Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-01-20

chiefly from men of Ihrge capital. The
timber on the national forests Of Alss
ka can be cut, but only under FOr-
est Service supervision, 90 thar thSy
are not destroyed. They are being cut,
and At the ssne time conserved 10
furnish the paper supply of the finurs
for the United States. Without any
Federal restriction they could un-
doubtedly be exploited more rapjdiy
and more prontably FOR the men doing
the exploiting, but y In claimed ~
the conservationistg that sucn ex-
ploitation the people Of the United
States as a whole cannot afford.
Alaskan Wealth Accessible.
/ The coal and oil IN Alaska wers,
under the last administration. long
withheld from public entry. Now that
the coal and oil leasing bills have been
passed, these resources may be de-
veloped under the new laws, vhicn
are certainly lenient enough. All q
the other resources Of Alaska fish,
minerals, water power. Ike her asri-
cultural land, timber, coal and oil. srs
accessible TO development.
In spite OF this fact, Alaska has
suffered a severe slump during tha
war. Her white population is said 20
have declined one-third. Nome haz on
lly 10 per cent Of the population of its
palmy days. The Government railroad
reached Fairbanks, say the wag,, just
in time 70 take out the population. The
salmon packing industry is not max
ing the huge returns IL once made. The
production Of gold has dropped IS per
cent since 1915 and the number -
men employed in placer mining has
been cut In half.
Government Interference. conserva-
tion and red-tape are brought for
ward by one side Of the controversy
ss the cause OF IL all. Give Ne a fres
: hand TO do anything we like with the
resources Of Alaska and we VIII nnaks
the land hum" say the business men,
The conservationists reply that Alas
I ka's slump is part OF the slump
which has hit the whole world. and
: which is being felt in every part of
? the United States. They say, Il is not
= remarkable that Alaska, Handicapped
: by her distance from markets and
her limited carriers, should suffer
most. They say that each of the phases
Of the Alaska slump can he definitely
traced 10 r. cause III NflS pf'r'flt EEi'F'
2 which she is able 70 get for her CON-
Z modities.
e At the same time, they agree that
= iong-range Federal administration "A
Z g. nuisance in Alaska. Some 30 Cow
{ ernment bureaus control the resources
g Of that land. and nearly everythin. .
: must be referred 20 Washington. They
9 favor the relieving OF this situation
r by the creation of local board cons
u sisting OF representatives Of each ol
the Federal departments interested ID
a Alaska. and empowered 10 act with
IS the greatest promptness and consid
q erabie discretionary latitude. They al
n so favor the abolition OF certain an
n workable laws, such as that whicl
forb!ds a man TO take up land on botl
N banks of a calnon stream. eve'
=, though that stream be a mere bruol
4. with one salmon in it, Federal aid Il
=, developing transportation IN Alasi<
lv is also a dire need they say The rail
road is only one step. Alaska need
49, both highways and shipping
~ But the Roosevelt policy of conser
- vation, they urge. must not be ahan
!. doned. IL the Alaskan resources ar
=. to Yield their full value 70 the Amer.
~ can people as whole.