The Alaska daily empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1912-1926, 1922-03-18
ABOUT "UNRESERVING' THE NATIONAL
RESERVES.

In article in Alaska section, recently printed
in the Post-ntelligenccr reproduced in The Empire
last week. Bone. who advocates the passage
of the proposed legislation which would transfer the
National Forests in Alaska from the Forestry Bureau
of the Department of Agriculture to the Department
of the Interior. answering the selfasked question
"How is Uncle Sam to do the work which must be
done in the way of Development" very cogently re
peats an Alaskan prayer that has been frequently
voiced than dozen years. He said
BY opening Alaska to settlement, by invit
ing capital and people to come in and making
it easy for them gain a foothod, by
locking its resources and freeing the Terri
tory from red tape rule by unreserving mill
lions OF of forest lands senseessly
served, by siloncing and shunting aside the
Missionaries and theorists who succeeded in
bottling up Alaska and whose ideas have
been extensively tried and clearly found
wanting, by proceeding with the development
of Alaska big business proposition, by
dismissing the foolish demagogical fear that
any so-called predatory interest ever can, or
viii, sobbe up huge land Alaska
material section thereof And. finally,
by tardily realizing that Alaska unfettered
and given honest chance, will populate
itself and so ahead and opulent and
develop grandly and gloriousy, just the
Western domain of the Union, in spite of
Daniel Welgster's obscure vision and dark
foreboding, progressed and prospered and
grew into states and added bright stars to
Old Glory.
Then, and until then, will Alaska
become known TO the world ami the truths
about Alaska prevail undsputed and endure
for all time
Appropos of this declaration by the Governor
from Florida that the President favors
the socaed concentration plan, and if the dispatches
from the South correct, there should be quick
action, for the authority is in the hands of the
President should he exercise it. There is
need for wrangng before committees of Congress
Congress already has given the President power
"unreserving millions of forest sense
lessly reserved" and the various other reserves.
The National Forests and other reserves in Alaska
were created by executive proclamation. They be
unreserved in the 1t has been done
before, President Cleveland unreserved a great deal
of the Olympic and other National Forests in Wash
ngton after he had created them President Taft I'M
reserved the Controller Bay TOWNSHIP President
Harding only recently unreseryed the lands that were
embraced in the Craig. Hyder Tenakee townsites
1t would require no legislation if President HARDING
desired to continue the process
If the lands within the reservations in Alaska were
jurisdiction of the Interior Department and permit
ditons as the Western domain the Union-provided
full Territorial form of government were also con
ferred upon the people.
In fact, this would be the only logical way to re
move the forests of Alaska from jurisdiction of the
Forestry Bureau. If the National Forests in Alaska
are to be continued they should be continued under
an organization that has been formed to manage them
and any legislation looking transferring them
to the jurisdiction of the Interior Department should
include the entire Forestry Bureau