The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1921-09-16

For Alaska, it may be said, is quite a place. It's
area is nearly 100000 square miles-an area equal
to the combined area Of Norway, Sweden, Finland,
England, Scotland and Ireland, an area equal In
size 10 the states OF Minnesota, Wisconsin. Illinois,
Iowa, Kansas, Missouri. the Dakotas and Arkansas.
1t has Z coast line $4,000 miles long. The Yukon,
1890 miles long In Alaska and Canada, is a 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 a dozen kinds Of climates. There are 1OOOOO
square miles suitable for agriculture and gru zing.
There are 156,25O square miles OF forests. There
are gold, silver, tin, anthony. copper, lend, mar
bic, oil, coal, peat. There are fish and seals ana
reindeer.
Why, in the "a years since we paid 81, 100000
for Alaska to the. Russians 1t has returned the
purchase money considerably more than one hun
dred fold. The output OF the fisheries alone
amounts to $375.OOO,WO. The mines have pro-
duced a total OF $438. OF which S311 ,UuUuUO
is the value Of the gold output. The total value
OF Alaskn's mineral, fish and fur products from
1867 to 1919 was $949, OOO,O 600.
Yet there Is undoubtedly some thing wrong with
Alaska. The white population In 1910 was 80, 900.
In 1915 1t had increased to $1,000. The present
white population Is estimated at 80 OOO, In addi-
tion to $4,000 natives. some of whom are civilized.
The industrial population exceeds 10000.
The total commerce for 1919 was 500. CSC 23g.
a decrease OF ST, 400, 1893. The total commerce
with the United States for 1920 was S1O8 $3.50 O0a
as against $124. 436 ,491 In 1919, a decrease OF BIT.
S5O.396. Canned salmon showed q decrease or x6.
S43,915; fresh fish other than salmon a decrease
of $S14,320. The decrease in imports amounted to
$2,66S,3O5. due largely to reduced mining and fish.
cry operations.
The value OF the territory's mineral outnut IN
1919 was only $40, 100000. while that OF 1919 VA
$2e'2o4,UOO. The mineral output in 1919 was the
smallest In any year since 1910, and it's value was
less than half that of the output In 1915 which
was S4S, 100000. The value Of the ANNA, ontn,,,
or gold declined from SIG, TOO. 600 in 1916 TO 30.
42G,OOO in 1919. The copper output was So. 24O.
t9S In 1917; In 1918 1t was ST., 10000: in 1919 T.
was SIS. 7S3, O63.
So, when Senator Albert B. Fall became score.
tary OF the interior, he fell heir to a big lob. for
It. Is under the interior department thar A,asLa
Goes a large part of Its complicated functloniny.
He and President Harding have been looking intn
the situation very seriously. They have held MANY
conferences. They have apparently come to a con.
clusion. which answers the question, What's the
matter with Alaska?
TOO much government is their conclusion Ana
their idea is that absolute authority should be
vested In q single head and that single head should
be the President. OF course the secretary Of the
interior would have to do most all Of the work
But, being a miner and developer himself he I.
willing. He says:
There y just one way TO develop Alaska. and
that is to vest absolute authority In a single head
and that supreme authority must be the President
himself. Such q bill. which will vest this author.
ity in President Harding. Is now being considered
BY proper officials and. I hope, will shortly he in
troduced in congress-. When this 10 accomplished
as l am sure 1t will be before very long. the 70.
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 to send
a tentative measure to the committees. He pro-
poses to vest in his own department all functions
pertaining to the development aud use OF natural
resources and construction work for the territory.
The bill by Secretary Fall will not prove mole
satisfying to the several departments which he
proposes to invade than the Curry bill, which pro-
poses to vest in an Alaska development board the
administration OF the territory, or the Cummins bill
which vests in the President power to reorganlze
all federal activities In the territory. He will cut