The Cordova daily times., 1922-01-27
LETTERS TO
 THE EDITOR
WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH
 ALASKA?

l pui hih6 queSIloH LII lic udy III lulS northland and one that the wise and the fools are jumping into as we used to do in the states when we were boys on sot summer day. Say, the water felt good then
 The great question is taking more of the time of the great men like President Harding, Senator Jones', l Secretary Fall and myself than any other of our big problems. Now lis ten. It is WHAT IS THE MAT TER WITH ALASKA" ! have seen it answered in the P.Is in your pub lication, in the Alaskan Churchman, western and eastern papers and mag aZines but the trouble seems to be that great minds move in different directions.
 The troubles are that there are 57 different varieties of departments in one mind, too much "Guggenheim" with another. lack of cheaper trans portation with still others and with that flock by themselves it is the awfulness of conservation. Poor Alaska do not wonder that you need to be rescued from the diag- nosticians. Now, listen! I think my opinion might be of some value and as it is a free discussion and the patient can do no more than die I will join the group of doctors that l are feeling the pulse and taking the | temperature Alaska was born in a boom as far as modern Alaska is concerned and fed on hope and is 1 just beginning to awaken to the fact that the cream of the gold for the poor man and the big run of fish has been caught by men from the out side who have been paid on the out side and every thing that any body could pry or jar loose has been taken to the states by way of Seattle.
 Alaska, you are not here as you once were for the man that has no money. You are wonderfully rich but you are getting to be a tight wad It takes hard and powerful blows to get your money. It is here but l must confess that one bureau or ffty-seven won't bring the placers back nor will cheaper transportation ! |.1r ocf hri, ha1 fhn of bygone days.
 Lay your prejudice aside and see if this is not a fact It is going to be the job of the strong corporation to fight the conditions here in Alas 1 ka. It is fact that the Guggy inter- ests have come here to make money and they have been successful. You, my friend. are here for the same reason. Have you made 1t possible to support as many persons as they i have? McGrath is another illustra- ! tion of the necessity of the big money interests. As I have listened to the wonderful tales of the old i sourdough of the vast resources of Alaska I am more and more con- vinced that it means the combina- tion of great wealth. If not why does the old timer that has told me many times just where there is great opportunity to strike it's rich go and make the money for him self? have been told that the surface of Alaska has not been scratched If that is so let us all pray that Alaska may have good dose of seven year itch. It has been demonstrated that the placers are to large degree worked out. that is for the prospector. the poor man. have been told that there is not a creek in the Territory that has not been prospected with the pan.
 Now listen, you wise old timbers and see if there is not some truth in this statement. Alaska of boom days. of gold rushes, of surface i pldCci uIIllA~, ol piS cahioh uS and those things that attract the men hoping to win fortune are gone. The major portion of the men here are working for some big min ing company or some government or mining railroad, some canning com pany or private company.
 l No doubt you will be asking by this time "What is that fool new conner up here for if he does not be- lieve in the country" We'll. will tell you. believe in Alaska as wonderful country that has splen- did future. The salmon can be brought back to a large extent as we have seen in the Columbia River.