The Alaska daily empire., 1913-08-26
LANE COUNTS ALASKA
 PART OF NATION
OO

-O-O-
 Secretary of the Interior Franklin K. Lane does not take kindly to the suggestion of W. D. Boyce, the Chica- go publisher. who desires to treat Alaska as foreign colony, but he urges policy that regards the Terri tory as a part and parcel of the Nation and a part that some day will be incOr- porated into the sisterhood of States. Speaking directly on this point, while at Seattle recently, Secretary Lane said:
 "I already have declared myself strongly in favor of a goyernment- owned and operated railroad in Alas ka. This. in my, opinion. is the first step to the solution of Alaska railroad and transportation problems. Alaska must be fully identified with us.not as an outside territory, but as an integral part of the United States. The sole question now is how it may best be brought about SD that Alaska and the people who inhabit it will prosper
 
 eign country. or it can be treated as a territory which never can be eX- plotted.
 The latter policy does not cOntem- plate that Alaska ever can become a State in the Union, populated by a people who are dependent in large part upon themselves.
 Administration With Home Builders.
 The policy which the administra- ton will advocate is one that will bring into the territory a population of independent men, who purpose to make Alaska their home. to live there and 10 raise their families. This is the policy that will make for fullest development. and for that reason it is, in my opinion, a wise thing tO open up the territory in manner that it's peO- pie can get in and out and so that it's resources may be brought to market and the products of the United States. temporarily at least. may be intro duced into the Territory at the lowest price.
 There are various methods of gov ernment railroad construction and of openings up new territories, but all of them are more or less hazardous. The one with the least risk so far as Alas ka is concerned is the policy which suggested to the Senate, of building a gOvernment-Owned railroad
 Complete System Needed.
 Tn my judgment the railroad sys- tenn in Alaska should be a complete system. Not a mere road to the coal mines. but a road extending to the agri- cultural and grazing lands of the inter- for, and one that will open up to settle ment a new country that enjoys a eli mate as salubriOus as many parts of the United States and Canada.
 "l have been travelling for more than a month in Western States. not in the centers of population. but through the national parks, Indian reservations and other places where there are large areas of public lands. Everywhere have found a strong desire among the farming people to more farther West The people of the Middle West want to go to the Far West. Everywhere there is a strong, incessant demand for cheap land, which shows that our people have not lost the true pioneer spirit
 Tt was this desire for cheap land that resulted in large number of our people emigrating to Canada. But there is now evidence of a strong counter current, particularly in Northern Min nesOta. where a number of farmers are settling after having made a trip into the country farther north. These peo- pie, seeking cheap land are rapidly pOpulating the entire West. and so it will be with Alaska The desire for land will not die.