The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1921-09-15

their best to bring it about
For Alaska, it may be said, is quite place. Its
area is nearly 100000 square mles-an Trea 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 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 300 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
bic, 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 $375O000O0 The mines have pro-
duced total of $43S 100000 of which 1911 900 900
is the value of the gold output. The total value
Of Alaska's mineral fish and fur products from
1867 to 1919 was $949,OOOOO0
Yet there is undoubtedly some thing wrong with
Alaska. The white population in 1910 was $4,000
In 1915 1t had increased to $4,000 The present
white population is estimated at 10000 in add.
tion to 25,OOO natives, of whom are civilized.
The industrial population exceeds 10000.
The total commerce for 1919 was SlO9. $50 23g
decrease of $17496 1913. The total commerce
with the United States for 1920 was S1O6 $50 O95
ms against Sl24 '436,49l in 1919, decrease of ST.
s5O3y6. Canned salmon showed a decrease of S.
S43,9l5; fresh fish other than salmon decrease
of S3I4,32O. The decrease in imports amounted to
S266S,3O5, due largely to reduced mining and fish.
cry operations.
Iba roln Of tba
1919 was only $19,6200O0 while that of 1918 was
$2S,254,OOO The mineral output in 1919 was fba
smallest in any year since 1910, and its valna ,vas
less than half that Of the output in 1916 which
was S4S6OO,OO0. The value of the annual outnrt
of gold declined from $167000OO in 1916 to so
100000 in 1919. The copper output was S2424O
59S in 1917; in 1918 it was $17,lSOO00; in 1919 If
was $S,7S3,O63.
SO, when Senator Albert b. FAN became secre
tary OF the Interior, he fell heir to n big ioh for
II is under the interior department that Alaska
does large part of its complicated functionino
lie and President Harding have been looking into
the situation very seriously They have held many
conferences. They have apparently come to a con
clusion, which answers the question WHAT'S tba
matter with Alaska?
TOO much government" Is their conclusion And
their idea Is that absolute authority should be
vested in single head and that single head should
interior would have to do most all of tbe worl;
But, being miner and developer himself ne is
willing He says:
There is Just one way to deveop Alaska and
that Is TO vest absolute authority in a single head
and that supreme authority must be the President
himself. Such a bill. which will vest this autbor.
ity in President Harding, is now being considered
by proper officials and, hope viii shortly he in.
troduced in congress- When this is ACCOMPLISHED
as / am sure it will be before very long fine re-
Mobilization of Alaska will begin in earnest"
Three bills embodying plans for the government,
Of Alaska before the senate and house com,
mittees territories.
Secretary of the Interior Fall is the last to send
a tentative measure to the committees He nro
poses to vest in his own department all functions
pertaining to the development and use of natnraj
resources and construction work for the territory
The bill by Secretary Fall will not prove more
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 Cummns bin
which vests In the President power to reorganlze
all federal activities in the territory. He Will cut