Show 0 GOLD OUTPUT SHRINKS washington jan 1 the value of the total mineral production of alaska increased from in 1919 to in 1920 according to estimates by alfred H brooks united geological survey department part ment of the interior just made public this brings the value of the total mineral production of the territory up to over half of which is to be credited to the last decade the apparent prosperity of the alaska mining industry during the year is due solely to the increase in the output of copper from pounds valued at in 1919 to about pounds valued at in 1920 alaska has now produced pounds of copper worth alaska has been seriously affected by the worldwide world wide depression of the gold mining industry of the last fourbears four years during which the output of her gold mines has been steadily declining the output of gold in 1 n alaska fell from in 1919 to about in 1920 bringing the total gold output up to a value of this decline is however not due to any marked depletion of the gold deposits for alaska contains enormous potential reserves of gold and other valuable minerals but since the purchasing power of gold has decreased it has been impossible to exploit profitably many of the gold deposits so that the miner and prospector have been forced to leave this condition is most serious for about 60 per cent of alanskas population has been supported directly or indirectly by gold mining the depression of the raining mining industry in alaska is only temporary a change tor for the better will come when economic conditions become more normal and land transportation has been made cheaper and better what is chiefly needed is the completion of the government railroad now assured the lowering of freight rates and t the he building of wagon roads |