The Alaska citizen. (Fairbanks, Alaska) 1910-1917, 1913-10-06
OPENING UP ALASKA.

Naturally il doesn't please the
wealthy eXplo tiers OF the public do
main in Alaska t know that Sec,
rotary OF the Interior Lane has
the notion that they have "bettlel
up the natural resources OF thai
great and undeyeloped empire lone
enough and that it is nearly time
cork ont OF he bottle For years the
power of invisible yernment. aided
by the conservationists. has been
used to prevent the proper utilizat on
eff the natural wealth of the terri
tory. Wealthy syndcates have in
formed themselves of the treasures
in coal and metals that lie close
10 the fringe OF the frozen north,
They have worked to gather them
! int private enterprise, and. in their
greed, have frustrated the normal
development OF the country. Secre-
tary Lane has been long enough
in office to realize the significance
Of this policy and has resolved 20
cut the knot that has tied Alaska
10 this program OF selfishness.
The secretary says truthfully that
Alaska ought to be opened up He
prop ses to do so through construc-
ton of railroads by the government
and the development of the vast coal
deposits through system of leas-
ing. Monopoly denounces this as pa
ternalism and affects to see the red
nag OF socialism stalking in the
wake OF the government-oNne rail
roads and in the coal pits leased to
the people on royalties. 1t makes lit
tie difference to the people of Alaska
what may be said along this line.
What they want and should have is
railroad transportation; and, mas
much as the capital SITS who have
had their grip on Alaska for years
have not provided it, they very
properly see no reason why their
own government should not do it
Secretary Lane will meet his chief
difficulty when he goes to congress for
the necessary appropriation for the
construction of the railroad. He will
be greeted With the opp sition of the
0)nsarvationisIs. urgang, as they
have done in the past. that the laws
that govern the territory. if enforced.
will effectually inhibit its proper de-
Nelopment. They have spent much
energy in pleading the excuse that
the present laws should be repealed
and better ones substituted, but while
that has been going on Alaska has
been bottled up Conservation and
development do not run we'll togeth-
er, especially when American men
are anxious to build homes for them
selves and their families.
The San Franc SEQ Chronicle. Re
publican newspaper, puts the case
we'll when it says:
The coal of Alaska would reach
the consumer at the lowest price if
the profits of mining and transporta-
ton were consolidated in single
hands. and with the coal mined
under lease and the railroads in
nnntro1 Of no INT
commission, to talk of corporate ex-
tortion is nonsense And there are
still old-fash;oned people who believe
that it is better for a few men
to get rich by mining and transport
ing Alaskan coal than for all the
people of Alaska to get poor be-
cause it cannot be mined at ALL"
The effort of Secretary Lane will
be watched with increasing interest.
AS the first experiment in govern
ment ownership of railroads it can
net fail to have a national concern.
for upon its success may rest a
determination to extend the scope
of the plan to fields of railroad en-
terprise nearer home than Alaska.
At any rate, the Alaskan idea can
be regarded as an opening wedge in
a movement destined to have an
extraordinary influence in the future
of this government, that is, if con-
gress can be induced to support the
resolve of the secretary of the inter
ior.-Denver News.