Daily Kennebec journal., 1913-12-24
Sec'y Lane Declares Broadly for
Conservation of NaturalResOurces
Annual Report Is Made Public.

greater portion of the north has a
kindIier climate than Stockholm or 81.
Petersburg. There is more railroad
building 500 miles north of the cana
dian border than there is for the same
distance south of it.
why has not this land been de-
veloped? The frank answer is that we
did not realize until within few
years that 1t was worth developing.
As soon as we discovered its value as
q national asset we became alarmed
and drew back, affrighted at the
thought that we might lose it, or at
least that it would become the prop
crtv of those who would exploit it
without respect to the public interest.
I'VE have withdrawn Alaska from the
too aggressive and self-serving eX-
pfoiter. What have we to substitute
as a safer servant of public interest
To this question | have given much
thought, and my conclusion is that II
we are to bring Alaska into the early
and full realization of her possibilities
we must create a new piece OF govern
mental machinery for the purpose.
We should undertake the work In the
spirit and after the method of a great
corporation wishing to develop large
territory In my judgment the way to
deal with the problem of Alaskan re-
sources is TO establish a board of dl-
ractors tn have this work in charge
Into the hands of this board or COM
mission I would give all the national
assets in that territory, to be used
primarily for her improvement-her
lands. fisheries, Indians, Esklmos'
seals, forests mines, waterways, rall-
roads--aH that the Nation owns, cares
for. controls, or regulates. Congress
should determine in broad outline the
policies which this board in liberal
discretion should elaborate and admin
ister. much is done as to the fhlllp-
mines This board would, of course,
have nothing whatsoever to do with
the internal affairs Of the organizer
Territory of Alaska, for 1t would eXer-
else no powers save such as Congress
granted over the property of the Unit
ed states in Alaska"
In concluding his reasons for the
creation of such conservation machin-
cry for Alaska, Secretary Lane says.
In short, l would construct the aa-
| ministrative machinery that Woulo
most surely lead to a prompt ana con-
, tinuous development of Alaska as d
mart of the United States upon plane
commensurate with her possibilities IN
; dustrially. agriculturally and socially.
alaska should not, in my judgment,
be regarded as a mere storehouse Oh
resources upon which the people of the
States may draw She has the poteh-
: tialities of a state. And whatever
nolicy may be adopted should look to-
) ward an Alaska of homes, of indus
tries. and of an extended commerce.
strongly as l would urge this
; method of management-for 1t offers a
rare opportunity to exhibit the eii-
ciencv of a Republic--I would not have
} Alaska wait for needed legislation un-
: I'll the merits of such plan could be
nassed upon by Congress. Those
: things which appeal to me as of i'm
mediate necessity upon which indie
/ pendent action may be taken are ID the
) construction of railroads in the terri
: tory and lt2) the opening OF her coai
! lands.
Secretary Lane expresses the opinion
: that privately owned railroads WouAa
not be constructed in Alaska for many
wears. except as adjuncts to private
enterprises He regards 1t wise, thefe-
fore, for the government to undertake
their building.
!; 1.-THE rates and service of such rail-
roads should be fixed with reference te
Alaskan develepment-not with reSafu
} to immediate returns. The charges
fxed should be lower for years 10
come than would justify private IN
vestment." Alaskan railroads are TO
be built, he says, to create a com
monwealth If this is our task, II
should be done whole-heartedly ana
with a consciousness that the dollar
snent today on an Alaskan railroad
will WELD no more immediate return
ON the investment than the dollar
spent on the Panama canal
such railroads as may be construct
, ed bv individuals as feeders or tap
lines of the government roads should
be "under governmental supervision
capitalized and operated under the
strictest regulation and be at any
time subject to purchase by the gov
; eminent"
Discussing the coal resources Of Alaska
: should be opened not to spectators,
but to operators. Those should have
these lands who will use them. None
should be opened as a basis for a gam
Bile in future values" In his judgment
) they may be turned over safely to the
public under leasing and royalty
system similar to that under which the
f State of Minnesota leases its ore lands
-
and the States of Montana and Colora-
do their coal lands. He adds that the
! money received might be used in the de-
= velopment of the country and that a
large body of coal land in each field be
l reserved for the Navy in time of need.
: Vigorous suggestions looking to the
2 conservative development of the coal
q lands of the West are made by