The Cordova daily times., 1921-06-22

A new Daniel has come to judge ment in trying to settle the Alaskan problem, in the person of Dan Suth- erland, recently elected delegate in congress from the Northern territory. Delegate Sutherland has taken for his weapon of attack an entirely new subject, that of wood pulp If we are to beleive the Seattle and Alaska papers, the whole city of Washing ton, including the accredited lawmak- CTS on the Hill, as we'll as the chair warmers at the. Willard Hotel, the the chief executive and all branches of the government are talking wood pulp and the annihilation of an infant industry in Alaska through the unfair attitude of the steamship lines. Our readers will pardon us, therefore, If we devote this entire installment to a discussion of wood pulp. From pub lished reports it appears that large ly through the agency of the forestry department some parties near Juneau were granted lease or permit to cut spruce trees from a forest reserve for the purpose of grinding into pulp. The original grant was made at time when the paper profiteers of the Unit led States were advertising a paper shortage and other factors entered in- to manufacturing costs which were quite incidental to the abnormal and distressing period through which this country was then passing.
 It is presumed that the foresty de- partment was eager to make show ing in this particular case because that bureau more than any other, through the creation of forest reserv- es, plus the baneful influence of the ruthless and Instructive conservation, was responsible for the blocking of land enterprise based upon forestry products ever since the Clifford Pin chot craze of 1906-1910.
 Furthermore, the only permanent industry that could be created where by the Alaska spruce might be utiliz- ed is in the pulp making industry Lacking any personal knowledge of the men behind this project we are perfectly willing to grant that they were sincere in their effort and that they have ample capital to create the largest kind of pulp factory. We are equally ready to assume that the officers of the forestry bureau were actuated by the best of motives, but all of this has little to do with the good year 1921. Let it be said right here and now that all of this talk coming from Washington, if we are to be- 'lieve the press dispatches. which is our only record, is absolutely at vari- ance with the facts in the case.
 As to Dan Sutherland, we have known him for a long time and have always found him to be a straight shooter, although prone to accept sta tements made to him without invesi- gation. Dan is good fellow and we do not doubt his sincerity, but his advisers are making him ridiculous and the more he goes into this wood pulp sensation the harder it will be eyes of the voting population of Alas ka
 Let us here go right into the wood pulp situation so that even a child might understand it. Wodd pulp is ground from the logs of various trees and eventually this pulp is manufac- tured into all classes of paper card
 boards, and various other products of paper mills. The spruce of Alas ka, which grows partically all over the coast and on the islands from Ket- chikan to Seward, is particularly good for the making of wood pulp.
 In fact it is a superior wood for that particular purpose and mark this
 we'll it is the only use to which the Alaska timber can be put. There are are billions of cords of it but as has
 been explained in previous articles, Alaska spruce cannot compare with
 other timber when classed as general
 structural timber During the war it was found that is was suitable for air plane stock, but as commercial lumber
 it cannot compare with Douglass fir
 or southern pine. Therefore, in 1906 or 1907 it would have been splendid