Evening star., 1921-07-17
PLAN TO LEGISLATE
FOR ALASKA'S BENEFIT
Proposed to Consolidate In One Board the
Federal Bureaus Having Jurisdiction
Over Territorial Activities.

lumber, coal, oil. copper and other
mineral resources of the territory
must be difficult. In fact, Alaska 10
sometimes referred to as America's
last chance''-the place to which the
United States will turn when 1t has
exhausted much OF its coal. oil. lum-
Der and other resources.
Alaska Development Board.
The bill introduced by Representa-
tive Curry is entitled "a bill to pro-
vide for the administration of nation
al property and interests in the ter
ritory of Alaska and for other pur-
poses" Mr.. Curry is not welded to
this measure, but offered it merely to
focus attention upon the Alaskan
problem and to give his committee
something to begin work upon. 1t is
worked out in considerable detail.
Right off the bat it provides for the
appointment of a board. "the Alaska
development board" Of five members,
in the Interior Department. and to
this board are transferred practically
all the duties and functions with re-
latfon to Alaska now exercised by
the thirty-odd government agencies.
The board is to have in its member
ship the Governor Of Alaska. the
president of the board of road COM
missioners for Alaska. and three other
members to be appointed by thePresi-
dent and confirmed by the Senate The
head of this board is to receive $1o,-
900 and other members $1,000.
To this board will: be transferred
control over various government res
ervations in Alaska the functions Of
the general land office. of the federal
power commission. the forest service,
ETC., SO far as they relate to the ter
ritory.
The Cummins Bill.
The Cummins bill. on the other
hand. without going into detail, pro-
poses to authorize the President to
consolidate in any executive depart
ment Of the government the powers
and duties which have been vested in
any or all of the various executive
departments. relating to the people
and property and interests of the
United States in Alaska. In addition
to this. the bill directs the United
States Shipping Board to turn over
to the Secretary of the Interior such
ships as may be designated by the
President for the transportation OF
persons and property to Alaska. These
government ships are to be used in
connection with the government rail-
| road in Alaska. to maintain q con-
tiuuoas line of transportation into
and out of the territory.
The federal government. by the:
! way, has put some s4S.00O,o00 into
| the construction of the Alaska rail-,
way. which is being constructed by
! the Alaska engineering commission
| under the Department of the In
| terror.
| Way to Prosperity.
! The people of Alaska-those de-
string to continue to make their
| homes there. insist that the lack of
constructive progress in Alaska is
( due primarily to a lack Of direct
! responsibility in any government
| department for the development Of
the territory. Alaska can be assured
/ of becoming a prosperous country.
they say. only through the utilization
Of its resources in creating local en-
dustries and permanent stable citi-
zenry, and in centering this RESPONSE
bility in federal agency residen: in
Alaska.
! Wealthy individuals or large cor
porations desiring to do business in
Alaska can send to Washington
their representatives when they need
to do SO. But the homesteader. pros
pector' and fisherman-the basis OF
the population-are unable to do SO.
When Russia owned the territory
| there was a saying among the in
habitants that Heaven is high and
i Moscow long way off" Today tho
! inha anitants have merely substituted
| Washington for Moscow in the old
comment on conditions in the terri
tory.
| Alaska remained for seventeen
years after it's purchase by .ae
United States without any civil gov
! ernment and without any governor
being appointed. 1t was thirty-nine
7 years before a delegate in Congress
from Alaska was authorized, and
/ forty-fve years before a legislative
assembly was provided for. 1t is
! charged that all this delay has been
due to a lack Of constructive policy
on the part of the government with
regard to Alaska.
AIaska's Climate.
! Though the climate of Alaska Is
! greatly diversified. with southern
Alaska boasing of more desirable av-
| erage temperature than this city
| and slight extremes of cold and heat,
| :he greater part of the territory.
| lying far to the north. is severely
! cold during a considerable part Of
the year. Nevertheless. there are
| vast stretches of territory where the
| climate is no more severe than In
! Alberta and Saskatchewan. Canada.
where many immigrants are going
today. Men and women who go to
| Alska must be of the hardy type,
however-the kind who were pio-
neers in the early part of the nine
| teenth century and opened up the
great western country, men and
! women with the spirit and blood OF
adventure.
! 1-nyrDrrrAr Ut TrR EnpMEn