The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-06-03
PRESIDENT WILSON ON. ALASKA
- Rt .4
His Statement OF His Policy Reservation IS Not
Conservat1on-But We Must Have a Free Gov.
eminent First. Wv

You know what has been the en-,
barrassment about conservation. The
Federal Government has not dared re-
lax it's hold, because, not bona fde
settlers, not men bent upon the legiti-
mate development of great states. but |
men bent upon getting into their own
exclusive control great mineral, for
est. and water resources, have stood
at the ear Of the government and at
tempted to dictate it's policy. And |
The government of the United Statesl
has not dared relax it's somewhat rigid
policy because of the fear that these
forces would be stronger than the
forces Of individual communities and
If the public interest. What we are
now in dread Of is that his situation
will be made permanent. Why is it
that Alaska has Jagged in her develop
ment? Why is it that there are great
mountains of coal piled up in the
shipping places on the coast Of Alaska
which the government at Washington
will not permit to be sold? 1t is be-
cause the government is not sure that
It has followed all the intricate
threads Of intrigue by which small
bodies Of men AVE tried to get exclu-
sfve control of the coal fields Of
Alaska. The government stands itself
suspicious Of the forces by which it is
surrounded. Simply to say. I'VE are
not going to do anything about the
forests" when the country needs to
use the forests, is not a practicable
programme at all. To say that the
people Of the great State of Washing
ton can't buy coal out of the Alaskan
coal fields doesn't settle the question.
You have got to have that coal soon
or or later. And if you are so afraid
Of the Guggenheims and all the rest
Of them that you can max up your
mind what your policies are going
10 be about those coal fields, how lone
are we going to wait for the govern
ment to throw off it's fear? These
can't be a working programme until
there is a free government. The day
when the government is free to set
about a policy Of positive conserva-
ton. as distinguished from mere neg
atiye reservation, will be an enamel
patton day Of no small Importance for
the development of the country.
What am interested in is having
the government Of the United States
more concerned about human rights
h about property rights. Property
is an instrument Of humanity; human.
ity isn't an instrument of property
And yet when you see some mer
iding their great industries as if they
were driving a car of j~uggernaut, no
looking to see what multitudesp rOs
trate themselves before the car an(
lose their ives in the crushing effec
OF their industry, you M hOv
long men are going to be permitted
10 think more Of their machinery thai
they think Of their men. Did yo7
never think Of it?-men are cheap
and machinery is dear; many super
intendent is dismissed for Overdrivin
a delicate machine, who wouldn't b
dismissed for overdriving an over
taxed man. You can discard you
man and replace him: there are 9th
ers ready to come into his place: bu
you cant without great cost diScar
your machinery, and put a new on
i'm it's place. You are less apt, there
fore, TO look upOn your man as tn
essential vital foundation part of yOt
whole business. 1t is time that prof.
erty, as compared with humanit
should take second place, not mr.
place. We must see to it that thel
~ no overcrowding. that there is 7
bad sanitation, that there is non III
necessary spread of avOidable disease
that the purity of food is safeguards
that there is every ~precaution again
accident, that wOmen are not drive
to impossible tasks, nor children pc
mitted to spend their energy before
* fit to be spent. The hope and Ella
ITCHY of the race must be preserve
men must be preserved according
their individual needs, and not a
corning to the programmes OF lhuu
try merely. What is the use OF ma
ing industry. if we perish in producer
it? If we die in trying to feed OU
selves, why should we eat? II
die trying TO get a fOothold IN 7
crowd, why not let the crowd traml
us sooner and be done with 1T? l u
YOU that there is beginning to be
in this nation a great pulse or III
sisitible sympathy which is going
transform the processes of gove'
ment amongst us. The strength
Americ is proportional only to 7
health. the energy, the hope, the Ell
ITCHY. the %buoyancy of the Americ
peopre.-The WrOld's Work for ia
FOUR CIR Adj IVES ARE