Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1921-09-15

For Alaska, it may be said, is quite place. Its
area is nearly 100000 square mes-an area equal
to the combined area of Norway, Sweden, Finland,
England, Scotland and Ireland an 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 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 a 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,
be- OIL coal, peat. There are fish and seals and
reindeer.
Why, in the 81 years since we paid S72OOOOO
Tor 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 $3750OO,OCO. The mines have pro-
duced total of $43SOoO,0O0 of which S311 OouuU
is the value of the gold output The total value
of Aaska's mineral, fish and fur products from
1867 to 1919 was $949,OOOOOO
ct there is undoubtedly some thing wrong with
Alaska The white popu-ntjon in 1910 was $4,000
La 1918 it had increased to $4,000. The present
white population is estimated at $4,000. in addi-
ton to 25,O00 natives some of whom are civilized
Inc industrial population exceeds 100000
The total commerce for 1919 was s1O9 ,65o 23g
d decrease of $l7,496,T93 The total commerce
with the United States for 1920 was SlO6 $50 O95
as against $124436,491 in 1919 a decrease of ST.
s5O.396. Canned salmon showed decrease of S.
S43,915; fresh fish other than salmon a decrease
OF S374,32O. The decrease in imports amounted to
$266S,3O5, due largely to reduced mining and fish
cry operations.
The value of the territory's mineral output In
1919 was only $19,620.oo0. while that of 1918 wos
S2s2o4,ooo The mineral output in 1919 was the
smallest III any year since 1910, and it's value was
less than half that of the output in 1916, which
was $4S,600OOO. The value of the annual ontnnt
of gold declined from SIG 100000 in l9lt. TO 50.
426eOO In 1919 The copper output was S24 24O
sos in 1915 in 1918 it SIT 10000; il 1919 If
was $S7S3,O63
So when Senator Albert b. Fall became secre
tary of the Interior he fell heir to a big iob for
II is under the interior department that Alaska
does large part of its complicated functionino
He and President Harding have been LOOKING ntn
the situation very seriously. They have held m.nv
conferences. They have apparently come to a CON
cusion, which answers the question Wbot,s tho
matter with Alaska?
''Too much government" is their conclusion Ana
their idea is that absolute authority should bo
vested in single head and that single head should
be the President. OF course the secretary Of tho
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, and
that is TO vest absolute authority in single head
and that supreme authority must be the Presidan,
himself. Such bill. which will vest this author.
ity in President Harding, is now being considered
by proper officials and hope will Shortly ba in
PRODUCED in congress- When this is ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
as am sure it will be before very long, the re.
Mobilization of Alaska will begin in earnest %
Three bills embodyng plans for the government
of Alaska before the senate and houso con,
E2ittees on territories.
Secretary of the Interior Fall is the last to send
tentative measure to the committees He nro
poses to vest in his own department all functions
pertaining to the development and use of natural
resources and construction work for the Territory
The bill by Secretary Fall will not prove moro
satisfying to the several departments which he
proposes to invade than the Curry BILL which nro
poses to vest in Alaska development board the
administration OF the territory or the Cummns bill
which vests In the President power to reorganlze
oil federal activities in the territory lie will cut