The Chitina leader., 1912-10-29
COL. B. F. MILLARD'S VIEWS ON
 CONSERVATION

an excerpt from an article published in the Valdez Miner in it's issue of Sunday, October 8, 1911. It is with reference to the utterance of Col. B. F. Willard, at meeting gotten up by his supporters to give Clifford Pinchot an opportunity to foist his views upon an already much suffering Alas kan people because of the practical application of those views to the coal and timber resources of this north land The remarks of Col. Willard at the Pinchot meeting are of particu- lar significance now, because he is a votes of the people of the Third divi- sion, for representation in the senate of the new Legislative Assembly. He has never denied the truth of the pub lished statement of his utterances, and he presumably continues to en- tain the same views.
 He lays great stress on the thread worn and oft exploded cry of mon oply." He would prefer to have the coal lands "idle for generations" rather than have them fall into the hands of "monoply." In other words the Col. agreed with the ex- forester. Lest by any possibility an aggregation of capital should get control of few of some of the hun dreds of coal claims that have been located in Alaska, and engage in ac- tive mining, he would have the seal so placed that only the decendants of future generations would have an opportunity of unlocking the rich coal beds. The thousands of sturdy pioneers who came to this territory expecting that the mining of coal would be but the beginning of many industries, are to be impoverished and disheartened because MT. Pin chot, Col. Willard and few others would conserve" our vast coal fields for our children's children.
 But possibly Col Millard's lack of interest in the development of the Boring river and Matanuska coal beds 
 | is contained in his closing remarks, when he is credited with the state ment that he was in Alaska to make stake, and that he would get out | just so soon as he made it. The Col. was supplied with money by men of large means to develop some copper property, and we presume that so soon as it was sufficiently developed | to unload the Colonel's idea was to make cleanup" and get out of the country. In ttat event the loch .1s ap Of the coal fields would not be d matter of much concern to the Col. Neither is it to the pampered child of fortune, the theorist and million aire, Clifford Pinchot.
 Of course Col. Willard is entitled to his personal opinions, and it is only as candidate for the Senate that his views are of public interest. But it is matter of the greatest l concern to know what the first Legis- lature will recommend to Congress | concerning the vital questions that | have to do with the happiness and prosperity of almost every man, wo- man and child in Southwestern Alas ka. Cutting out the platitudes and | the silly cry abut monoply, which all the Pinchot conservationists harp on, the fact remains that this combina- tion has been the curse of Alaska and have thus far succeeded in im- poverishing the people of this section, and discouraging capital from com ing here to make investment.
 And Col Willard says that Pinchot is right And this same gentleman has ambition to represent the people of this division in the Territorial Senate. Holding the views he ex- pressed but year ago, he would sim I
 ply represent Pinchot, the arch enemy of progress and development. What we need at Juneau are men whose views would not tend to retard, but rather to expand. No one here favors monoply. But where is the monoply? Not in Alaska, but in the outsides states, where big trusts have been thriving and sending up the cost of living while the Pinchot satel- lites have been crying "stop thief" at some imaginary bugaboo in far away Alaska. It is Col. Millard's privelege to make his stake and get out, but the needs of the territory