The Alaska daily empire., 1920-09-03
ALASKAN BIRCH
 TIMBERLAND TO
 BE THROWN OPEN
Secretary Payne Approves Regulations Governing
 Big Development.

proyal today by Secretary of Inter- for John Barton Payne of regula tions to govern the sale for export of Alaskan birch timber, another great resource of the Territory has been unlocked for development.
 The promulgatiOn of the above reeulations by the Department of the Interior ends a fight started way back in 1914 and which has been waged continuously before Congress since that time. The movement was begun by M A. Ellis, a well known Alaskan mining man Of the Cache Creek district.
 Mir. Ellis interest in birch was created in an unusual way, It started with a wedding-his daugh- tcr's-whc desired to have a bed- room suite of birch. That seemed reasonable enough, according to Mir. Ellis, whose only previous acquaint- ance with birch had been in the shape of firewood. Subsequent de- velopments, however, proved broad ening. He found cn investigation that birch for firewood and in the shape of furniture were enormously different In the end he bought the, desired suite but, he remarked later, that it pretty near broke him.
 Sees His Opportunity.
 The high price of the furniture. brought home to MT Ellis the fact that there was not inconsiderable quantity of birch wood in Alaska coing to waste. He had knowledge of a number of stands Qf such tim Der near the country i'll which he had been operating and had heard of other stands. In 1914, he secured and sent samples of Alaska birch to 2 few manufacturers of furniture lp the East He was promptly advised by each of them that there would be a good market for the timber It was stated that the stands of sim liar timber in the States were prac- tically exhausted.
 Snag Is Struck.
 MT. Ellis Immediately began to make preparations to grasp the op- portunity he had uncovered. Being on the public domain, he knew that he would have to get permission from the Federal authorities to cut he timber and immediately made application to dc SO. Here he en- his first difficulties. He was Immediately informed that he could cut birch for domestic con sumption but he couldn't cut it and ship it outside of the Territory for, my purpose EXportation of Alaskan birch was 'verboten'
 Fight Is Begun.
 Halted temporarily but not dis- outraged, Mr. Ellis started on a campaign to have the troublesome restrictions removed When he had lsked the General Land ~Office. forI permission to cut this timber for ,yport. he was informed that itl could not be done until remedia Legislation should ha enacted eJ Congress. In 1915, a bill was in- reduced for tine removal of the re- strictions. Ii was killed. In each mccecding session of Congress a similar measure was introduced and net with like fate until June D, 1920 when provision attached to he Agricultural Appropriation bill succeeded in running the gauntlet. This provision rescinded the old re- itrictive regulations and authorized be Secretary of Interior to promul- gate new regulations permitting the of Alaska birch.
 Tracts Are Located.
 The success of his efforts wasl reported in The Empire early this summer when MT. Ellis passed through Juneau enroute to the West for the purpose of locating his tim per stands. He has filed on num- OCT of stands located north of Wal ,illa. He intends cutting this tim per and shipping it to the States. | It is expected that mill will bel erected and in full operation thisl fall Mir Ellis is associated with friends in the States and the com paEE HdS SuHltieht tdPA'"l 'o '"iiy )n large operations.
 Other tracts have been located by l Chester NJ. Murphy and r. NJ. Myersi in the vicinity of Wasilla which l. will be exploited fer exportation purposes. Each of these parties are now awaiting for receipt of the new regulations issued by Secretary John