The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-09-09
FISHER AND ALAGKA.

Secretary Fisher of the Department
Of the Interior has finished his visit
10 Alaska and his investigation of con
ditlons there To be sure. the investi
CATION has been short and his conclu
sions arc undoubtedly somewhat hasty
But We assume that there can he M
doubt of his grasping the main idea
that what is needed in Alaska is the
lifting Of the heavy hand Of restriction
and conservation. so that investments
may be made in that vast region, that
valid claims to land. ia mines, to tim
ber. and TO water power can he filed
upon and obtained
II is quite true, as no doubt Secrc
ordinary land laws are not sufficient
for Alaska but the operations of even
these have been suspended there and
in all this Immediate region. This sus-
disadvantage Of every region where il
is exercised and the main thing is to
get on with some form Of legislation
or administration that will allow Of the
people getting their rights on the pub
lie domain such ms they have been used
to enjoy from the first pioneering in
America
1t is new thing indeed with us TO
have hindrances to the opening and de.
velopment of a new country such as
prevent all legal and rational activi-
ties in that country. it is new thing
TO have ii said that pioneers who wish
to open region TO civilization, to in.
dustry, and to homemaking are rascals
who must he headed off from their
efforts to rob the public, and who, If
possible, should be convicted and sent
to Jail II has never been the policy
in the United States heretofore to de-
nounce the pioneers rs robbers, but on
the contrary 10 honor them as the ad-
vance agents of civilization, the men
to whom the country owes a vast debt
for their enterprise. their endurance,
and their successful labors, But not
SO under the present conservation ideas.
All pioneers, fathers Of States as they
are called, must now be viewed with
opprobrium. as thieves, as robbers,
whose rightful place is in the rogues
gallery, rather than as heretofore in
the place Of honor in the public cs.
teen.
Directly in line with this we find an
experience in a recent number of the
Portland Oregonian, written by Mr.
Eddy, who has been striving to perfect
his title to coal and oil claim on
the shores of Controller Bay. He went
to Alaska fifteen years ago. and for
many years experienced the usual
hardships and ups and downs Of the
pioneer. Finally he describes
his effort to locate and get title to a
claim in the following words;
We made our locations under The terms
Of the mining laws OF the United States.
aud we thought. and so far as ! am CON
cerned stili believe, that We had per
feet legal right 10 do so Mono OF us
have vet obtained title TO that property,
although we have expended many thou
sands Of dollars more than the land laws
title: and now ] understand IL is pro-
posed by some men 10 take 1T away from
us. For my part. ! cannot see any JUS
tice In this, Many Of us have spent
from seven TO ten wears of our lives up
there. We have undergone all manner
Of hardship, and many like myself have
spent their all in. developing that prop
crty under the belief that AZ some time
during our natural lives we could obtain
utle 10 IT. But II seems that we were
mistaken.
On the general proposition. Mr.. Eddy
finds himself in direct opposition to
the conservation policy. which heads
him off in his well~meant effort TO avail
himself of the privileges conferred on
American citizens in the law, of max
ing Just such locations as he has made.
In the words of the Oregopian
Mr.. Eddy has lived TO find that the
bold and adventurous Alaska pioneer
who sought To explore the barren wilds
Of the frigid northern land. obeyed the
laws. paid his money TO the Government
for A. claim discovered through his in
trepid spirit and determine tion. and hon
estly sought 10 develop the claim and to
add another industry 10 American thrift
and enterprise, is a cheat and a swim
dler. and ought 10 be In Jail He
deserves nothing but condemnation for
soihS 10 AidSkd w get something no
body else suspected was there. He is
a thief. for he Is trying TO steal the
heritage of the people; he is a conspira
Tor. for he hoped some day to sell his
coal or oil claim TO some monopoly or
and he is n fool for he paid
out good money TO the Government in
the innocent faith that the Government
Which is miserable, outrageous out
come of a well-meaut effort made i'm
direct pursuance of the law. under the
protection of the law. and under the
rights of American citizen.
ship.