The Cordova daily times., 1921-12-16
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1G, 1921
ALASKA'S FUTURE

President Harding plans to place Alaska, the "Grcat Comtry,' on the map, in the sense that he will use his influence with Congress to- have the dormant resources of the Territory developed and to people it with hardy and en- tcrmising settlers who will become permanent residents. Great is the Alaycska of the Eslli- mos in so many ways. Its area is 590,8O4 square miles, It is as large as Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, West Vir- ginia. North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida Mississippi, Tennessee and Louisiana. The cost to the government of Alaska $ 369,- 539,600 acres was about ? cents an acre. Sci cntificaIlv, Alaska is tremendous. Its glaciers, excepting those of the South Polar continent, are said to be the largest in the world. The Yukon has a length of nearly 5000 miles, 2,40O navigabIc by Iight-draf vessels. Mt. Mckinley has an attitude of 20, ,4G4 feet. nearly 6000 great CT than Mount Whitney, the highest peak in continental United States. In beauty and grandeur Aaska's fiords cannot be surpassed by those of Norway, nor has Switzerland finer mountain scenery.
 It has been estimated that there are 2l 000.- 0OO acres of coal land in Alaska. One gold mine alone the Trcadwc has produced seven times as much gold as the United States paid Russia for AIaska'S 590SO4 square miles. It was estimated in 1913 that the trade of Alaska with the United States had amounted to $5O0,- 100000 in the preceding ten years. exceeding for the same time the value of the trade of fine United States with the Orient. According to the Department of Agriculture there are of and ing land in the Territory. Naturalists have talked rather wildly about the reindeer herd If their estimate is now considered excessive. there is no doubt that with conservation laws properly enforced the reindeer herd would in course of time provide the country with much needed addition to its meat supply In Alaska are the only tin mines on the continent The copper deposits have been only scratched. Alaska may yet vie with th" Southwestern states in the production of oil. In fact the Territory is a storchousc of the minerals used in industry The United States Fish Commis- sion has declared the Alaska cod banks to be among the most valuable in the world. The fur wealth in the last fifty years has been greatly reduced, but is still considerable AIaska's exports to the United States in 1920 were valued at $G6,499,871. Not more than half of the Territory has been mapped; much of ii is noxplored. e''"
 Alaska has long endured a system of gov crnment that may be described as a maze of red tape, no less than thirty y-cight bureaus at Washington claiming and exercising iurisdic- tion. The Territory can make little progress until this pernicious system is reformed. There bills now in committee to coordinate au- tholity Secretary Fall declares that admins trative changes must come before the improve ment of transportation. He would have the railroads turned over to private owners. They are now under government control and prog ress in construction has Jagged. A bill appro- priating $i,000,000 more to complete the Gov ernment railroads was favoraby reported a few weeks ago.
 In his annual report in 1920 Governor Riggs, arguing for rational against fanatical conserva- tion and for liveand let live regulation of bus