Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1911-08-21
A PLAN FOR
MANAGING
Of ALASKA
SENATOR LA TOILETTE OUT
LINES PLAN THAT BORDERS
on SOCIALISM, FOR DEVELOP.
MENT OF ALASKA'S RE.
SOURCES.
UNITED PRESS LEASED WIRE. /

Washington, Aug. 19.-Immedi-
ate development of the mineral re-
sources of Alaska through govern
ment ownership of railroads, ships,
public utilities, wharves and docks,
and through the actual mining of
Alaskan coal by the government, all
to be administered for the benefit of
the people at large through board
of control was the plan outlined by
Senator La Toilette, of Wisconsin,
today in a speech in the senate.
Declaring that every day makes
more evident the fact that the Amer
lean people are waging losing fight
in Alaska, La Toilette asserted it
was time for the government to take
an active hand.
"On one side" La Toilette said,
"are $4,000 pioneers who are risk
ing their lives and fortunes too in ex-
ploration and prospecting for unde-
veloped resources. On the other side
are the millions of American peo-
pie to whom this great storehouse of
natural resources belong. Between
them is the enormous power of the
greatest concentration of capital the
world ever knew.
Anyone may see that the foun-
dation is being laid in Wall street
for the building up of the monopoly
in Alaska equal to that which now
controls the anthracite coal fields in
Pennsylvania. When he have before
us the history of the anthracite strug
gle which consumated in the Nor
gan interests holding complete con-
troll against the whole American
people, can we expect a different re-
suit if the Morgans and Guggen-
helms are permitted to control Alas
ka?
"The power will lie in the control
of docks wharves, mountain passes
and the limited outlet to the worlds
markets.
THE government should regard
itself as board of directors, pledged
to properly care for the development
of the property in which the Amer
lean people are the stockholders.
"The first step shl uld be the erec-
tion of adequate transportation facil-
tiles. The government should own
and build these, and the wharves,
docks, railroads and terminals al
ready constructed should be acquired
by the government Immediately. The
government should own and operate
at least one great coal mine, with
which to supply naval and military
needs, saving the surplus product al
reasonable profit as check against
extortion by private corporations
developing other mines.
"The sensible and practical thing
to do is to create board of public
works for Alaska, similar to the
isthmian canal commission.
This board should undertake, no
only the mere building of railroad
from Controller bay to the coal fields
} but the requirement of all railroads
in Alaska, so that the policy of gov
ernment ownership can be settled
Immediately. The board should op
crate and develop wharves, dock ant
. steamship lines, if necessary, to de
liver the product of Alaska to tn
, Pacific coast"
Declaring that the people coult
: afford to make only a small profit Of
! the investment, because this small
profit would be the means of cheap
, ening products which now, con
trolled by the Neutrality-suspicious.
, are extortionRtely high, and citin
the administration of the canal zon
/ as precedent for government ad
ministration of all utilities, l.
Toilette asserted that the progres
sives demand a speedy settlemen
of Alaskan resources, so that tn
: whole people, particularly those @
the Pacific coast, could get the ben
, eft of reduction in the cost of livin
= through the utilization of Alaska
+ treasures.
"Our future naval power on tn
t Pacific ocean," he said, depends o
l the utilization of Alaskan coal"
= AS a further check to the grail
r bing of the mineral resources by pr
vate interests, he proposed the e.
$ tension of the leasing system to tn
coal deposits.