Semi-weekly herald., 1913-12-04

once find the pad and set out with
firm and confidentread upon it and
We shall not wandr from it or lin
ger upon it.
Alaskan sffairs.
A duty faces uss with regard to
Alaska which seems me very pres
sing and very imperaive; perhaps I
should say double dty, for 1t co.,
Germs both the politicA and the ma
terial development of the territory.
The people of Alaska sbuld be givea
the full territorial form of govern
ment, and Alaska, as storelouse,
should be unlocked. On key to it
is system of railways. These the
government should itself build and
administer, and the ports aid termin
ais it should itself control n the in
terest of all who wish to ,se them
for the service and development of
the. country and its people,
But the construction of RAILWAYS is
only the first step; is only thusting
in the key to the storehou,e and
throwing back the lock and olening
the door. How the tempting rsour-
ees of the country are to be exlloit-
ed is another matter, to which | hall
take the liberty of from time to time
| calling your attention, for it i.
policy which must be worked out by
| well-considered stages not upon
| theory, but upon lines of practical e1-
| pediency. 1t is part of our general
problem o. conservation. We have a
freer hand in working out the prob
lem in Alaska than in the states OF
the union, and yet the principle and
| object are the same, wherever we
touch it. We must use the resources
of the country, not lock them up
There need be no conflict or jealousy
as between state and federal authori-
ties, for there can be no essential
| difference of purpose between them
| The resources in question must be
used, but not destroyed or wasted;
| used, but not monopolized upon any
narrow idea of individual rights as
| against the abiding interests of COM
munities. That a policy can be work
ed out by conference and concession
which will release these resources and
yet not leopard or dissipate them,
for one have no doubt; and it can be
done on lines of regulation which
| need be no less acceptable to the peo-
pie and governments of the states
concerned than to the people and gov
| ernment of the nation at large, whose
heritage these resources are. We
must bend our counsels to this end A
common purpose ought to make
| agreement easy.
Closing Recommendations.
Three or four matters of special
Importance and significance beg
that you will permit me to mention
in closing.
Our bureau of mines ought to be
equipped and empowered to render
even more effectual service than it
renders now in improving the condi-
tions of mine labor and making the
mines more economically productive
as well as more safe This is an all
important part of the work of con-
servation; and the conservation of
human life and energy lies even near
er to our interest than the preserva-
tion from waste of our material re-
sources.
| We owe it, in mere justice to the
railway employees of the country, to
provide for them a fair and effect
i've employers liability act and law
that We can stand by in this matter
will be no less to the advantage of
those who administer the railroads of
the country than to the advantage of
those whom they employ The ex-
perience of large number of the
states abundantly proves that.
| We ought to devote ourselves to
meeting pressing demands of plain
justice like this as earnestly as to
the accomplishment of political and
economic reforms. Social justice
comes first. Law is the machinery
for its realization and is vital only
as it expresses and embodies it.
An international congress for the
discussion of all questions that affect
safety at sea is now sitting in London
at the suggestion of our own govern
ment. So soon as the conclusions of
that congress can be learned and con-
sidered we ought to address ourselves
among other things, to the prompt al
deviation of the very unsafe, unjust
and burdensome conditions which now
surround the employment of sailors
and render it extremely difficult to
obtain the services of spirited and
competent men such as every ship
needs if it is to be safely handled
and brought to port.
Thanks Congress.
May l not express the very real
pleasure | have experienced in CO.