The Alaska daily empire., 1915-10-06

The Cordova Chamber of Commerce has endorsed Secretary of the Interior Franklin K Lanes Alaska De- veiopment Board bill Briefly the bill proposes to es- tabsh Board which win have it's headquarters in AL asla and which wln deal the ground. to speak. with an questions and problems appertaining to the Territory hat are now under tho control and direction of Che many bureaus and departments n Washington. For example the fisheries win be under the control of the proposed board SO win tho timber the water pow ers the coal mines the game turs. lands. roads and trails and other Federal activities directed from the National Capital
 Whether the bin win be passed by Congress is quite another matter It has influential support; 1t likewise has intense even bitter opposition. For. che average Washington bureau hates to let SO; R is constantly reaching out after more power rather than surrender ing h Power it is said Is sweet to the average human being although it may well be doubted if all men hun ger and thirst after it. The average bureaucrat is In
 class by himself; he typical of the two daughters of Che horse leech crying give. give but never letting go Of his own free will that which he has at talned The Innate weakness Of government is exempt fled In bureaucracy No nation exempt from it. and in t by it and through It. is perpetuaed many of the political ms to which even free people heir 1t Is government by indirecton therefore bound to be in ept ineluctable and inefficient And that Alaska has suffered through bureaucracy known to all Aaskans; some men in Washington know It. and Secretary Lane stands at the head of these. How Washington bureau. or Washington department for that matter decide with the necessary intelligence the problems that are constantly arising in country removed four thou sand miles from the national seat of government? How ever we cannot abolish the departments. but we can get along very well without their side issues-the bu reaus. SO far as Alaska is concerned. Given ntelt
 ,t ,fah h, able to expect would serve on the proposed Develop men Board the many vital questions affecting Che de- velopment of Aaskas resources could be adjudicated when they arise Strict examination and investigation could be made of all questions requiring adjustment the angles of each could carefully scrutinzed tes tmony heard from conflicting interests. if and sub stantia justice done The bureaucratic view necessar fly is cribbed cabned and confined. What else could be expected3 What does the average Washington bu- reaucrat know about Alaska and It's condtons2 How many of them care. in fact? And yet they quite willing nay ready to decide matters vitaly affecting the Territory oitentimes without the exercise of @ grain of common sense. to say nothing Of judgment Bureaucratic control and direction ln Alaska is not obnoxious as t once was There has been some im. provemen in recent years But there Is yet ample for Improvement Adequate relief from the incubus of bureaucracy however. cannot be expected long as 1t and the redtape Of which is at once the inventor and wet nurse are entirely eliminated
 The Alaska Development Board biil. some simi- lar measure. prescribing closely the powers and imita tions Of the board. should furnish large of relief from the prevent bureaucratic ills and handicaps from which Alaska suffers.
 The Russians used to have sayng-and. no doubt st have-to the effect God is afar off and 1t Is a long way to st. Petersburg" For many years Alaska has had similar one Washington beln substituted for st. Petersburg-or Petrograd.