The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-12-07

Washington, Dec, b.--NCvu OF Il A3i
sighted government policy with respect
to many of the country'S Internal affairs
Is Emphasized in tho annual report al
Secretary Payne, made public today ~
tho Interior Department. Lack OF Il dcii.
mite aim was said TO affect particularly
the administration OF actlStlcS III
Alaska, in dealing with the Indian tribes
In preservation of the national Iarks ana
forests and again in hhndlinE IN" great
err reconstruction problem ol maintain
ing n high agricultural PRODUCTION.
While Mr. Payn criticized the unncer-
tainty which he said surrounded many
activities. he commented rs 4 strong
constructive step the action OF Congress
in making possible the "Supcrpower sur,
Vey" If the region between Boston ana
Washington with view 10 the ueFeIop-
ment Of 4 unified. system OF power gu
Grafton and distribution. This investi-
cation, made under the direction OF the
Interior Department. will he completed
and the committees report gwen 10 int
public about next June, the secretary
said. adding that he believed II would
deserve public confidence.
On tho subject Of Alaska, the Secre-
tary said the primal problem was trans.
portation and advocated the operation OF
a government owned steamship line In
order to insure development of the ter
ritory'S resources Two lines now serve
the region but Mr.. Payne indicated their
service was no satisfactory. He Sue-
gested their consolidation as a means of
improving the service, but this appor-
emily was impossible.
Alaskan railroad
The government railroad in Alaska TO
be total Of $40 miles in length VIII DC
completed and in operation in l922, Mr.
Payne reported. He add that 1t tapped
fields oil untold mineral wealth ana
praised the work OF the engineers In INC
progress made.
In connection with Secretary Payne
discussion Of Alaskan transportation
Governor riggs, the territorial eXecu-
tive urged the establishment OF tom
mage tax on all shipping to and IN the
territory and the building up with the
FUND thus raised of regular and reason,
able service upon equitable rates ana
schedules" Hc advocated also govern
ment appropriation sfor the construction
Of q scheme Of highways to serve as
fqeder wagon roads to the government
owned rail lines.
The question Of communication also is
one in which little progress has been
made and Governor Riggs informed Mr..
Payne il was seriously hanaicapping de.
vclopment. Mail is SLOW, being shipped
as fire ght or express ana arriving ire
uucntly in badly damaged condition. me
governor. however. believes this Is offset
in a measure by tho army cabl and naval
radio service, which he said was ptins
used disproport!onately with the mails.
The governors report declares that IN
toxicatInC liquCr Is finding it's way into
Alaska from British Columbia in large
quantities and "bootlegginS seems TO be
increasing as prirae stocks OF liquor are
; exhausted" The governor reported that
"distillation processes are becoming Well
known" adding TO- the menace Whlcn ne
said existed. He urged, however, that
provisions Of the Eolstcad Act with re-
spect to the use Of whlSkey for medlcih-
al purposes be extended to Alaska,
claiming that many lives could have
been saved had whiSkey been available
during the emergency OF the pneumonia
Farming Problems
OF internal problems in the United
states. Secretary Payne mentions as one
OF greatest Importance the question OF
domestic reconstruction aS reiatN 10
farming. The secretary cited census
figures showing that the rate OF increase
OF population on farms was only one
NTH as great Us that Of the nation as
whole. H6 believed this foreshadowed
dangerous Cuud. ton in the future.
Tile difficulty" he continued, is
that people do not like to live alone, but
prefer to live IN towns and villages ana
enjoy the cunrenrnccS and comforts OF
modern farm - which are beyond the
reach Of Il scattered population living on
large farms. Can this be remedicd by
the ownership and the formation or
nelghborhood associations Small farms
bringing the people nearer together and
intcnSiv ecultlVatIOn or these farms may
BIO the answer
Secretary Payne advocated passage or
the Smuot rural homes bill" which he
said would give the Interior Department
an opportunity to do much important
work in farming development and 10
take steps TO aid the restoration OF farm.
ing ppulatiOn through Increased land
ownership by those who work the land.
Along with the farm life question. tho
secretary took up the activities oil the
reclamation service OF his department.
The interest in opportunities on the land.
he said, has greatly Increased with tho
dcmobi l!zat.on Of the hghtinE forces
The department. lthouhR Handicapped
by lack Of funds, has been assembling
u large amount of valuable infornla-
ton" which Will be OF use 10 the coun-
try In the future.
The government had pent to June 80
total Of $l25,0 900 on reclamation pro-
jectS the secretary reported and approx
imately S.150,0O0 acres OF land have been
made arable through the reclamation
efforts of the government.
The Secretary declared that the gov
crnment should come forward with L
comprehensive scheme of reclamation
development TO meet the earnest desire
Of thous a ndS Of landlcss men and women
hwo have become a part and parcel or
uu~ national citizenship"
Tho policy OF issuing fec patents 10
the inudns Tor Their lands was strcnu-
ouSly tpposed by the secretary who de-
Clarcd that to continue thus placing
them in a position TO sell Is. in my judg-
ment, fraught with the gravcst dangers
and Will inevitably aupcrize thous-