The Alaska daily empire., 1922-04-25

potential riches in the Territory and urged outside appreciation and aid in every practical way in the develop ment of Alaska. This article fol lows-Ed)
 It was my good fortune few nights ago to attend the reception and banquet given Gov. Scott c. Bone by the Portland-Alaska Society at the Chamber of Commerce. Governor Bone is an old-time newspaper man. He was editor of the Washington Post for some years, and was also editor of the Seattle Post-Intellgenc- CT.
 Governor Bone wants to make good as Governor of Alaska. That vast empire has been tied up so thorough iy by red tape that it has steadily lost in population during the last 10 years. There are 3S bureaus that ad- minister tho affairs of Alaska-w which, n the opinion of Governor Bone, is 37 too many. He believes Alaska hould not be administered at long range The curse of Alaska in the ra3t has been that lame ducks . knowing nothing Of the Territory or It's problems, have boon sent there IS a reward for political service.
 As I looked around I recognized he following: Rev. Thomas J. Jen- dins, who for many years was a mis- siorary in Alaska; Mrs. F. w, Swan It Nome; H C. Collis, who is serv- ing his fourth term as secretary of the Portland Alaska Society, and to whose untiring efforts much of the nlccess of the society is due; Gov. Ben w. OlcOtt, who proved he was a typical Alaskan by mushing with a log team from Nome to Fairbanks, distance of over 1000 miles; H. c. Parker head of the Parker expedi- ton. which reached the summit of Mount Mckinley; E. E. Montague of Portland, who was at Sitka when Al aska was under Russian rule, 55 years ago. and saw the Russian flag come down and Old Glory raised in it's place. Colonel J. J. Crossley, s. R. Hudson, J. A. Rupert, Nick Hatch, J. c. PauIson, A. R. Heilig, J. F. Hop kins, w. H. Downing and scores of other old-time sourdoughs were also present. It looked Mke meeting of the Arctic Brotherhood.
 Colonel Frederick Mears. who has been in charge of the building of the Alaska Railroad. on which $56,000, 900 has been expended, told something of the problems he had met and con- quered, and also some of the benefits that would accrue to Alaska from the building of this road.
 Alaska and Alaskans feel that the vast empire has too long been a step child of Uncle Sam instead of a member of the family of states Even here in Oregon, where we are so close to Alaska. many of us have no conception of the vast resources of Alaska. It is larger than 20 of the Eastern and Southern states. It is larger than the combined areas of England, Scotland, Ireland, Norway, Sweden and Finland. It is 12 times as large as the state of New York.
 Some years ago at Fort Wrangcll I located the sills of the old gristmill built by the Russians in the '30sh F X. Matthien, Eticnne Lucier and other French Canadians of the Willamette valley, farming near Champoeg and on French Prairie, used to ship their wheat to Dr. Mclaughlin at Fort Van. couver, by whom it was sent to Fort WrangeH to be ground into flour. This wheat, raised in the Willamette valley, was sent in payment for the privilege granted by the Russian gov ernment to the Hudson's Bay Com pany to procure furs in Alaska. Long before there was any San Francisco long before there was any Seattle