The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1921-09-22

tnelf DeSJ 10 DTlllS IL uDOul'
For Alaska, It may be said is quite place Its
area is nearly 100000 square mlles-an area equal
to the combined area of Norway Sweden, Finland,
England, Scotland and Ireland, area equal in
size TO the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois,
Iowa, Kansas Missouri, the DakOtas and Arkansas.
1t has coast line 10000 miles long. The Yukon,
$500 miles long in Alaska and Canada, is great
central national road by water in summer on the
ice in winter. The south coast harbors of the
Alaskan peninsula are open the year round, though
Point Barrow is 800 miles north of the Arctic cir
Gle and without sun for 40 days in winter. 1t has
half dozen kinds of climates There are 100000
square miles suitable for agriculture and grazing.
There are 156,250 square miles of forests. There
are gold, silver, tin, anthony copper, lead mar
Die, oil, coal, peat. There are fish and seals ana
reindeer
Why in the "a years since we paid $1,000 900
for Alaska to the Russians it has returned the
purchase money considerably more than one hun
cred fold The output of the fisheries alone
amounts TO $375,0O000O. The mines have pro-
duced total of S43S 100000, of which S311 OOUUUO
IL the value of the gold output The total value
Of Alaskas mineral, fish and fur products from
1867 to 1919 was S949OOOOOO.
Yet there is undoubtedly some thing wrong with
Alaska The white population in 1910 was $4,000
In 1915 it had increased to 10000. The nresent
white population is estimated at 10000. in add.
ton to 25,OOO natives some of whom are civilized
The industrial population exceeds 10000
The total commerce for 1919 was S1O9652 239
h decrease of Sl7,496,793 The total commerce
with the United States for 1920 was S1O6 5S6 095
as against ,49l in 1919 decrease of ST.
edO,396 Canned salmon showed a decrease of So
S43,9l5; fresh fish other than salmon decrease
Of S3'4,32O. The decrease in imports amounted to
S-,ooS,3Oo due largely TO reduced mining and fish.
cry operations
20 Of lp FOR
1919 was only S19620O00, while that of 1918 was
S2S,254OO0. The mineral output in 1919 was tho
smallest in any year since 1910 and its yalue was
less than half that Of the output in 1916 which
was $4S,6O0lOO0. The value of the annual ontn,t
of gold declined from $16,7OOOOO in 1916 TO so.
10000 in 1919 The copper output was S2424O.
69S in 1917; in 1918 it was $171S0OOO; in 1919 II
was SS7S3,O63.
So when Senator Albert &. Fab became secre.
tary Of the interior, he fell heir to a big iob for
II is under the interior department that Alaska
Gees large part Of its complicated functiontng
He and President Harding have been looking into
the situation very seriously. They have held many
conferences. They have apparently come TO con.
ciusion, which answers the question: What's the
matter with Alaska?
TOO much government" is their conclusion And
their idea is that absolute authority should no
vested In single head and that single head sbouId
secretary
interior would have to do most all of the work
But, being miner and developer himself he Is
willing. He says:
There is just one way to develop Alaska and
that Is TO vest absolute authority in single head
and that supreme authority must be the President
himself Such bill. which will vest this author.
ty in President Harding is now being considered
by proper officials and, hope, will shortly no in.
troduced in congress. When this is ACCOMPLISHED
as l am sure it Will be before very long the re.
Mobilization Of Alaska will begin in earnest"
Three bills embodying plans for the government
Of Alaska are before the senate and house com.
mjttees on territories.
Secretary of the Interior Fall is the last 70 sena
tentative measure to the committees. He nro.
poses to vest in his own department all functions
pertaining to the development and use OF natural
resources and construction work for the Territory
The bin by Secretary Fan will not prove moro
satisfying to the several departments which he
proposes to invade than the Curry bill, which pro
poses to vest In an Alaska development board tbe
administration of the territory the Cummlns bin
which vests In the President power to reorganlze
all federal activities in the territory He will cur