The Washington herald., 1922-11-20
Money and Trade
4 Nations Prosperity, De-
pends on What7
Everyone's Prosperity.
Example ii Alaska.
N GEORGE W. HIN,lAN.
Iatsssasssaal Nsws' sssviss.

paign In behalf Of Alaska was
started in the newspapers Of the
United States last week. The prop.
ssitien is to bring back prespsritx
q this afflicted territory.
Why afflicted? Because, BY q
.-,natical policy Of ''conservation. !"
: has been decresd that Alaslra's
sources shouh, be, locked up
Underground. Alaska's Industrial
velopment should be stopped
mort. and AlaskA's business should
brought low. But THE deplora.
lie condition does not point the
rsson In question here. The point
nd the Lesson are much nearer
nome. -
Alaska, a. part Of its resources,
las millions OF torres Of vscant
arm lands. These lands are await.
.ng cultivation. They. are ready
o grew enormous quantities OF
-.reins, vegetables and many sorts
nf berries. But they lie Idle. Why?
Because. a. our writer said on Sat.
urday:
The markets are restricted. be.
cause Alaska lacks towns and cities:
because there are no Industrial
centers to which AlAska farmers
tan 70 with their crops"
a more 6aseless. b more delusive,
more destructive idea never
found room In the head Of a states
man or economist.
But, ~ these statements sound
high-f1own. Il 10 not In order 70
elaborate them.
The experience Of Alaska today
its dead business and thersfoes its
dead agricultufe-is a practical ex.
ample that Is worth q dozen argu-
ments. II the gentleman In WASH
ington and the State Capitals would
only take 1t to heart, In al it,
bearings, the result would be worth
to this nations business all that
IT has cost In Alaska-yes. and .
hundred times more.
Although every dollar paid In
Chicago or Pittsburgh to make and
ship the goods to foreign shores 10
q dollar divided with the farmers
Of the United States; although
every new worker In Gary or Fall
River is q new customer for the
farmers products; although the
profits Of q new industry In Nil.
waukee or Minneapolis have to find
their way hack In one way or N.
other to the producers Of the raw
materials at farm or mine, the
delusion persists at farm conven-
tiOns and In legislative bodies that
somehow our great Industrial and
an;axonistlc
to the wealth and welfare Of rural
committees. that they are un.
healthy and unnatural and deplor-
able Developments. and that they
should be discouraged from beconl-
ing bigger than they are. more
profitable than they have been.
there 10 the point. there In the
sson for farmers and business
Zen In the United States. Cities.
.lty industry. city business. city
population-these are what make
farming possible as a widespread
occupation. what gives the farmers
the markets they must have for
their crops. what assures the farm
ing communities at least enough
money to live on and usually
enough profit to save for the fu'
ture.
And yet, when one reads the
speeches of the ordinary farm bloc
1O1lkT cBSIIthHs VI thc ovSioSS suAeA
legislator. one would imagine that
the great industries of the country.
and the large city populations gath.
cred around them, were the nat.
ural enemies OF agriculture ana
must be treated as such for the
good of the nation at large and
the welfare Of the farming inter.
ests in particular.
The writer has just read ten
page ma agazine article deploring the
growth OF American n cities. The mod.
ern nation grows only al its cities
grow: its business and well-being in.
crease only As its city industries
increase: Its farming population gain
profits only as the city workers gain
wares and salaries and buying
power.
This should be self-evident to the
man who thinks twice on the sub
ject. There II no other way for q
nations business to 20 forward. And
who wants this nations business to
60 backward?
Nevertheless. at a time when Con-
gress Is about to meet, we hear daily
OF proposals to. unload more taxes
on business, to vote down any prof.
ect to open up new business by
means Of American ships and ship
subsidies, to oppose the adequate
support OF an army or navy which ID
necessary to the peaceful enforce
ment Of our business rights and the
oro1Yse~a ~ o,tr h,,aineas enternrfne