The Cordova daily times., 1920-04-13

of commerce this week the principal topic. was "T'he enactment of a cons strCctive policy to provide for the, de- ve1opment of Alaska"
 J. s. McPherson, manager of the Alaska bureau of the chamber of cOI11- merce delivered an instructive ad- dress covering the needs of the ter ritory and what has been Gone in the ? direction of development and settIe- ment He said that "for fifty-tWo years we have drifted without any fixed or constructive policy looking to the rational development of Alaska that would result in permanent pop uIation and local industries. After three years Congress was persuaded to begin the construction of an Alaskan railway. The prOject-trOm Seward to Fairbanks, with terminals and branch lines, will comprise 500 miles. The work will be completed in 1922 After six years of work it is realized that the development of traf- fic is necessary to the successful operation of the railway.
 "In the campaign for additional funds to complete the project 1 ap- peared before four congressional com- mittees and urged that the railway A Awould only pay by the creation of local industries and the settlement of tributary country; that such result is not possible under the present policy and that a reversal from re- striction to one of aid and encourage ment to settlers is necessary. There is no such thing as frontier develop ment with the pioneer enmeshed in red tape-and such is responsible for the non-development of Alaska. Dur ing the period of experimentation the population of Alaska has steadily de- creased. while the output of Alaska's great resources has mounted into mil lions We have taken from Alaska nearly a billion dollars and have given only in return a railway and a few roads and trails which tend to make easier the attraction of Alaska's wealth This is the one end to which the Alaska bureau of the Seattle chamber of commerce has worked and will continue to work until the end. is ] achieved-the utilization of f7.AlaskR's rich resources to create local indus tries and a permanent and prosperous citizenry. :.s
 4 "Timbered areas that should be the ! center of prosperous paper industry have been allowed to rot. The lands that are susceptible of cultivation , when cleared aggregate over one . hundred thousand square miles. As sured of proper steamship and hotel facilities Alaska will become the tour ist Mecca of the continent. To those pioneers left in the territory I say that I confidently believe that we: are now at the dawn of new era that promises progress. We have the championship of two men essential ' to successful congressional leadership iB the formation of a constructive policy for Alaskan development-the ,aehaifmen of two congressional com mittees charged with Alaskan legis- Iation, Senator New of Indiana and 1E-os TS1,v <NT tea. Through their efforts a bill for an appropriation to pay the expense of construction was reported from the committee on territories and immedi- "sste action was taken by congress, These two men were aided in a ma- teria1 way by the Washington sena- tors and representatives, who are to- day in a strong and influential posi- ton in congress, and an ever increas- ing number of members of both houses are actively enlisted in behalf of the rational development of Alaska. Chair man Curry summed up this sentiment in a few words: We are going to enact constructive policy and pro vide for it's efficient administration in Alaska that will result in the util- ization of Alaska's rich resources, to the end of creating local industries and an increasing and prosperous citizenry'" <
 Alexander T. Vogelsang, assistant secretary of the interior, in reply to inquiries from the Alaska bureau of the Seattle chamber of commerce, re- piled: "One million acres of agricul- tUral lands in the territory of Alaska have been surveyed and are available to entry and patent under the public land laws. Under the coal land lease act coal lands in the Boring river, Cook inlet, Matanuska and Nenana