The Alaska daily empire., 1920-05-18
BY II. 0. BISHOP
in
Foyd's International Weekly

eTnOr, ] Sald, Il IL wager you ten W
one that you are thinking about
Alaska.
"You are betting on a dead sure
cinch," was his smiling reply. Il like
because it's home to me and I'm
not only anxious to get back there,
but I'm anxious to see Alaska Ill
timately become the richest and fin
est state in the Union"
" Governor" enquired, whats
the matter with Alaska? Some
peoole refer to it as the most be-
bedeviled, harassed and government
pecked possession of the United
States have always been under
the impression that the Alaska coun-
try was rich in gold, silver, copper :
coal, timber fine agricultural lands
and other vast natural resources and
therefore ought to be making rapid
strides in advancement in all lines.
Yet I understand that it is neither
progressing nor even standing still,
but is actually Z going backward.
What is the answer?
Everything All Right
"There is absolutely nothing the
matter with. Alaska" was the quick
and earnest reply, Eve have every
thing that goes to make solid, per-
manent community. We have all the
precious and commercial metals, coal
and oil possibilities, timber in plenty
the worlds greatest fisheries, agri
cultural and grazing lands and
small but prosperous population
There is nothing wrong in the coun-
try at all. There is. Enough, some
thing radically wrong with the man
agement The whole government OF
the Territory is a crazy quilt. There
is no settled policy. The executive
departments pile right up on top of
each other in administrative 1uris-
diction. Almost any fanatic can
try his experiments of withdrawal
conservation and repression until the
prospective developer after trying to
unravel skeins and skeins OF regula-
tory red tape, gives up his golden
dreams and leaves for Texas or
Oklahoma. while the discouraged set
tier pulls his stakes and packs his
| freight in disgust.
81 do not mean for one moment
that an government laws and regu-
lations are bad Far from it. A
constructive measure slips through
once In a while to become the object
of later bitter attack.
.t- Railroad Projects Hurt
1.-THE orgy of. Withdrawals of var
ious kinds started in 1906 and contin
ming until the present day, wrecked
many private enterprises, among
them contemplated railroads. The
government then was forced to STEP
in and is now building a railroad
from Seward on the coast to Fairb
anks in the Interior, a distance oil
ACT miles of trunk lines with shorter
feeders to the coal and gold mines
This is splendid and far seeing
policy.e VIII the railroad pay? No
not at first; but year nv year as in
dustries become established and de
yelopment Is started, the deficit will
become less and less and finally dis
appear. The government, however
must do as have the great railroads
Of the West. It must hunt out the
possibilities and encourage the miner
and the farmer No railroad ever
pays unless there is an aggressive
development board continually on the
job.
Too Much Centralized
ION the whole. Alaskan affairs are
too much centralized in Washington
department bureau is always de
lighted to get additional authority
delegated to it and. is distinctly
peeyed when any of Its authority ia
reduced. In consequence almost
every bureau is Tightening its grip
on Alaska, r
LET lis see what might hapepn
to, homesteader. let us say man
OF simple education brought up in
the west as was his father, under
well established laws.eS He settles
perbaps on Chichago Island on a
fine niece OF meadow land In a pleas
ant bay near another farmer He
stakes his 100 acres in conformity
With the custom of settlers on un-
surveyed public lands: ne builds
his house in a sheltered bit OF wood
land. turns his COW and a few sheep
out to grave climbs the Hill and
taps a small water power. puts In
an overshot wheel to turn his farm
mashinery and starts In TO be
good citizen farmer. Soon along
comes the forest ranger and makes
. rough survey. perhs"s cutting OIL
70 acres OF the 100 which Is consider.
Ell more valuable for timber than Tor
a agriculture. A RECOMMENDATION is
then made to the Portland office Tor
the clear listing Of this special trast
nj land Perhaps by the time the
land is clear listed, further re-
ductiun in area has been made IN
Guiding the wood plot wherein
stands his house. Having once been
lear listed. the settler can pro
.eed' to filing as on other public
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