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FOURTH YEAR,
CHITINA, ALASKA, TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 1914.
NUMBER 24
LANE ILL ME 10 lUSKI
WASHINGTON, March 25.—Secretary of the Interior
Lane has not only definitely decided to visit Alaska this
summer but he is anxious to go as early as possible. In an
interview this morning he said, “I want to go to Alaska as
early as possible this summer, but my trip will be dependent
entirely upon the action of Congress. If an adjournment is
taken early, then I shall sail from Seattle early in the
summer.” The secretary has told Alaskans who have recently
conferred with him that-he wants to have time enough to go
from Cordova into the interior as far as Fairbanks, so as to
be able to judge of the country’s resources and prospects.
The general feeling here is that the $35,000,000 appro
priated for the government construction of railroads will
permit of the extension of the Copper River & Northwestern
railroad from Chitina to Fairbanks, with a branch line to the
Bering river coal fields, and also a line from Seward to the
Matanuksa coal fields and into the Susitna .country. Delegate
Wiekersliam continues to talk against the extension from
Chitina, but it is not believed that his influence will have any
bearing on the conclusion of the President or t lie commission
that will be appointed to investigate routes.
In his lengthy speech in the House Delegate Wiekersliam
frequently stated his objections in a general way to the
Chitina-Fairbanks route. Finally Representative Sherley,
wanting some definite reasons, inquired, “Why does the
gentleman oppose the extension of what he calls the Syndicate
railroad?” And the Delegate’s almost irrelevant reply was,
“I oppose it for several reasons. The first reason is that the
route goes up the Copper River canyon, which is a very narrow
canyon: It is the region of greatest snowfall in Alaska. The
snowfall there is something like 30 feet per annum. The
glaciers on both sides of it come down almost to the railroad.
It is a narrow gorge.”
One of the glaring misstatements made by the Delegate in
his celebrated speech was that the Guggenheims have charge
of transportation over the government road from Fairbanks
to Chitina, a distance of 310 miles. Asked by Representative
Madden, “How did they get charge of it?” the Delegate
replied, “By building all of the road houses along the line and
owning and controlling the stage line over it.” Alaskans from
the interior declare that the entire statement is an unqualified
falsehood and that it is in line with many similar statements
made by Delegate Wiekersliam to create a prejudice against
taking over the Guggenheim railroad or building an extension
therefrom. It is known, however, that Secretary Lane is
conversant with Mr Wiekersliam’s tendency to misrepresent
when prejudiced against any cause or individuals, and while
the Delegate seeks frequent conference with the secretary the
latter is always on his guard/
CHICAGO, March 30.—The plan for the construction of
an all-rail route from Chicago to Alaska is taking shape. This
would prove a source of protection to the railroads to be built
by the government and give an outlet to the states in case of
war in the north Pacific waters. From the general headquarters
of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway two announcements have
been made relating to this project. One assertion is that it is
considered possible before the completion of the new union
station in Chicago that both passengers and freight will be
transported over such a new railroad route. As to the extension
of the Grand Trunk Pacific, which is now building into Prince
Rupert, it is stated that a line north is contemplated in connec
tion with the new transcontinental project, which was launched
in a bill recently introduced in the British Columbia legislature.
It is significant that the bill provides for the northern extension
of the Pacific Great Eastern, which is a part of the Grand
Trunk system, into the Peace River country. It now connects
Vancouver with Prince George. Railroad men see the great
possibilities from traffic to come from the development of the
Alaskan country and the northern section that is British
territory. It is confidently believed that before many years
there will be a through railroad from Chicago to interior
Alaska.
WASHINGTON, March 31.—Senator James Hamilton
Lewis created something of a sensation in the Senate last
evening. In urging his resolution giving the President the
power to suspend Panama tolls he drew a picture of dire
possibilities. Senator Lewis asserted that the conditions
were such that if this government intervened in the Mexico
trouble that Japan would seize the Philippine and Hawaiian
islands. Russia, grieved over the sympathy expressed by the
United States with Japan during the Russian Japanese war,
would seize Alaska and the Panama canal would not be
finished. The senator dwelt upon the ease with which Russia
could capture the Alaskan coast and use the coal
SEATTLE, March 30.—Secretary of Commerce Redfield,
who is now in this city, announced this afternoon that he
expected to have half a million dollars to expend for aid to
navigation in Alaska. This would include three new coast
survey vessels, to be built and stationed in the north so as to
improve the navigation of Alaskan waters. He further said,
“We have obtained an appropriation of $325,000, with which to
build the largest lighthouse tender in the government sendee,
and we propose to station this in Alaskan waters.”
ALASKA UOAI) COMMISSION RECORD.
