copper River &
| Northwestern Ry. j
| EFFECTIVE MAY 1, 1916. |
jg Three Trains Weekly Between Cordova and Chitina. jg
I jjjj Four Trains Weekly Between Chitina and Kennecott. gj
| jjjj Leave Cordova, Second Street Depot, on Mondays, Thurs- gj
jjjj days and Saturdays. jg
gj Leave Chitina for Cordova Sundays, Tuesdays and jg
gj Fridays.
- jjjj Leave Chitina for Kennecott Sundays, Tuesdays, Thurs- jjjj
" jjjj days and Fridays. jjjj
jg Leave Kennecott for Chitina Mondays, Wednesdays, jjjj
gj Thursdays and Saturdays.
gj The above schedule subject to change without notice, jg
jx Dining Car in Connection With all Regular Peiaenger Train* Be- &:
$: tween Cordova and Chitina.
V. .S
v,
jjjj Freight received from 9 A. M. to 5 P. M. jg
Tickets on sale at Depot or up-town office, Alaska jjjj
jg Steamship Company building
| Caleb Corser S. R. Hedges
Superintendent Cordova Agent jg
•i? S
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ENGINES
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KEMP J
Aeroplane Motors
Investigate these motors for driving aeroplanes, j§
|l flying boats, pleasure and fishing boats, scows, etc. Can |i
| be attached in half an hour; 16 to 80 horse-power, if
ijj; Adopted by railroad commission.
K.-W. Spark Coils and Magnetos. Everything for ig
8 the boat. &
| Harmon Machinery Co Inc f
Oxy-Acetylene Welding.
| CORDOVA - ALASKA §