The Alaska daily empire., 1921-12-06


 satisfactory administration of affairs, nor are they conducive to economy. Most of them are unnecessary and unprofitable. Too often they partake merely of the nature of holiday trips, not to call them junkets, with only a prefunctory inspection of con- ditions and a chronicling of facts already well known. The money that may be saved by curtailing useless trips of bureau officials across the continen. and along the shores of Alaska woulds easily maintain execu- tive offices in Juneau and make for action and results. Similarly, and for like reason, officials who deal with Alaska affairs from headquart- ers in Seattle and Portland should be transferred to Juneau In short, the business of Alaska should~ be conducted in Alaska to the fullest extent possible consistent with con inucd governmental supervision at Washington.
 Two Bureaus FpncticniM.
 Two governmental a9encieS in AL .ska3the Engineering Commission, which is building the railroad, and he Alaska Road Commission, which constructing roads and trails, are smoothly, efficiently and successfully. These are free-handed
 nd simply organized Having big york to do, they are doing it in a practical, business-like way, unob- 3tructef by slow circumlocution and ong-range direction, and unhamp- cred save when waiting upon appro- Iriations. The achievements of these organizations in pioneer development bespeak eloQuently the wisdom of further centering and centralizing authority and responsibility in Alaska.
 Coordination cannot be effected at ong range and with bureaus operat- ng from various centers, especially outside of Alaska.
 Hearings affecting the fisheries should be held, not in Seattle, or Portland, or San Francisco, but in Juneau. Then citizens of Alaska and he fishermen themselves, as well as he cannery men and bureau off ,ials, would have opportunity to be leard. Moreover, such an arrange nent would mean that authorized representatives of the great canning industry would necessarily be within reach, whereas now, under a chaotic ystem, the management of such i'm dustry is directed largely from a dis tance and the responsible heads thereof are far removed.
 Actlon-Nct Talk.
 1n,.in inc 1.o proves beyond preadventure that Al aska's problems are not to be solved through the appointment of commis- sions to study the Territorial needs and make recommendations thereon. Under every administration some thing has been done in that line, but the problems have remained. un- solved The Interdepartmental Eom- the most recently created agency of relief, is a capable organ ization of practical men and has made some useful sussestionse, and but it's member ship is scattered and it is without power to give potency to it's ideas. Hence its contribution to the solu tion of Alaska's problems is nega 
 visory Committed set forth the Ter ritory's needs in Illuminating and mahner, together with most valuable recompendations; But 1t availed naught. q} t'
 Alaska's needs long ago became a threadbare subject of discussion.
 Assuredly the time has.now come to substitute action for discussion, to turn words into deeds and to stop and recommending and get to work The concent ntfation of authority and responsibility in one at Washington, with a standardization of administrative pow CTS in Alaska, will be direct and decisive step toward the solution of Alaska's problems
 Transportation Need Urgent.
 Vital and urgent is the problem of transportation. The completion Of the Government Railroad does not solve it, but only makes it's solution the more vital and urgent.
 Separated by foreign land, as well as by water, from the United States. adequate steamship Transportation and equitable ocean rates are the necessary prerequisites to the sue cessful operation of the railroad and the development of the Territory.
 Steamship and rail are equally es- sential and mutually dependent utilities. Alaska cannot prosper and progress without either. The great domain, its unparalleled resources yet scarcely touched, must remain large ly a waste and wilderness until the twin problem of water and land transportation is rightly solved.
 Advocates More Roads.
 The building of roads and trails is being pushed rapidly by the Alaska Road Commission, with Territorial cooperation This governmental agency is producing actual and en- during, results and keeping pace with railroad building. It is work ing under comprehensive system, with a definite programme of devel- orment ahead and, in the consoli- dation of bureaus, or transfer or authority, its work should not be interrupted or it's appropriations curtailed. Every dollar invested in road and trail building will yield handsome returns, assuming always that Alaska's need of capital and Of people is to be met.
 A railroad through country un- onanod hv roadc and trails OhviOllsl v