The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-07-07
URGES BOARD TO
DEVELOP ALASKA
Secretary Lane Would Eliminate
Much Red Tape.
WANTS THREE GOVERNORS.
Suggests That This Body Have Super
vision of All the GovernmentaI At
fairs-WouId Replace Many Offices
and Bureaus and Control All Features
Of Development In Territory.

fairs-WouId Replace Many Offices
and Bureaus and Control All Features
of Development In Territory.
Washington. In a report sent to
Senator Key Pittman and Representa-
tive William C. Houston, chairmen of |
the senate and house committees on I
territories respectively, Secretary Lane
of the interior department urges the
creation Of development board to
have complete control of the natural
resources Of Alaska.
Bills for the creation of boards or
commissions to administer the govern
ment of Alaska have been introduced
In the senate by Senator Chamberlain
of Oregon and in the house by Delegate
Wickersham Of Alaska. These bills /
differ only in detail, and the general
purpose of both is in accord with the
recommendation of Secretary Lane.
The development plan urged by the
secretary provides for board of three
members. appointed by the president
and confirmed by the senate, which is
W nave III lAidoAd anu
is to be charged with the general
conduct of all governmental affairs
connected with the natural resources
and development of the territory.
at Is proposed and urged" says Mr..
Lane, that the board shall take over
such authority now exercised by va
rious departments and bureaus as may
be necessary to give it supervision over
| practically the entire public domain
| and all the ma tural resources of Alaska
/ and control of such activities as are
| closely related and essential TO the de-
velopment Of the physical resources OF
| the country.
1.-The board would do the work now
done in Alaska by the general land Of
fee. the forest service, the road COM
| mission, the bureau of mines. the hu-
reau of education and the secretary of
the interior. 1t should take over part
of the work and authority of the bu-
reau of fisheries Beginning at the
shore line. the development board
should have complete control of all
governmental activities and interests
connected with the development of In
dustries and transportation and the
settling OF the country,
'"This should include the control OF
water powers. building and mainte-
nance of roads and trails and operation
and rates of the railroads and tele-
graph lines 1t should include protec-
ton and control of game. fur bearing
animals. public lands. mineral depos-
its. coal. oil. gas, hot springs. timber
lands and timber"
Secretary Lane also urges that this
board should take over the supervi-
sion of educational work among the
Indians and natives, the reindeer in
dustry, control of the surveyor gener-
ais office and the supervision In coop
Grafton with the department of agri-
culture of agricultural experiments and
demonstration work in the territory.
1t is pointed out in the report that at
present each of at least a score of Gov
eminent bureaus Ia Washington divid-
ed among the various departments has
something to do with the government
of Alaska and that there is vast
amount of red tape and circumiocution
in the administration of public affairs
under this system.
Instances are given In the report of
delays of several years in the handling
of uncomplicated land and other mat
ters which should have been promptly
disposed of.
''There must be new and simple ma.
chinery." says Mr.. Lane. THE new
policy is not to invite few men to ex
plot the cream Of Alaska's riches. but
to develop all the resources and pos
sibilities of the territory harmoniousiy
for the best interests of both the PEG
pie who go to Alaska and the people
of the United States who own thi:
great public domain"
Mr.. Lane points out that there ar,
now only S62 miles of wagon roads
CIT miles of sled roads and 2,1G6 mile
of trails in the whole of Alaska, 70
the construction and maintenance o
which about 50 900, 900 has been spent
He urges that roads and trails ar
as essential to the opening of Alask
to settlement as railroads, and tina
these roads for several years to com
lnust be built by the government.
The reindeer industry, now mOnopc
liZed by the natives, Mr.. Lane look
upon as the beginning of great IL
dustry which may have something t
do with solving the meat supply prot
lem of the United States.
The secretary discusses at consider
able length the cable and telegrap
system in Alaska now operated by th
i signal corps of the war department an
i proposes that this should probably, /
1 managed by the development board.