The daily Alaska citizen., 1919-10-08
AN ALL ALASKA AGENCY.

The upbuilding of local industries o- the North and bringing people to Alaska l' very much to be desired. And the fact tha congress is being brot to a realization that { constructive policy Is needed to bring thl> about, as told by Mr. McPherSon Saturday on hIa arrival at Seattle, will revIVe cOnh of the north who believed ill it's future when the years were fiat and who have not abandoned either hope or residence Il the "lean' period that has come upon 1t.
 Under the present form of government that the territory has congress alone cal adopt such a policy. Sitting thousands o1 miles away from the land for which 1t must pass laws that will make development pos sible, most if not all of its members almost totally ignorant of what manner of land Il Is they legislate for, it's knowledge of con ditions obtained by hearsay, and its infor nation about resources and the obstacles which must be overcome before they cal be utilized at best but second hand, unless the people of Alaska have an audible voice in the establishment of the new policy, anC a hand in the method of its application nothing less than miracle will be performed if any more material benefits are obtained from 1t than under the policies which have been pursued in the past. And this 1t moi necessarily a reflection on either the sin cerity or the desire of congress to enact helpful legislation or the intelligence of its members. But no body of men, unless 1t bt infallible, which congress Is not and does not claim to be, can enact laws that vii meet conditions about which it's knOWl edge Is limited.
 It is absolutely necessary for AlaskanE to be intimately and directly connected with any "policy of development adopted by congress. This fact is realized by tht officials of the department of the interior under the present administration, which de partment initiates practically all Alaskan legislation at the present time. That l does so realize 1t was stated positively by Mr. John White HalloWeIl who, as assistant to Secretary Lane, has charge of Alaskan affairs. In a meeting with representative business men of Fairbanks Mr. HallOWel declared that 1t was the desire of the de partment to cooperate with AlaskanS fOl the upbuilding of the territory, and want ed to receive suggestions from AlaskanS aE to how this could best be accomplished.
 It is out of the question for the de partment to work with Alaskans as indi viduals In individual suggestion, however may rest the solution of many problems There should be some manner of getting such suggestions and transmitting them t( Washington Mr. Hallowell, in the course of his remarks. intimated that a centra Alaskan agency of some kind could bes perform this task, acting as a clearing house between the department and the entire ter ritory.
 Undoubtedly the establishment of sucl an agency would facilitate matters. The formation of an agency of this kind also has it's problems. It must be able to keeI in close touch with all parts of the territory to receive and transmit without delay any information il receives that is required by or that can be used by the department O1 congress; 1t must be strictly an Alaskan body and thOroly representative of al Alaska It's establishment entails a certain expenditure of funds for which there iE no immediate provision. If established as central Chamber of Commerce, as sug gested by Mr. Hallowell, a kind of super body to the present commercial organiza tiOns in the various Alaskan towns, i would make 1t necessary for those com mercial clubs to foot the bills, which they are hardly in position to do at this time They might, however,, attempt 1t If they had the assurance that the territorial gov ernment would give them financial assist ance at the earliest possible moment The business men comprising the membership of the commercial clubs of the territory realize the importance of keeping the nortl in touch with congress and the department and are willing to make sacrifices to ac compish it, but they are entitled to an( should have the support of the rest of Alas