The Alaska daily empire., 1920-09-27
ERA OF GROWTH PREDICTED NOW
 BY HENDERSON
Commissioner of Education Says Marvellous Resources
 Await Development.

That Alaska is beginning to em- erge from the disastrous effects Of the war and all Alaskans are work ing with determination to bring lbout rational development of tAe country's natural resources, is the view of Lester D. Henderson. Terri torial Commissioner of Education, who arrived in Juneau yesterday morning after an absence of about four months During this time MT. Henderson has visited large sec tion of the Territory.
 He went in by way of Whitehor5e and Dawson He visited schools from Eagle to Fairbanks, Tanana to Nome and in the Kotzebue Sound region, missing only the Kiana school, being forced to abandon his visit there on account of poor trans oortation facilities.
 Resources MarVeIoua
 q have never felt more optimistic IS to the future of Alaska than at he present time, after having spent the summer on a trip which took ne to all points on the Yukon and Panama Rivers and on Seward Pen nsula and / Kotzebue Sound" said Mr. Henderson today to a represen- tative of The Empire. "One cannot 'ake such a comprehensive view of the Territory without being i'm pressed of the fast that we are liv- ing in a land of marvellous resources which but wait development in order to make Alaska country of millions of homes and firesides. Agricultural in the Interior still con 'inues. The reindeer industry is now confined chiefly to Seward Penin- 3ula. but is soon to step out of it's ,waddling clothes and cOmpete with fishing and mining for chief place lmong the industries of the Terri orv. The feeling seems to be gen erally prevalent that the near future lolds big things in store for that art of Alaska which has suffered most as the result of war conditions
 While in Seattle l visited the Al lska Bureau of the Seattle Chamber lf Commerce and had a visit with Mr. McPherson who is exceedingly optimistic as regards the immediate >utlook for the whole of Alaska. The time seems to me to be highly 5pportune for a general get-together- ceiling on the part of all the resi- tents of the Territory. Sectional 'sm and petty bickerings should De placed far in the background and ,ach resident should be "a booster for all of Alaska.
 Good School Year
 This year promises to be a good one in so far as the public schools are concerned. All of the teaching positions are filled with the excep- ton of one school in Southwestern Alaska which it is expected will be opened for at least few months bv the former teacher who is still in that part of the Territory. Some difficulty was experienced in securing teachers for some of the more re mote schools. Teachers are less plentiful than in former years and he increased salaries paid in the States make life in Alaska less at tractiye to some who have before been anxious to come North. How ever. an efficient corps has been SC cured and the past high standard will be maintained for the present year. Two things will be especially stressed, namely, increased atten- ton to the physical development and well being of children and the incul- cation of the real principles of Am erican representative government as laid down in those documents upon which our Republic was founded.
 Teachers Retained
 "I found school conditions very favorable in that part of the Terri tory which I visited The majority of the communities have been forum ate enaugh to retain the last years teaching force and are thus enabled 10 carry out an educational policy not subject to the changes which