Valdez daily prospector., 1915-09-27

National Forester Henry s. Graves, who recently passed through Valdez, having come over the government road from Fairbanks after having completed a trip through interior Alaska, is most enthusiastic over the possibilities of the territory, and he states that anyone who has never vis- ited the great interior of Alaska, has something to live for. The possibil- ities of the territory astonished Mir. Graves, and he assured Governor Strong while at Juneau that he would use every resource in his power to push any recommendation which Governor Strong should make to the Washington officials in the future. MT. Graves gave the following inter- view to the Juneau Dispatch before leaving Juneau for Washington:
 "As soon as reach Washington l shall endeavor to get the proper au- thority and an appropriation of mon- ey to fight the disastrous forest fires which rage each year in the interior of Alaska and which do inestimable damage to the timber, roads and trails of that section. Several things struck me very forcibly while on my trip and I am going to try and have them worked out by the departments hoo <1 Lyoc c1, ,ivo
 "The forests of the interior are a problem entirely different from any thing we have had to cope with yet. While the forests there are not in the reserves, and probably never will be, they need protection, if the economic questions of that section are ever to be successfully worked out.
 "The timber there is a grade of spruce entirely different from our coast timber. It is found on the North American continent from the coast of Maine to Alaska, clear across the northern border, and while it does not grade as large as the coast trees is still very valuable for many uses.
 Wants Timber Nearby.
 "When a community or settler To- cates at any point they want timber, and they want it right there instead of having to haul it for many miles. A homesteader, and they are locat ing in the interior as rapidly as pos sible, wants wood for fuel. He wants wood to build fences. He wants logs to build houses and barns, especially in that country where lumber is high and timber is cheap. The transpor- tation companies want wood for fuel. Mining companies want timber for thawing the ground and for buildings and other purposes. The road build- CTS want timber for culverts and bridges, and the growth of timber in the interior of Alaska is more closely tied up with all phases of the economic and business life of that country than anyone realizes. Even the old time Alaskans whom I have met on the trip do not realize the value of the stand of timber on the hillside of the interior, and which is being destroyed at the rate of several millions of feet per ysur by the fires.
 Much Timber Burned.
 "On the 3OO-mile trip from Fair banks to Valdez we passed through tracts which had just recently been burned over, or which were still burning when we passed through, az gregating a hundred miles of the journey. One place we saw was at least 20 miles long and the timber was entirely destroyed.
 "The roads, while still passable, had been damaged to an extent where it will cost more to repair them, than it would have cost to pre-. vent the fires in the first place. My idea is to get authority from Congress, accompanied by an appro- priation of some money, to inaugu- rate a campaign of education against the fires.
 Fighting Force.
 "The country is covered to a cer- tain extent by roads and trails which are passable with autos, and very few men with motorcycles, and mon- ey to work with could do a great deal to prevent the disastrous fires of the past summer. A start must be made somewhere and small sum of money would go great ways.
 These men could cooperate with the auto and stage drivers, roadhouse