Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1921-09-22


For Alaska it may be said, is quite place. Its
area is nearly 100000 square miles-an area equal
to the combined area of Norway, Sweden, Finland,
England, Scotland and Ireland, an area equal IN
size to the states of Minnesota Wisconsin. illinois,
Iowa, Kansas Missouri, the Dakotas and Arkansas
1t has 2 coast line 26000 miles long. The Yukon,
$500 miles long in Alaska and Canada, is great
central national road, by water In summer, on the
Ice in winter. The south coast harbors Of the
Alaskan peninsula are open the year round, though
Point Barrow Is 300 miles north of the Arctic cir
Gle and without for 40 days in winter. 1t has
half dozen kinds of climates. There are 100000
square miles suitable for agriculture and grazing.
There are 156,250 square miles Of forests There
are gold silver tin, antimony, copper, lead, mar
ble Oil coal, peat. There are fish and seals and
reindeer.
Why. In the "a years since we paid 81, 100000
for Alaska to the Russians it has returned the
purchase money considerably more than one hun
dred fold The output Of the fisheries alone
amounts TO $375OO00OO. The mines have pro-
duced total Of $43S,OOOOO0, Of which $311 OOO,OOO
is the value Of the gold output The total value
Of Alaskas mineral. fish and fur products from
1867 to 1919 was $949OO0,O0O
Yet there is undoubtedly some thing wrong with
Alaska. The white population in 1910 was $4,000
In 1918 1t had increased to $1,000. The present
white population is estimated at $4,000, in addi-
tion to 25OOO natives, some of whom are civilized
The Industrial population exceeds 10000.
. The total commerce for 1919 was $1O9.652 239,
a decrease of $17496, 1893 The total commerce
: with the United States for 1920 was $1Oo 5S8O95
against $124 436, ,491 in 1919, decrease of ST.
S5O396. Canned salmon showed decrease Of &c.
S43915; fresh fish other than salmon decrease
of S374320. The decrease in imports amounted to
$2,66S3O5, due largely to reduced mining and fish,
cry operations.
The value of the territorys mineral output in
1919 was only $19620.00O while that of 1918 was
$2S,254OO0. The mineral output in 1919 was the
smallest in any year since 1870 and its value was
less than half that of the output in 1916, which
$4S600,000 The value of the annual output
OF gold declined from $16,70OOOO in 1916 to So
42G,OOO in 1919. The copper output was $2424O-
59S in 1917; in 1913 it was S17,1S0OOO; in 1919 it
was $S783O63
SO, when Senator Albert B. Fall became secre-
tary of the Interior he fell heir to a big lob for
il is under the interior department that Alaska
does large part Of its complicated functioning.
He and President Harding have been looking into
the situation very seriously. They have held many
conferences. They have apparently come to con-
cluslon which answers the question What's the
matter with Alaska?
TOO much government" is their conclusion And
their idea is that absolute authority should be
vested in a single head and that single head should
he the President. OF course the secretary of the
Interior would have to do most all of the work
But. being a miner and developer himself he Is
willing. He says:
There is just one way TO develop Alaska ant
that is TO vest absolute authority In single head
and that supreme authority must be the Presden
himself. Such bill which will, vest this author
ity in President Harding is being considere,
by proper officials and hope, will shortly be in
trOduced in congress- When this is ACCOMPLISHED
| am sure II will be before very long the re
habilitation Of Alaska Will begin In earnest"
Three bills embodying plans for the governmen
of Alaska before the senate and house CON
Inittees territories
Secretary of the Interior Fall is the last to sen
tentative measure to the committees He Or,
poses to vest in his department all function
pertaining TO the development and use of naturt
resources and construction work for the territor,
The bill by Secretary Fall will not prove NOR
satisfying to the several departments which h
proposes to invade than the Curry bill, which DR.,
noses to vest In an Alaska development board tn
administration Of the territory, or the Cummins bl
which vests in the President power to reorgani,
all federal activities in the territory. He will CT