The Republican journal., 1922-01-05
ALASKA.

The United States purchased Alaska
from Russia in 1867. Andrew johnson
was then President and William Il. Sew
ard was secretary of State. The price
paid was s., 200, 600. We remember that,
at the time of the purchase, the admins
tration was widely and severely criticised
for expending such large sum of money
for country for which we had no use.
We knew nothing of it's mineral re-
sources and very little about it's inhabi-
tants. All we knew about it was that it
was farther north than Labrador and that
fur bearing seals could he killed there at
a certain season of the year in enormous
quantities. A population census was
taken after we had owned it for IS years,
when it was learned that the whole conn
try contained about $4,000 Indians and
Esauimaux and $50 whites. For II years
"A fter its purchase it had no government
whatever. In 1884, district court and a
governor was established b. Congress.
In 1912, Alaska was authorized to set up
q territorial government, to consist of
Senate composed of eight members,
House of Representatives, comprised of
sixteen members, and governor. This
legislature was authorized to make laws,
the governor was to send copies of these
laws to the President of the United
: States. who was to submit them to Con-
gress, and if Congress did not approve
these laws they became null and void. 1t
is pI ainly to be seen that territorial gov
er nment" amounted to nothing more or
less than government by the Congress of
the United States. The territorial gov
eminent" was subterfuge to satisfy the
politicians of the territory and farce in
its administration. Congress turned its
administration over to the Department of
Agriculture, the Department of Interior,
the Department of the Treasury, the De-
pal tment of War, the Department of
Commerce and more than thirty commits
sions and bureaus. We may say that
prior to 1912 Alaska had no government
whatever, and since then has been gov
erned too much, but never wisely nor
well.
It is CONTEMPLATING an al ca about one
fifth that of continental United States.
1t has vast forests. It's fisheries are wo1-
derfully valuable. 1t has gold and cop
per. Its soft coal fields are extensive
and it is believed it has plenty of oil be-
meath its surface. We have owned Alas
ka for more than so years and have al
lowed private individuals and big corpor-
atoms to exploit it and its development
szisng businss lines has been arrested by
overlapping of authority, division of re-
sponsibility, delay, confusion, red tape,
incompetency and waste.
The distance from Belfast to Boston by
rail is 237 miles. The United States Cow
eminent is bailding railroad in Alaska
which, when completed, will be 700 miles
long. The Senate committee on Terri
tories recently reported that the cost of
Z Tins road had already been s35, 600, 900
and that s2l,000,000 more would be re-
quired to complete its construction. The
optimists, who are responsible for this
expensive undertaking, express the hope
that the road after completion will earn
Dermeen one and two per cent on its cost.
The building of 700 miles of railroad at a
cost of $50, GOO mile should have be-
fore it higher hope. We venture the
asserrio on that this road will be dead
loss to the taxpayers of the United
Sta ties. We predict that it will not pay
its running expenses in any one of the
next so years. The entire population of
Z Alaska is not more than that of the city
Z Of Portland, Me. On an average the pop
uIation of Alaska has increased less than
200 a year for the last fifty years.
There is no reasonable hope that this
road viii ever make any money carrying
passengers. There are no factories along
the line of this road, nothing except coal
TO furnish freight, and the coal mines are
as yet but little more than prospect holes.
There will be no great outside demand
for Alaskan coal. 1t will not be shipped
in great quantities to the United States,
because here, in 81 OF our States, we
have about 1900 mines producing soft
coal The building of this road gives US
anothe r illustration of the waste and fol-
~ which is seen in government owner
ship and operation all the world over
sone of the dangers in a government
ssuch a. ours il that the people, busy with