The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1918-07-11
THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALASKA

Washington, July 1O.-(Corre-
spondence of the Associated Press)-
Every interest in Alaska should
have the fostering care of the coun
try, so that it's development may be
rounded and not partial" Secretary
Redfield declared today in a letter to
Governor Thomas Riggs, Jr., outlin-
ing important work planned by the
Department of Commerce for the
benefit of the territory.
An essential preliminary to the
development of Alaska, Secretary
Redfield said, is that Alaskan waters
should be made safe for navigation
and he pledged the continuous sery-
ices of the Coast and Geodetic Sur
vey to that end. The hope of Alaska
to have a coast dotted with fishing
villages is regarded with especial
favor by the department, which will
lend its efforts to bring this about
Mr.. Redfield also pointed out the pos
sibility of establishing a shipyard in
Alaska and said that if such an en-
terprise were in operation now, the
government would be glad to have it
build two of four launches needed for
the Fisheries Service.
| Extension of the facilities for car
rying on the work of the Coast Sur
jvey, Bureau of Lighthouses and Bu-
reau of Fisheries is planned by the
Department, including new vessels
for each. A new district for the
Steamboat Inspection Service has
been made necessary by the growth
of the work in the northwest and
headquarters probably will be opened
at Portland or Seattle. Plans are
being made for salmon culture and
for experiments with neglected spe-
cies of fish foods by establishing a
fisheries experiment station on Puget
Sound. Secretary Redfeld wrote:
"The rich aquatic resources of
Alaska have not heretofore received
the attention they deserve One or
two fisheries of great Importance
have overshadowed others. Yet these
AaohS Va 1000 lSSlSSSSu llSIlSS are val
liable food products and are the very
ones which have made other coun-
tries prosperous. We have under
taken a campaign to introduce into
wider popular use the valuable food
fishes of Alaska hitherto largely neg
lected.
/ "Coincident with the resumption of
commercial sealing on the Pribilof
Islands, the Department for the first
time in the history of those Islands
is making use of the by-products of
the sealing industry. A reduction
plant has been sent to the Islands
md there will henceforth be large
land valuable output of oil and ferti-
l1izer. These are both in great de-
mand and will never again be utter
ly wasted as in the past.
"In my recent visit to the Pacific
northwest it was more than once
suggested as hope that the coast of
Alaska might be dotted with fishing
villages, each pursuing a prosperous
local industry and each contributing
to the Nations food supply and
wealth. 1t is our earnest hope that
this may come to pass and the De-
partment of Commerce will willingly
lend its efforts to bringing this about.
"The Department realizes, how
ever, that no country can safely de-
pend permanently upon any one sin
gle overshadowing industry or oc-
cupation. In diversity lies security.
Every interest in Alaska should have
p-1e fostering care of the country so
that it's development may be rounded
and not partial. Before the shores
of Alaska, however, can be covered
as they ought to be with the vessels
bringing to and from her ports the
commerce that is their due, the wa
tiers of Alaska must be made safe
and this means that the surveys of
many traits and arms must be work
ed out SO that the navigator shall
know how to avoid the perils that
now threaten him. To this import
ant task the services of the Coast and
Geodetic Survey shall be continuous
ly devoted"