Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1922-08-18
NOTHING IS DONE
TO HELP ALASKA
CONGRESS HAS BEEN DEAF, so
FAR. TO THE ARGUMENTS OF
GOVERNOR BONE.
SELFISH BUREAUS PREVENT
Liberalized Lawe and Concentration
OF Authority and Responsibility Are
Requisite to the Successful Opening
Up Of the Great Territory.
BY JAMES P. HoRNADAY

BY JAMES P. HORNADAY
Washington. looks now as If
ALASKA would go along III the same
Old way. When Scott c. Bone, an In
diana man, governor OF the territory,
lefS here last April after having put
+ N many weeks arguing Alaskas case.
lie carried with him assurances from
10th the executive department and the
legislative department that before
midsummer the territory WOULD re.
ceiye proper attention. Governor Bore
now knows that not thing has been
done in the way OF simplifying the
territorial government and that there
Is ssaall prospect OF anything being
done during the present calendar year.
Indeed, there is not much likelihood
that anything worth while will be done
for the territory during lpe life of
the present congress.
What Governor Bone wants, and he
Is of course speaking for the inhabi-
tants Of Alaska, is liberaIized laws
for the territory, more flexible rules
and regulations under such laws, with
a concentration of authority and re-
sponsibility and an administration CO.
oreinated and brought closer home.
First of all, the governor would like
to see consolidation of the some
thirty federal bureaus that deal with
Alaska under one department head
here at Washington Such CONSOLE
dation he feels would be a logical ini-
tial step toward the ends desired In
attempting to take this forward step
the administration was confronted
with the disinclination of any bureau
that has hand in administering the
affairs of Alaska TO surrender its au-
thority. This is the same spirit OF
selfishness the administration eneoun-
tered when it undertook a general re.
arrangement of the administrative
branches Of the government.
Wants Alaska Opened Up.
Governor Bone is ambitious to open
up Alaska during his term Of office.
He realizes that this cannot be done
successfully unless the present chaotic
| system of territorial government is set
aside. and modern methods substi-
tuted for it. The construction of the
government railroad from the coast
into. the interior, from Seward to Fair
banks, a project that is now approach
| Ing completion, should, Governor Bone
feels, mark an epoch In Alaska's his
tory. The governor feels that coinci-
dent with the completion of this roaS'
Alaska's natural resources should be
unlocked, not to be squandered but TO
be developed under wise regulations
for the benefit of the people oS the
United States.
Governor Bone intends to keep up
the fight for a eo-ordinated and sim
plified system of government for the
territory, for more liberal mining and
land laws, for colonization plan to
be worked out In conjunction with the
operation Of the government railroad,
for improved transportation facilities,
for more liberal mail subsidies and
for an appropriation for the construc-
ton of an administration and execu-
tive building IN Juneau. He Is plan.
ming to come back to Washington
early In the fall armed with additional
arguments In support of his program.
Wood and the Philippines.
The Harding administration has, OF
course, decided that Philippine indie
pendence must walt Having reached
that decision, the administration looks
to Leonard Wood, the governor gen
eral of the islands. to handle things
In his own way. All the reports from
Manila indicate that the governor
general is making an excellent record.
But his stay In the islands Is to be
temporary-the understanding now Is
that he viii enter on his duties as
dean of the University or PenrsyI-
vania next spring II liz admitted
here that the things he has accom-
plished as governor general may not
ali last after he comes away.
The Philippine parliamenta,y mis-
sion which came over TO plead for i'm
mediste independence for the islands
IS still In this country. 1t announces
that the campaign for independence
win be maintained here at Washing
ton and that another parliamentary
mission may be expected early ia 1923.
Porto Hieo, which has been on the
warparh most OF .hs4 ume since the
Harding administration came in, ia.
according to the latest reports from
the island, in better frame of mind.
The native population that took ex-
ception to the appointment Of Il. Mem
Rely of Kansas City as governor Is
becoming reconciled to the Kansas
politician. Some of the governors
official acts that were questioned have
recently teen upheld BY the Porto
Rican courts, and 1t now seems prob
arie that Governor Rely viii stay on
the job. There is at all times good
deal 81 agitation In the island In favor
Of local self-government. but obvious
Iy That II long way OH.
More Needs Of Agriculture.
The congressional joint commits
SION on agricultural inquiry says