The Cordova daily times., 1921-06-07
CURRY WRITES ABOUT ALASKA
 LEGISLATION

Chairman Curry, in reply to the let ter of Secretary of Agriculture Wal lace:
 Hon. H. c. Wallace,
 Secretary of Agriculture,
 Washington, D. c.
 My dear MT Secretary:
 Permit me to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 14th instant containing your comments of H. R. 5694, a bill to provide for the ad- ministration of national property and interests in the territory of Alaska. 1 appreciate your consideration of this measure and am glad to have your suggestions and your thoughts. I will have your letter printed in the hearing as additional evidence that supervision of the affairs of Alaska on the ground must be brought about if we are to develop the territory. would be pleased to discuss this bill personally with you. Your last paragraph endors- ing the great underlying principle of the bill, which is the one big vital concern, greatly pleases me, and have no doubt we would have but little difficulty through frank dis cussion in harmonizing our views on the details of the application of the principle.
 It is not a new conception. Form CT Senator Chamberlain introduced similar bill in congress many years ago. l introduced a bill along this line in the 66th Congress, on March 1 ?, 1920. Former Secretary of the Interior, Hon. Franklin K Lane wrote a very able article Red Tape in the Government of Alaska" that is well worth reading, for it goes briefly, but fully, into the details of interlocking bureau control. He endorsed this plan.
 l venture to suggest that no plan | that might be conceived by the mind | of man would ever meet with the unanimous approval of all of the 57 varieties of bureau officials who now govern Alaska from Washington and hold in their absolute control the prosperity, the development, and the welfare of the territory, and the happiness of the people.
 You will find by careful reading of the hearings that all of the bu- reaus thought something was wrong with the federal administration of Alaska, that something should be done. Almost invariably, they thought coordination of some sort should be brought about, but in- variably they held up their hands in horror when it was suggested that possibly their bureau should be in- cluded in the general plan of CO., ordination.
 During the hearings, many of the | witnesses suggested that what is needed in Alaska is more money, which has a familiar sound to con- gress, and more power and more employees for each of the federal agencies; that then they could oper- ate efficienly. At the present time, one out of every five white male inhabitants of the territory, approxi- mately, is a federal or territorial employe. I doubt the wisdom of going much further along that line. It is intimated, however, that addi- tional federal employees will be sent to Alaska to take charge of the water power, under the Jurisdiction of the federal power commossion.
 Of course, the forestry service and
 the federal power commission must cooperate or there can be no full de- velopment of the paper pulp indus try in Alahka. This is one example of overlapping and interlocking con- | ible for the stagnation of industry in the territory. How much more sim pie if responsible board had juris- diction, subject to responsible cab- met control. What we need in Alas ka is not more experts, but more hardy home building pioneers to de- velop the territory.
 One of the objections frequently made to the Alaska development board is that it is something new" That is the phisosophy of Confucius and has been responsible for keep ing China in a state of coma for centuries.
 The outstanding fact is that bu- reau control from Washington has failed.
 You state that we have in Alas