The Stroller's weekly and Douglas Island news., 1921-08-06
SOMETHING THAT
 ALAsKANS KNOW Conservation of Tentory's Resources and Government Mimanagc-
 ment Killing It

Tho Arrouaut is one Of tho oldest. independent weekly newspapers puh- ushod in California. 10 keeps abreast of Che times and Editor Holmau's pertncnt observations on matters Of. moment arc always interesting In. a recent issue ho treats on "rho. Ruin of Alaska" as follows.
 "rho census bureau tcls us that Che population of Alaska has de- rre ed 2i per cent during Che past ,cn .car There are now less than rvc ty eight thousand white people tn Ue territory. lf Che present pro- cess of depletion s allowed to cou- uuuc Che census bureau or Che near future win find chat thorc are only Eskmos for them to onumorato. A. a.ta wn have become once more % wilderness
 "ucre we have am example oi the ease with which legislative mischief cam be donc. and Che dInIculty ol- most thc mpoabuV, Of uudoug it The critical moment in Che develop men. of Alaska co.nc.dcd with Che uamc of Che conscryatouists. Mr. c,nord puchot was In tho saddle.
 pd Mr. pmchots idco Of conscrya- uon was to build permanent and rurmomablc wall raound oyory- uu. of natural value and Co threaten cycry one who even looked .aIit witch Che man traps md spring gums of federal prosecution We have almost forgotten chat particu- lar hystcria m Che succession Of other hystoras. but One walls crcct- .cl by Mr. pmcbot are stn siondine while Che population of Alaska. dis- eouuecd and baucd. is ds appear ne.
 The tWIu mluiaa of conservation and regulation have proved Che uu- doing i'm Alaska. Every one In . Washiurton who had a theory about anything was at liberty Go try it out ou Alaska. At Che present mo- mmt there arc tblrty-cIght separate bureaus at Washington engaged .n Che task ol governing Alaska. not WIh knowledge of Che country but with am abysmal ignorance oi .It Huc Eskimo gIrH arc compul- .urly taught thc evils Of tight facing and probably of cigarette smoking Tho bureaus arc ntorlock.ng. oyor- npncd. and duplicated There ia hardly human action that is not . either ordained or prohibited by .ordcrs" or "rulua" chat are uko Che sands ol the seashrore in multi udc
 "Hut itisconsoryauon that Is hil ling Alaska Is mcalcuIablc wealth lies untouched because Che govern mcut win neither do Che work iaell uor allow any one to do it.
 "Nc are told Chat 9S per cont of One natural resources of Alaska be. long Go Che government and only per ccut to private persons 10 is Che % DOT cout that pay practically au tbo uzo by which Alaska is sustained. Small wonder chat thor, saou.d be no Livelihood for any on, in Alaska with practically Che who'll. of iH wealth behind fences. mdoyct oncd unhscd. and muNcd. If Ann. 0uca had been controlled by Pin. cbousm from tbc beginning Che U S would suu bc represented by th.r tccu statcs. with Indians mor. numerous chat white men. lt would be a crime to blow Che prairie to dis a mine. or To build wator vbco. We got rid Of Mr. p.nchot some years ago. but unfortunately we did not get rid Of pnchotism .It stun has les stuugle hold upon Alaska
 "Thc Areonaut does not pretend Co know Che precise legal processes by which Alaska can be cmauc.pated from Che thirDy-cIeht bureaus and from Che Incubus of Puchodsm. But |lt does know that Che nation needs Che wealth of Alaska and Chat it ought Go bc made available in Che old ways ol inviting men of sk.H and enterprise to go In and take it and distribute it to their own ad- vantage and Go Che vastly greater advantage of Che nation Alaska would not then lose a quarter of its population In 70 years The stream would be moving In Che o,her direc- uou
 
 Uo looked as is he had been in am