Valdez daily prospector., 1917-01-09
THE COST OF PROGRESSIVELY" l"

Gradually the thinking people of the United States are coming to re- alization of the impracticability of many of the reforms that have re- suited from "Progressivism" during the past eight years. They are com ing to understand the term, pro gressive" as applied to legislation is a misnomer-that it is not construc- tive, but really in most instances, de- struCtive and retrogressive.
 La Follette's "progressivicm" in the state of Wisconsin has resulted "a an increase of taxes of over 500 per cent. This too, without giving to the people of the Badger state any better government than was eIjoyed heretofore. His "progressivism" as manifested in his Seaman's bill has resulted in running the American merchant marine off the seas and giv- ing their cargoes tt foreign vessels.
 The state of Washington coElnieEc- ed it's clamor for ''progressiv!sn" ia 1908, at which time the state cO.lect- ed taxes to the amount of $I2c, ,O89,- s32. Then followed all sorts of com missions and regulative schemes that added literally thousands of dollars to the cost of running the state, with a result that taxes jumped $l5,l Ill., e17, bringing the total for the years o,tc to 6A state of Washington repudiated pro gressivism" as soon as it was possible to do so.
 As one reflects upon conditions ex- isting in the States eight years ago it is hard to see that a material inn provement has resulted. There have been many corrective measures pass ed by legislatures but they have nev- CT served the objects for which they were intended. Other abuses more fragrant have followed; and immense ly more expensive to the taxpayers. And there have followed also, certain 1egulative features that have tended to dissuade capital from undertaking development plans in this Territory, and have caused those who have al- ready invested to pursue course so conservative as to really be retro active. If Alaska ever comes in to Ter own the demagog and trouble maker must be banished. Capital must be given every chance to make good before taxed to the limit of their endurance. New enterprises must be welcomed with open arms. As mat ters now stand any project which is backed by corporation meets imme- diate disfavor with the people and is persecuted until it must either re- linquish it's field and seek more conservative investment, or endure in silence the heavy costs taxed upon it's enterprise.
 But for the needless extremes in regulation of corporations the Terri tory would now contain many addi- tional canneries and plants. Im- mense forests of spruce are standing unproductive because of the excessive antagonism to any corporation seek ing to utilize them. Thousands of good cannery locations stand unoc- cupied because of unwise legisla- tion. Corporations cannot afford to take the risk of possible losses which they would be forced to take before the fever of aggrayating regulation forced upon the statutes unnecessary and harmful laws.
 Alaska will have to adopt wiser and more businesslike viewing of in- dustrial affairs before there will be that development of our immense re- sources which will make Alaska the center of activity it should be- with it's mineral wealth, its numberless fishes, and it's immense forests cf pulp timber. There must be less at tention given to the demagogue and to the agitator. and more attention