Miles of Wagon Roads Constructed in Alaska. 862
Miles of Winter Sled Road. 617
Miles of trail . 2167
Miles of Wagon Road Built in 1913. 33
Miles of Winter Sled Road Built in 1913. 18
Miles of Trail Built in 1913. 614
Average Cost of Wagon Roads Per Mile (inc. maintenance) .S 2.489.68
Average Cost of Winter Sled Road. 278.80
Average Cost of Trail . 90.44
Total Amt. Expended on Wagon Roads. Sled Roads and Trails 2,535,829.61
Total Amount Appropriated by Congress . 1,375,000.00
Total Amount Supplied by Alaska. 1,160,829.62
Now that the uestlon of govern
ment construction ofi railroads in
Alaska has been disposed of, there
is general interest in all sections of
the territory over the necessity for
wagon roads and trails. These are
as necessary as railroads in order
to open up the vast mineral and
agricultural resources of the terri
tory. With proper roads in the
various raining districts, in order to
economically and conveniently take
in supplies and machinery, it would
not be many years before scores of
mining properties could be so de
veloped as to prove good shippers
and give ample tonnage to the rail
roads, in order to make.their opera
tion profitable.
The above record shows what has
been accomplished by the Alaska
Road Commission during the past
few’ years of its existence. According
to the present ideas of Colonel Rich
ardson, president of the commission,
the w’ork previously done is but a
slight beginning of what he hopes
to see accomplished in the near
future. And he has submitted a
plan to Congress that if endorsed
would provide the funds necessary
to open up a great country and
provide ample feeders for the $35,
000,000 railroads that the govern
ment will be operating within the
next few years. On the subject the
commission says:
“The roads already constructed
by the board can be considered as
only the skeleton of the system that t
the present development of Alaska j
warrants and demands. A careful
study of the needs of the country,
undertaken from general informa
tion in regard to the activities of the
different sections of Alaska collected
from time to time, and the specific
information from reconnoissances
and examinations of projects by this
office, indicate the following distri
bution of funds to complete a road
system for Alaska which would be
capable of meeting the reasonable
demands of the traffic existing at
the end of a 10-year period:
Maintenance of present
roads .$1,250,000
Completion of projects on
which work has been
already initiated and
their maintenance after
completion . 1,420,000
Projects approved but on
which no construction
has been undertaken.. 2,780,000
Projects not yet of im
portance but which will
assume importance as
other roads are con
structed . 1,800,000
Total ■.$7,250,000
“This fund could be expended to
the great advantage of the industries
of this territory, and the cost of the
work could well be borne by these
industries if an equitable system of
payment by each of the beneficiaries
could be devised. The maximum
sum to be expended in any one
year would be less than the total
saving for 1912 on freight costs due
to roads already constructed.”
James J. Godfrey, president of the Mother Lode Copper
Mines Co., who recently returned from New York and went
out to the mines, sent in another shipment of ore for the
smelter. It arrived yesterday afternoon in five ears, aggre
gating about 250 tons, over the Copper River & Northwestern
Railway from McCarthy. It is now being taken aboard the
steamer Alameda and will be transported to the smelter at
Tacoma. This ore was mined and sacked last winter and was
hauled 13 miles by wagon from the end of the tram to the
railroad. It is of high grade quality and will likely run in the
neighborhood of 60 per cent copper.
A shipment of 198 tons was made last month to the
smelter and the returns show 59.83 per cent copper, netting
$147.41 per ton, after smelter charges had been deducted or
a total of $29,229.41, from which $4,860.98 freight charges were
deducted, netting the company $24,363.43. These shipments
are significant and important because they indicate that
another high grade copper mine, similar to the famous
Bonanza, has been opened up in the rich copper section of
Alaska. It will soon become a permanent shipper, necessitating
the building of a branch line of the Copper River & North
western Railway up McCarthy creek to the Mother Lode.
WASHINGTON, D-. C., March 25—The Democratic leaders
in Congress propose to remove restrictions quickly so that the
development of the Alaska coal might be under way by the
time the railroad is in operation. The new bill which was
perfected in the Senate is virtually a combination of the
administration measure presented by Senator Walsh, with the
bills introduced by Snator Smoot, Representative Ferris and
others. It was adopted by the committee of public lands after
a conference by the committee with Secretary Lane and the
authors of the various coal bills. The clause taking care of
the coal claimants who had paid their money to the government
is generally considered just. It Is not believed that the new
bill will find much opposition either in the Senate or House.
❖ ❖
^ SAX FRA X Cl SCO, March id.—Amplifying his address ^
^ made before the ('hamtier of Commerce last night, Secretary of ^
^ Commerce Redfield took occasion to give additional light on his ^
previous remarks. Addressing the memliers of the Common- ^
^ wealth Club he declared: ▲
^ “This department is not going to build railroads in Alaska, ^
^ but before those roads are ready for use we intend to make it ^
^ safe to reach the railroads. We have asked for more lighthouses ^
^ and for the most powerful and best equipped tenders in the ^
country, for Alaska, and we are going to make it just as safe as <4^
^ we can to travel in that great country in the far north.” ^
Secretary Redtteld also stated that it Is in line with his ^
plans to have a supervising inspector and steamboat inspector ^
^ appointed for Alaska and Washington and stationed at Seattle. ^
❖ ❖
Secretary of the Interior Lane is strongly urging upon Congress the
advisability of concentrating the administration of national property and
interests in the Territory of Alaska under one organization to be known
as the Alaskan Development Board. At the suggestion of Secretary Lane
a bill providing for the creation of such a board and providing their
duties has been offered in the Senate by Senator Chamberlain, it is
believed that the measure will be passed before the present Congresi
adjourns. Devoid of its technical verbiage the bill provides as follows:
To be known as Alaska Development Board.
