Arizona republican., 1913-12-24
SECRETARY LANE IN REPORT
Continued from Page One.)

land for the purpose to which it is
 best fitted. TO this policy" he says
 I believe the west is now recon ciicd. The west no longer urges a return to the hazards If the land is
 IanG policy. But it does ask action :, Already the congress has recognized T the "pgositeness Of this policy. but ii is for yourself and congress furthcI.
 to extend this thought into our legis-
 lation.
 The largest body of unused and
 neglected land in the United States
 is Alaska. In the forty-siN years in
 tCIVcninS since it's purchase. we have
 given it little more than the most II casual concern, vet it's mines. fish cries and furs alone have added to UT wealth the grand sum of $500.- e00.ooo For almost a generation t vas the rich harvest field of q single | company. Individual fortunes haze been made in that country larger
 than the price paid to Russia for the i whole territory. IL has been eSti- mated that there are 5o.0O0o00 acres cf this land that will make homes for a people as sturdy as those of New England. Whether this is so CT not. Il would appear that Alaska
 can be made self-sustainins agricUl-
 turallv
 This vast and unsurpassed asset lies almost uEdevcIoped. \ territory onc-fifth the size of the United
 States contains less than a thousand
 miles Of anything that can he called 70 wagon road"
 This unfortunate condition. in
 Secretary Lanes judgment is not due
 to the inhosoitality of the Alaska
 climate" because some Of the south eastern Alaska is a climate more
 temperate and more equabIe than that of the c.tv of Washington while
 much Of the greater portion or the north has a kindlier climate tIan stockholm or St Petersburg There
 is more railroad building 800 miles
 north or the Canadian border than
 there is for the same distance south of it.
 "Whv has not this land been de-
 Veloped? The frank answer is that
 we did not realize until within a few
 years that if was ~olth develoufnc
 = soon ae We discovered its value
 as national assets We became @l"rmod and drew back. affrghted at the thought that We might lose it. or
 at least that it would become the property of those who would exploit
 j, without respect to the public in- t.rc-t
 We have withdrawn Alaska from the too aggressive and self-scryine
 "Npioitcr What have we tp sub
 SttHte as safer servant cf public ] interest," To this question have giVen much thought. and my conclu- sion is that if We ale to bring Alaska frto the cariy and full realization or her possibilities vc must create q 1 tt.
 Tor tine purpose. We should undertake inc work in the spirit and after the method of great corporatian wish Ing (" develop a large territory h. my judgment the way to deal with the problem Of Alaskan resources f- z" establish board of directors to have this work in charge Into the hands of this board or commission Wouid give all the national assets iH that territory. to b. used primar- ilN for her improvement-her lands. fisheries Indians. Eskimos seals. 1 forests. mines. waterways. railroads al that the nation owns, cares for controls or regulates. Congress should determine in broad outline the policies which this board in a liberal discretion should elaborate and ad- minister much as is done in the , Philippines This board would. of l course. have nothing whatsoever r. do with the internal affairs Of the organized territory of Alaska for it would exercise no powers save such IS congress granted over the prop ortN of the United States in Alaska.
 In concluding his reasons for the creation of such conservation machin- cry for Alaska. Secretary Lane saws In short. would construct the administrative machinery that would
 most surely lead to n prompt and
 continuous development of Alaska ae
 bart of the United States upon a
 plane commensurate ~-ith her possi-
 bilities industrialiy ae:iculturaIIy.
 and socially
 Alaska should not in my judg-
 ment. be regarded as a mere store
 house of resources upon which the
 people of the states may draw She
 has the potentialities of a state. And
 whatever policy may be adopted should look toward an Alaska of homes. of industries and of an ex- ! tended commerce.
 Strongly as I would urge this ] method of manag gement-for it offers q rare opportunity to exhibit the ef- fciency of republic-I would not have Alaska wait for needed legisIa- tion until the merits of such plan could be passed upon by congress. {, Those things which appeal to me as of immediate necessity upon which Independent action may be taken care gre tD the construction of railroads in the territory and @ the opening nf her coal lands"
 Secretary Lane expressed the opin- son that privately owned railroads would not be constructed in Alaska for many years, except as adjuncts ! to private enterprises. He regards it wise, therefore for the govern n.ent to undertake their building The rates and service of such railroads should be fixed with refer ence to Alaskan development-not ! with regard to immediate returns