The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1914-07-04
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 Governmental At.
fairs-WouId Replace Many Offices
and Bureaus and Control All Features
Of Development In Territory.
Washington. - In report sent to
Senator Key Pittman and Representa-
tive William G. Houston, chairmen of
the senate and house committees on
territories respectively, Secretary Lane
of the interior department urges the
creation of a 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
recommendation Of Secretary Lane.
The development plan urged by the
secretary provides for a board of three
members, appointed by the president
and confirmed by the senate, which is
to have headquarters in Alaska and
Is to be charged with the general
conduct of all governmental affairs
connected with the natural resources
and development of the territory.
1T 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 natural 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 bu-
reau of education and the secretary of
the interior. 1t should take over a part
Of the work and authority of the zbu-
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. It should include protec-
ton and control of game. fur bea ring
animals, public lands, mineral depos-
it's, 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.
It is pointed out in the report that at
present each Of at least score of Gov
eminent bureaus in 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 circumlocution
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
tiers 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 tremendously
for the best interests of both the peo-
pie who go to Alaska and the people
Of the United States who own this
great public domain"
Mr.. Lane points out that there are
now only 1862 miles of wagon roads,
GIT miles of sled roads and 2,166 miles
of trails in the whole of Alaska. for
the construction and maintenance Of
which about 100000 has been spent
He urges that roads and trails are
as essential to the opening Of Alaska
to settlement as railroads. and that
these roads for several years to come
must be built by the government.
The reindeer industry. now monopo-
lied by the natives. Mr.. Lane looks
upon as the beginning of a great in
dustry which may have something to
do with solving the meat supply prob
lem of the United States.
The secretary discusses at consider
able length the cable and telegraph
system in Alaska now operated by the
signal corps of the war department and
proposes that this should probably be
managed by the development board
Coffin Ready, Kills Himself.
Montgomery City, Mo.-Nicholas De-