The Alaska daily empire., 1922-09-14
''SEE ALASKA"IS
SLOGAN NEEDED,
SAYS WHITTIER
Returns from First Trip to
Interior Enthusiastic
Over Possibilities.

See Alaska First is the slogan
that should be adopted by every resi-
dent of the Territory, said NJ. s.
Whittier Special Deputy Collector of
Customs. who returned here yes
terday after q trip extending from
Juneau Westward to Seward, over
the Alaska Railroad to Nenana and
Fairbanks, down the Tanana River
to Tanana and up the Yukon through
both the American and Canadian Yu-
kon districts. Mr.. Whittier is very
enthusiastic over the Interior dis
tricts and their future
8" have been resident of Alaska
| for 10 years, but this was my first
visit to the Interior. | have, of
course heard much of the great val
leys in there sand the agricultural
land available for settlement, but
accepted it with more or less reser-
walton. Ny VISIT convinced me. how
ever, that the truth had not been
stretched. l am ready to accept as
truth that farming products to feed
a. million people can be raised in the
Interior if the people were there"
, Herring Industry Grows
Mr. Whittier after leaving Juneau
touched at Cordova. Valdez, Latouche
and several herring packing plants in
| that district. The growth of the
1 herring packing industry to the West
ward. he said, was to him the most
striking development visible. In the
vicinity of Sawmil Bay there are
/ five large plants each of which were
working at capacity. The waste from
several of these, he said. is enormous
and for the protection of the industry
itself some means must be adopted
Ito eliminate it. One of the plants
visited has installed a waste reduc-
ton system and was a model in
| every way. Fish not suitable for
curing were reduced to oil and meal.
The market must be found to enable
other plants to utilize their waste
fish, he said.
Support Is Recommended
A SUPPORT has been recommended
by Collector Mcbride for Seward
While there Mr.. Whittier secured
quarters for the office in the Federal
building. 1t is expected that the
| Collectors recommendation will be
allowed within the near future, it
was stated.
/ From Seward Mr. Whittier went to
! Anchorage Business men there are
very optimistic over the outlook for
development and are putting up sub
4 stantial buildings.
] Nenana was the next stop made.
where some time was put in looking
after navigation matters. registering
small boats built this year to handle
river traffic that was hard hit by
I the discontinuance of the White
\ Pass river steamer service. Railroad
activity there was noticeable. Work
on the big bridge across the Tanana
River is about two months ahead of
arriving preparatory to putting in
the big span.
Farms Are Surprising
| The farming development around
Fairbanks, said Mr.. Whittier, fur
nished a big surprise. Greenhouses
were as frequent as dog kennels.
"The truck farmers raise the finest
produce I have ever eaten-tomatoes
Ecelery, lettuce, radishes and in fact
almost everything of that class ex-
Gel. l went over the farmers road
north of Fairbanks and saw amazing
results OF the work that has been
done From the main building of the
Alaska Agricultural College & School
IT Mines, where I stood with Presi-
dent Charles f. Bunnell, there is a
wonderful view not only OF farms al
ready developed but of miles OF un-
appropriated farming land" he said.
The First National Bank of Fair
banks, he said, estimated that the
placer gold output Of the immediate
district would reach 100000, con.
siderable increase over last year. The
season was favorable for operations
and many good cleanups were re-,
ported from virtually all Of the
creeks.
The most hopeful sign of a revival
Of mining, he said. was the fact that
the oldtime prospectors are again
in the field. On the boat on which
he Travelled down the Tanana were
several Of these who dropped off at
various points with outfits. Fair
banks and Nenana business men are
talking Of combining to keep these
men in the hills and there is already
considerable individual grubstaking
being done by the merchants.
River Towns Hit
The withdrawal Of the White Pass
steamers, said Mr.. Whittier, has ma