The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-07-27
THE CONTROLLER BAY CASE.

On June 9th last, the U. s: Senate
passed resolution calling upon Presl'
dent Taft to transmit to that body cop"
les of all letters, maps, orders, instruc-
tions, service, applications to enter land,
or for rights of way for railroad and
otherwise, and all other official reports,
recommendations, documents, or records
in any of the Departments relating IN
any way to the elimination from the
| Chugach National forest in Alaska of
| land fronting upon Controller Bay
The President has now transmitted, not
only everything called for in that reso-
luton, but everything known to him
| that in any way relates to the Control
Ter Bay affair.
| The President takes upon himself the
sole responsibility of enlarging the area
of elimination from the Chugach forest
reserve from 320 to 1880 acres. And
he shows that the rights of frontage
upon the Bay have in no way passed
out of the jurisdiction of Congress and
of the War Department. Nothing has
been done to affect in any way the pub
lie rights, or to establish any monopo-
lies injurious to the public interests or
otherwise The Presidents summing
up of the matter is admirably done as
follows:
When l made this order, was aware
that the condition OF public opinion In
famed by charges Of fraud-some we'll
founded ana Others OF an hysteTiGa iaad ana I'd
an attack upon 1t and to the questioning
OF my motives in signing IT.. l remarked
this when 1 made the order. and was
he conceives It his duty to take affirma-
tive action In the public interest, has no
more right 10 allow fear of unjust critl-
cism and attack TO hinder him from
taking that action than he would TO
allow personal and dishonest motives to
affect him. 1t Is easy, in cases Ike this
and to do nothing, but such a course does
not inure to the public veal.
/ am In full sympathy with the con.
that that II the ~aiuable resources @ Of Alaska
should not be turned over to be ex
plotted for the profit of greedy, absorb
Ing snd hs
which have been made, no one. as a
matter OF fact, has secured In Alaska
any undue privilege or franchise not
| | am in full agreement with the view
that every care, both In administration
and in legislation, must be observed to
prevent the corrupt or unfair ACQUISITION
| OF undue privilege. franchise, or right
from the Government in that district
But every one must know that the re-
available either TO the people of Alaska
or To the public OF the United States un-
less reasonable Opportunity is granted TO
those who would Invest their money to
secure return proportionate 10 the risk
run In the investment and reasonable
under all circumstances,
Those are brave, manly words, and
| the President is deserving Of credit and
| honor for writing them. His idea OF
official duty is sound, and is admirably
expressed, When we consider, as the
public is assured from this statement of
the President, that no monopolistic
rights have been acquired, or are possi-
BILE to be acquired, on Controller Bay,
and when we consider further the flu.
rious outcry that has been raised about
it, the old saying Of "great cry and lit
| tie wool' comes inevitably to mind.
The American people appear to be abso-
lutely hysterical upon this consersva-
ton proposition. and on the idea that
somebody is going to rob the public,
and that there is some advantage in
keeping everybody away from the pub
lie lands, and preventing the utilization
of the natural resources Of the public
domain. But it is impossible to inn
agine how the public is going to get
any advantage out Of the public domain
unless someone can enter upon that do.
main, develop the natural resources
thereon, and reduce the widuess of ma.
ture to tillage, afford opportunities for
industry, and bring all to the uses of
civilization. In direct line with this
idea the President says in this same
message:
The thing which Alaska needs is de-
lvelopment, and where rights and fran
chises can be properly granted to en-
courage investment and construction of
railroads without comforting exclusive
privileges, | believe IL to be In accord =
ance with good policy to grant them
In this concise statement the Presi.
dent sums up the whole Alaska matter,
That is unquestionably the need of
Alaska, and it is also tho public need
with regard to all of the mineral forest,
and water power riches of that region.
Unless the coal, the timber. and the
water power are put to use, it is abso.
lutely futile to talk about the public
having any interest in them or getting
any benefit from them.