The Snowflake herald., 1921-09-23


administration are planning to do
their best bring it about.
For Alaska 1t may be said, is quite place. It's
area is nearly 100000 square mes-an equal
to the combined of Norway, Sweden, Finland
England, Scotland and Ireland. area equal In
size 10 the states of Minnesota Wisconsin. Illinois,
Iowa. Kansas Missouri, the DakOtas and Arkansas
1t has coast line 10000 miles long. The Yukon
900 miles long i'm Alaska and Canada. is a great
central national road by water in summer on the
ice in winter. The south coast harbors of the
Alaskan peninsula open the year round. though
Point Barrow is 300 miles north of the Arctic cir
Gle and without sun for 40 days in winter. 1t has
half dozen kinds of climates. There are 100000
square miles suitable for agriculture and grazing
There are 156,25O square miles of forests There
are gold, silver, tin, antimony. copper, lead, mar
be. oil. coal, peat. There fish and seals ana
reindeer
Why in the 54 years since we paid 81 OOOO
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 $375.O00OOO. The mines have pro-
duced a total of $43S 100000 of which S311 nuuuOo
Is tic value of the gold output The total value
6f Alaskas mineral, fish and fur products from
1867 to 1919 was $949O00,OOO
let theFe is undoubtedly some thing wrong with
Alaska. The white population in 1910 was 39O OOO
In 1913 1t had increased to $4,000. The present
"hlte population is estimated at 10000, In addi-
The industrial population exceeds 10000
The total commerce for 1919 was s1O9.e52 23e
a decrease of $17,496, 1893 The total commerce
with the United States for 1920 was S1O6 5S6 Oo5
as against $l24. 36,491 in 1919 decrease of ST.
ooO'396 canned salmon showed decrease of Sc
o43,9lo; fresh fish other than salmon decrease
OF $31432O. The decrease in imports amounted to
p-,ooo5O0, due largely to reduced mining and fish
cry operations
noino
1919 was only $19,6200OO while that of 1919 wos
$ZoZo4,OOO The mineral output in 1919 was tbe
SMALLEST In any year since 1870 and its yalue ,yas
less than half that of the output in 1919 which
was $40,6OO,OOO The value of the annual outnnt
OF gold declined from SIG 100000 i'm 1919 to co
426,000 in 1919. The copper output was soh oSo
690 in 1917; in 1913 it was ST., 100000: In 1919 #
was $S, ,783 O63
so, when Senator Albert B. Fall becama sacro
tdry Oh the interior, he fell heir to big iob for
II Is under the interior department that alosl.
aces large part of Its complicated functioninp
he anu president Harding have been looking into
the situation very seriously. They have held man,
conferences. They have apparently come to . oon
ciusiOn. which answers the question WHATS tho
matter with Alaska?
Too much government" is their eonclusion Ana
their idea is that absolute authority sbo,,Id 10
vested IN single head and that single head should
be the President. OF course the secretarv of tb
But, being miner and developer himself he 10
willing. He says:
There is just one way to develop Alaska ana
that is 10 vest absolute authority In single head
and that supreme authority must be the Pres;don,
himself Such bill. which will vest this autbor
lty III president Harding is being considered
by proper officials and, hope, will shortly ba in
trOduced In congress. When this is ACCOMPLISHED
as | am sure it will be before very lone tha ro
Mobilization of Alaska will begin in earnest
Three bills embOdying plans for the government,
of Alaska are before the senate and house com
mtteeS territories
secretary or the Interior Fall is the last TO send
tentative measure to the committees Ha nro
poses to vest in his own department all functions
pertaining to the development and use of naturoi
resources and construction work for the territory
The bill by Secretary Fall will not prove moro
satisfying to the several departments which be
proposes to invade than the Curry bill which nro
poses to vest in Alaska DEVELOPMENT hoard tho
administration of the territory or the Cummns hill
which vests In the President power to reorgan,za
all federal activities la the territory. He Will cut