The Washington herald., 1920-12-02


Not q Parties. Matter.
He>declsred that Il was not a par
tisan matter, and except for the
slight opposition Of a few theorists
and isolated private interests. it's
inception was almost certain TO have
harmonious support.
Tho extent TO which Federal
agenc5es have assumed bureaucratic
and disastrous control over Alaska.
causing during the last ten years a
serious falling on In the population
OF the territory. is shown by charts
and information They rAow that IS
Jurisdiction over 1oS different inter-
their work are maintaining In the
territory about is per cent of the
white population
The most discouraging thing TO
pioneers seeking to take advantage
OF the riches of Alaska are the in
tricacies involved in this control. ac-
cording to Curry. An example Of how
the work of these Federal agencies
overlap is illustrated by one of his
charts showing that the General
Land onice of he Interior Depart
ment has Jurisdiction over eight
separate interests over which the
Forest Service Of the Department of
Agricultur also has Jurisdiction.
seat 20 Many bureaus.
There came to my personal at-
tention one man who had a farm
OF 100 acres UP near the Artic
Circle and wanted to get a title to
the land after he had obtained a
good start on it," Curry said. His
lawyer here went from one bureau
70. another. He had to ascertain
whether the land was suitable for
irrigation, what were its mineral
resources. what were its forest re-
sources, and so on. He finally raye
up ana the owner of the land came
here.
He finally found that he could
buy the land for $1,000 after the
oeiay and expensive Inconvenience
OF unraveling req tape. He finally
gave up his Alaskan project and
bought a farm in Maryland for
Not only the individual pioneer,
out legitimate business enterprises
were hindered by the present Fed
RAJ laws relating to Alaska, Curry
said.
Pulp Making Disesur.red.
One enterprising wood pulp manu-
iacturing concern, he said, falling
70 OBTAIN satisfactory conditions for
utHizing the billions and billions-
OF coros OF wood In the panhandle
OF Alaska, turned 10 Canada and
established at Ocean Falls a sII-
100000 business from which Ameri.
can newspaper publishers were Oh.
taining paper
A chart obtained by him shows
that Alaska Is governed In yariou.
capacities bysthe fo,soHinn< <E1kd~r~.
eEencsc4 wsth hssddn4rL<rs In
Wzshfegfop. severzi thourA nd mile,
away rom the interested centers:
department Of the Interior: Cen
eral Land Once. Bureau of Educa-
ton, Geological Survey, Bureau OF
Mines. National Park Service, Alas
| kan Engineers Commission. Cover
nor Of Alaska (the governor Is an
pointed by the President and is. OF
course, a resident).
Department of Agriculture: For-
est Service. Bureau of Public Roads.
Bioiosical Survey. States Relations.
Weather Bureau.
Department Of Commerce: Bureau
Of Fisheries. Coast and Geodetic
Survey, Lighthouse Service, steam
poat Inspection. Bureau of Navi-
cation.
War Department: Engineer CORPS.
Alaska Road Commission. Signal
Corps.
Treasury Department: Coast
Guard Service. Customs. Supervising
Architect, Comptroller of Currency,
Public Health Service.
Department of Justice: Judges.
Marshals.
Department of Labor: Bureau o.
Immigration.
Postofficc Department.
State Department: Boundary Conn
mission.
Federal Power Commission.
United States Shipping Board.
Interstate Commerce Commission.
Curry's proposal is that the gov
ernment Of Alaska be placed in the
hands Of an Alaskan DEVELOPMENT
Board" Of three persons appointed
by the President, preferably resi-
dents of the territory. He intro
duced a tentative draft of the bill
in the last session Of Congress bear
ing out this idea.
The central idea OF the proposed
Legislation is to open Alaska to pio-
| neers and legitimate buesiness en-
terprises. but not exploitation" he
said And the first step in doing
, this is to rid the government OF
the territory from the red tape in
which ii is now entangled."'
Curry opposed the recommenda
tion OF the interdepsrtmental COM
mittee to John Barton Payne, Sec
retary Of the Interior, last June,
that all Alaskan affairs be co-ordi-
mated under an interdepartmental
committee.
Il am opposed to the continuation
in office in Alaska o IA lot Of Fed
eral agents whose work can be ef-
tciently co-ordinated under one cen
tral agency" he said.