The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-12-08
Asks Self Government
For the AIaSkanS

! Washington; Dec. An appeal for
/ greater coordination in the policies or
; the federal government and for the
/ greatest possible need of self-govern-
ment" in Alaska Is submitted in the an
; nual report of Thomas Riggs. Jr, ter
ritorial governor, made public today.
"Sentimentalists have done and are
doing more damage to Alaska" Govern
or Rigs declares than can ever be UNI
done unless u broad policy Of dcve lop-
ment is undertaken which recognizes
the rights Of invested capital and the
welfare OF the Individual Laws ais"
could govern instead of rcvocqblc rcgu-
lations. but where there must be rcGu-
lationS. such regulations should be PRO
mulgated by authority located within
The territory and not 1000 miles away.
The greatest possible need of selt-g"v-
eminent should be allowed the resi-
dents Of the territ ory."
The Alaska governor urges the dcfin-
! ition of some sort OF colonial policy
us applied to the territory. asserting
that absence of such u policy has CauS d
capital. supposedly headed for Alaska,
to turn To British Columbia to the gain
of the Canadian province and to IN"
loss Of Alaska. This caused him to
remark that ain Canada the founder OF
4 great new industry gets knightcd. in
Alaska. Very often indicted"
Honest and energetic attempts. he
adds. have been made by the Washing
ton government to open up ALASKA
railroad. but little attention has been
pad to tn" lcvclopu"nt Of the terri
tUry'S natural resources ard littl" en-
enlargement in the way of legislation
has been provided to get any one &"
settle along the railroad under con
, Struction AS a remedy lie recommends
. enactment by congress Of the pending
Alaska board bill. This measure. he
any other picc" Of legislation. and
seemingly, ne adds. Is supported 10y both
political parties and opposed only BY
the government bureaus at Washington
in which he says. The desire to per
petuate hureau-cratic power seems TO
BE- inherent"
,, Til" prediction is made by Governor
: Riggs that should the development
board bill and Other recommendations
which he submits be adopted. "appro-
priations for Alaska can h" cut below
similar amounts appropriated for any
state and the territory. instead of sim
ply being tho greatest per capita con-
tributor TO the national revenues. VIII,
in addition. soon become self support
Ing and Self-SuStaiuinE.
Commerce Cut Down
Governor licES figures show the to-
tai commerce nj Alaska with the Cntt"d
states the last calendar year amounted
to $l0J.jS6. pa. a decrease OF SlI.Nih.-
80 over 1919. due largely to aft"r-cf-
fleets OF the war. TO a smaller run OF
salmon and to lcssrued copper mining
resulting from the slump in III" cop
per ma rket.
Discussing the labor conditions the
governor says there was Il shortage o.
labor and tho condition Of tn" lahOrinS
man In Alaska was better than IN tn"
states because. of lower rents and prices
while the opportunities for saving
were greater AS there IL not IN" same
temptation to spend on either amuS,-
m"utS or the boiled shirts. silk stock
!ngS and high hccled shoes.
The governor places tho value "f
Alaska's mineral products IN l2l? a,
s19.520,9lS. which may he r"mpar"I
with the 5000. 900 paid by the IniI"d
States To Russia for the territory. tn"
mines Of Alaska sine" tn" beginning Of
the industry IN 1850 are "stlmrt"d hr
Governor Riggs a. having pt"hu'"d
$i3S.l5I.00U worth oi minerals.
CIArRvOYANCE