The Stroller's weekly and Douglas Island news., 1921-07-09
Sad Case of Alaska
lContInuci from Dago '

| issued. credit Alaska with a total population of 5iS99. a dccrcaao of I9l5I or 1l.7 per cent. from Che 1910 total ot 6A35G. Tho 1920 Ge-
 ures are S,G93 below Che 1900 Gg- mcs. for twenty years ago Alaska
 had 63.592 inhabitants.
 Tho decrease iu Alashas growth
 however I8 most startling whom thc ] Census figures for Ono white popu- auon are considered In 1920. hc
 white population of Alaska toniled
 1nly 2LSS3. while in 1910 there
 were 36.4OO white. In Che territory
 70 Chat Che white population in Chat ! tcn-ycr period decreased at Che | mazIug rate of 23.l per cent
 l What has Washington been able
 to discover concerning Che causes of ! ths rcuogrcalon? Chiefly it has
 found thrco reasons. amy one Of
 which would be sufficient to deter
 oven a usuor infant than Alaska. ! First. in th.s catalogue Of troubles.
 como Che ught-laccd land and mIu-
 cral laws of Che United States These
 statutes wcrc put on tho statute
 books to nc Che continental States. l. Che vast empire Of our golden Wct whose riches were SO accessible Chat 1. thcy were gobblcd up even before ! Congress could put on Che padlocka
 of conservation. In Alaska it fig dif-
 foront No man IS going to brave ] ie difficulties for Che speculative . reward Of lG0-acro homestead. ! Alaska can spare him a who'o soc- ! uon or GiO acres -or oven moro ! and stll have room for stampede ! settlers. But Che law makes no dis- ! uuction between Alaska and Che cone ] uucnal United States and until ! Congress acts thcrc can be no relief
 Tho same is true of Che coaI and ! oI lands. The Interior Department ! bas tried to stretch them far enough ! to invite prospactom into Alaska. ! but it has found it difficult to put
 thcm n such shape chat they can ! compete with Che larger fields chat ! arc so much nearer home
 Tho experts of thc Geological Sur ! vcy have declared Chat tbc greatest |ol prospects in Alaska l.c in iu ! northern zones where thorc are mo ! railways or oven roads Pipe Hines ! into such a torItory are oNcood.ur- fly expensive and no corporation can ! bc expected t0 undertake their cz- ! |ploiatIon unlca tbo laws arc mod fled so that lt can obtain coucc ions ! large enough Go warrant thH cx- pcusc Departmental officials have ] also recommended Chat the laws cone ! corning coal lands be ubcraIlod to 'atuet long-distanco exploitation.
 The secondary cause of Aasbas ! rcuogredou is closely allied to Che ! drt The Gut dcals with Ono ham ! pcrue crocs of laws Che second .wih tbcIr execution. AS Alaska IHands today it is governed almost ! m its entirety from Washington inc ! stead Of from is own capital Ju- ! uoau. Almost every department or ! thc government has something to ! say on how Alaau shall livo breathe ! and have its being
 "ns,cad of one government said . Che late Franklin K. Lane when bo ! was Secretary Of Che Interior "Alas- l ka has number ntuIockcd ovcr- | nnpcd. cumbersome and confusing ! There is government of forests. 0 government of fisheries. one of
 reindeer and natives. another Of
 cabIcs and tolegraphs There is a government Cor certain public lands
 and fores,s another for other lauds and forests Each of these govern monts Ia intent upon i.s own partic- uiar business jealous of its own uc-
 cess and urwoauyos. and al arc moro or less unrelated and udo- pendent in their operations
 "From my experience iu Che ad-
 miuisuauon Of Alaskan a0aim it is my Judgment Chat Che time has ar. rived when somo of Che reservations should be removed from Che resources of tho Territory and thc citizens Of One United States encouraged Go set-| uc I'm Alaska and bo allowed to de- yolop ie resources. Aloska's great resources should be utilized iu Che creation of local industry Only by loc8l administration of national of-
 fairs cam th.s grootiy desired result bo secured"
 A chart of Alaskan governmental Interests is am amazing tmelo of| government rcd tape. The Secretary of Che Interior Is chiefly Involved for Che Governor of Nmka is his di- rect subordinate and throo bureaus Of his department have part in tho' control Of Che Territory but every whore thcy turn thoy soom to hit| upon subjects Chat also belong to| other departments
 Tho Conceal Land O1Ico for incl stance. deals witch mineral lands .