Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1912-01-11
ALASKA; NEGLECTED LAND

p less than carload lots, or SGD b. the
carload. The contrast Is sufficiently
striking.
10 has recently become the fashion
10 decy the value OF Alaska and It's
resources The traveller Is constants
met with doroFatory remarks about
tho timber. the coal the agricultural
land aud the mines This dcpreria-
tiCn usually has Tor It's purpose 70
Dol. press upon the hearer the idea
that after all. since Alaska is worth
SO little. 10 Is OF small consequence
into whose h,nds % NAV fall.
n is true that the timber Of Alas
ka is inferior when compared with
that Of Puget sound Eut compare Il
with the timber of Maine. Pennsylva.
MIA or Georgia. or with that Of Franc .
ul Germany or Switzerland. and its
value Jumps Some 10000 900 feet
are ont from the national forests each
wear.
Reports are current that the origi-
nal government statements as 10 the
value ot TIE coal were too hi2h. An
independent estimate, made Dy coal
expert OF experience and standing,
after what believe 90 be- the most
thorough and extensive study OF tho
perIug river field yrt made. sets the
contents OF this field an considerably
more than $1,000 nnu,Uuu tons. A
government expert estimated the
number of tons GO 5000. 0N0.O0O.
Which of these estimates is right can
have no practical preseut-day effect
ou what 500 should DO with the coal.
40 cents ton royalty 2.O00, 000.-
600 tons would be- worth 500 600.
600 TOO large q sum To throw away
Tho coal lands OF Alaska should De-
opened 10 development al once. In
doing SO two separate and CONNER
pi3l To meet the ,omercial need, the
leasing system In the main as Sc;
io.th m the Robinson-Wo bill
July 81. t1tO offers the best sOlu-
ton Nv visit to Alaska as q repre-
sentative of the National Couserva-
tiou association has stronly firmed
this view Leasing Is practical a
very large proportion in som, fields
The majority of the coal produced in
the United States Is mined under
lease from private owners There g.
mo- good reason why coal cannot b.
mined FOO Alaska under loase from -.
government.
IT,. area of the national forest
.ho.H MOI o., rcd .o1 for 90, limb
60 Of Alaska is N.n worth prcs,ry-
'ns For 81 fires are doin. rroa'
jlua-o in tbc interior and are begin
rug CD attack f'o timber ou NO
raast q is especially necessary that
800 ellr. ut, system Ui fire nreyen-
zion houl1 to extended 10 Tho forests
OF the great river valleys. as we'll az
to the valuable reindeer pastures on
N" seward peninsulT and farther
south. 80
was greatly impressed with The
character and intelligence Of The men
and women | met In Alaska. An Aug-
lo-SaNon community of 50 high a
type is entitled to such a degree Of
home rule as congress may decu
wise. and that without DELAY Home
rule will not solve all the difficulties
that now confront the people OF Alas.
ka and will doubtless supply var.
iety OF new ones. but the people are
certainly entitled 10 make the cxperi.
ment. This does not eman that the
control OF natural resources nov vest.
ed in the national government should
be turned over TO a local Legislature
The interest oi the nation in me re-
sources OF Alaska is now so fully uu-
derstood that II is clear the admin
istration Of them should remain with
an the people