Composed of three persons to be appointed by the President.
Not more than two of the Board shall be of the same political party, and
_ they shall not engage in any other business.
Appointment shall be for seven years.
The chairman shall receive an annual salary of $8,500, and the other
members $8,000 each.
The members shall reside and maintain their principal and branch offices
in the Territory of Alaska.
The Board shall appoint office and field assistants, clerks, stenographers,
etc., and fix their compensation.
The Board shall have jurisdiction and control over the care, use and
disposition of all reserved and unreserved puhlic lands, including
forests and waters and resources therein, over fish and fisheries, seals,
reindeer, mines, minerals and mining, Indians, Eskimos, and other
Alaskan natives, toll roads, and over all other matters or things now
subject to national ownership, care, disposition, control or regulation
within the territorial limits of Alaska, except with respect to rates,
regulations, and control of railroads, steamship lines, and other
common carriers, which shall remain subject to the jurisdiction of
the Interstate Commerce Commission.
Upon the Board is conferred all the authority, jurisdiction, rights, and
powers now possessed and exercised in or concerning the matters
herein described by any of the existing departments commissions,
bureaus, or offices.
The heads of departments, of independent commissions, bureaus, and
offices now having jurisdiction and control over the things subject to
the provisions of this Act are directed to transfer to the Alaskan
Development Board such jurisdiction, supervision, and control, and
the appropriations made therefor may be expended by the board.
Such experts, employees, property, and equipment as are now employed or
used by said departments, commissions, bureaus, and offices in
connection with the subjects herewith transferred to the Alaskan
Development Board are dircted to be transferred to said board.
The Board shall be under the general supervision of the secretary of the
interior.
Appeals will lie directly to the secretary of the interior from all decisions
or actions of the Board.
The Board shall submit an annual report to Congress, through the
secretary of the interior.
All moneys ireceived by the Board from sales, leases, fees, or any other
source, shall be deposited in the Treasury of the United States and
set aside as a special fund, to be known as “the Alaskan fund,” to
be used for the payment of the salaries of the board, its subordinate
officers and employees, and the expenses incident to the administra
tion of the business of the Board, the balance to remain subject to
such future appropriation thereof as Congress may make for the
development, improvement and betterment of the Territory of Alaska
Nothing in this Act shall be construed as in any way granting to the
Board, its officers or employees, any authority, control or jurisdiction
over the political or other internal affairs of the organized Territory
or Alaska.
This Act shall take effect and be in force on and after the first day of
July, 1»14.
WASHINGTON, March 30.—Secretary of Navy Daniels
has submitted a report to Congress with reference to the
Bering river coal. He states that the coal of the Bering fields
is unsuitable for the use of the navy. This opinion is based on
tests made by the geological survey, officials at the Annapolis
Naval Academy, and aboard the cruiser Maryland. He said
that they were all unfavorable, excepting that the Alaskan coal
made less than the ordinary amount of smoke. He stated that
the tests made showed that the Bering coal was incapable of
generating sufficient steam, as it could produce only 50 pe<
cent efficiency of power. J. A. Holmes, director of the bureau
of mines, is quoted in the secretary’s report as stating that the
Bering coal could be mined only at great cost, as it was full of
faults, and is chiefly valuable if turned into coke and shipped.
While this report is of a very discouraging nature yet the
friends of Alaska who are familiar with the circumstances of
the mining of the coal for testing purposes and who know of
the inferior surface quality of the coal taken K)ut, have confi
dence that the true character and worth of the fuel is not yet
known. They contend that after a mine is opened up and clean
and unbroken coal is produced that tests would demonstrate
that it was much more valuable than the recent tests would
indicate.
I
^ WASHINGTON, March 31.—Yesterday afternoon ^
♦ President Wilson was considering the projected routes ^
^ for the Alaska railroads. He expects to name the ^
^ engineers who will build the roads, within a few days. ^
♦ He has partly made his selections but will give no ^
♦ indication of the personnel until the full commission ^
^ has been named and their acceptance received. It is
♦ intimated that this commission will first visit Alaska ^
^ and examine the projected routes. Their report will ^
^ be submitted to the President as soon as possible and ^
^ when approved this same commission will be expected
^ to build the road. The President told callers yesterday
^ that he was anxious to get construction started as ^
^ early as possible. a
♦ ^