The daily Alaskan., 1910-02-19
MEASUREMENT OF FACTS BY
 EX.GoV. HoGGATT.

Continuing his arrogant pFacLCe or trying to domineer the American cit- izens who have made their homes in Alaska and who are developing and upbulldlng it. on the 22nd day of Jan uary. ex.Goy. W. B. Hoggatt appear. ed before the Senate Committee on Territories. while the Alaska Commis- sion bill was under consideration, for the osteuslble purpose Of denying the charges made by Wickersham that he is lobbying for the Guggenheims, and. while characteriziug Judge Wick ersham to the Committee as 8 liar. ' Hoggatt himself made some remark. able statements which would not add Co his credibiIiry as witness, as the following extracts rom the print ed report of the hearing before the Committee show:
 Senator Clark. of Arkansas. Then whatever is grown in that region would have to be planted and mature before the first Of September?
 Mr. HOggatt. Yes: in about one hundred days.
 Senator Clark Is iJ not a matter tha, you would take some interest in as Governor to know whether or not lhe claim is founded on actual con- dluons2
 MT. HoggaJt have taken de clded interest in it When l became Governor there was great agitation about transportation. Promoters were down here saying that We could grow all sorts of things. and one of the first things ! did was this: there was ia that territory an agent of the Department of Agriculture who had a lot of gardens around the beach in Southeastern Alaska. where the land an stands on end | went to that gentleman and told him that if he did not abandon some Of those stations along the coast and conceu- uatc his efforts in the interior valleys where we had some level land that you could put a blow in. I would see if I could not get his appropriation stopped. So he took up some land in and about Fairbanks. He was just about getting under way when quit orIice; and the determinations Of the men who are farming about there had not reached that stage where l could get any definite information as to their success.
 Now. as a matter Of fact, the Gov ernment Experiment Station at Ram part was started in 1900, five years before Hoggatt became Governor; the station at Copper Center was started in 1902. two and a half years before Hoggatt became Governor; and the station at Fairbanks was started in 1907 at the request of the Fairbanks Board of Trade by a letter Co the Secretary of Agriculture who referred the matter Co Prof C. C.. Georgeson. Special Agent Of the De- partment of Agriculture in Alaska. for action. Hoggatt not only had abso- Mtely nothing to do with starting the Fairbanks Station. but did not even know that the establishment Of such a station was contemplated.
 Quoting again from Mir Hoggatt's statement before the Senate Commit lee on Territories:
 Senator Clark. Did you ever see a wheat field growing in Alaska?
 Mir. Hoggatt Yes; l did
 Senator Clark. Where. and Of what size?
 Mr. HoggatJ saw it at Rampant. | was across the river from it. It had not matured When ] got to Fort Glbbon the agricultural agent was there and he asked me if had been to visit his experimental station3
 l said no: but l saw it across the river. He wanted to know why had not. said: Why. green grain does not mean anything to me If it had been ripened I would have gone to see it The thing am in- terested in IS this: want to find out whether this country will ripen grain, know that there will be strong ef. forts to run a population up here and l do not want them to go in un- ul We are sure they can live off the soil; for it win work untold hardship jr they cannot
 Senator Clark. Why did you not attach any importance to a green field--a field growing in the green?
 MT. Hoggatt. If a frost came and nipped it and destroyed the crop be- fore 1t matured. it would be of no value"