The Snowflake herald., 1921-09-23

merce; in fact. ne
will assume fuctens thar apparently touch prac-
tcally every department.
Too much government, Well, Alaska does get
a pretty large dose. Aud, what's more, it's most
ly government 1T long range. Bear In mlnd tnii
nearly all of Alaskas directly or IN
directly controlled by the federal government
About 80 per cent of the land is still in govern
ment ownership. The development of coal anu
oil deposits is under government leases. Water
powers and fisheries are under federal control
and nearly ~all Alaska timber is in government
ownership.
The federal control of Aaskas resources is
vested In "a number of departments and bureaus
Rules and regulations relating TO Alaska affairs,
under the existing statutes must be made by
Washington authorities. no also in large
measure directly charged with their execution
This lOngdistance administration has been ser
Gus handicap to the development of Alaska. LII
many instances regulations have been made which
did not meet the local requirements, and unjust
decisions rendered because those making them
were not familiar with local conditions This sit
uation has worked particular hardship the
operator with small capital, who could not afford
to make the long journey to present his argument
in person to the Washington authorities Owing
to the divided authority and the limitations placed
by statutes and appropriations, there has also been
a lack of coordination between various Alaska fed
eral activities.
AS the old saying goes-to figure out all the
ways in which Alaska is governed, but here are
some OF them.
The interior department. has large part OF
Alaska's government. The secretary has general
supervision over the work of constructing the
government railroad from Seward to Fairbanks
by the Alaskan engineering commission
The commissioner of the general land Office IL
charged with the survey, management and dispo-
sition of the public lands. In the national forests
(1ongass and Chugach, embracing 10000 OOD
acres) he executes all laws relating to the
surveying, prospecting, locating and patenting of
public lands and granting of rights of way Not
withstandng this, the forest service, bureau OF
the agricultural department, has charge of the
national forests
The secretary of the interior is member. with
the secretaries of and agriculture of the new
water power commission. The commission has
funds and no personnel Any investigation is
done by the geological survey and the forest
service.
The department of agriculture has now conrrol
over land fur rbearing animals; up to last voo.
both the department of agriculture and the denart
ment of commerce functioned Yet the bureau .,
fisheries department of commerce) is extensivol,
raising blue foxes the Priboff islands Tb
game laws are enforced by the governor Of Alosl
and the departments of agriculture and commerce
The department of commerce has cbaroa 90
the fisheries; it has jurisdiction over merchon,
vessels; it takes the census; it has burea, =,
charge of lighthouses; its coast and geodetio en-,
vey makes the charts
The department of the treasury has cbaroe -
the construction and maintenance of public bn,,d
ings; its coast guard protects game and tba soa,
and the fisheries; it has public health service
The war department has charge of river an,l
harbor improvements 1t has extensive MILITARY
cable, telegraph and radio systems in Alaska
which everybody uses, 'nasmuch as the postoffica
department can hardly said to function there
The board of road commissioners for Alaska
was created in 1905 by congress- The work Ia