Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-01-20
THE CASE OF ALASKA
BY Frederic J. Haskin

washington. Jan. lse-That the re-
sources Of Alaska are not being prop
erIy developed, and that the methods
and conditions OF Federal admins
tration In that territory are IN part
responsible, is a abatement which mas
been emphatically made In connection
with the proposal 10 take the Bureau
Of Forestry out OF the Department OF
Agriculture and place IL in the De-
partment OF the Interior.
This, Of course, would give the In
terror Department control OF the great
national forests in Alaska, and would
make the department the chief Fed
eral arbiter OF Alaska's industrial
destiny, as the Interior Department al
ready has the administration OF
other public lands In Alaska.
Curiously enough, the conservation
lists IN and out Of the Forest Service,
who are all opposed 10 the transfer
OF the Forest Service, agree with their
opponents that Alaska is in bad
way industrieily and that Federal ad-
minxtration IL In part the reason for
this. These conservatlonists claim
that the move 10 place the Alaskan
forests under the administration Of
the Department Of the Interior Il
part Of a general plan for the aban-
donment OF the Roosevelt cOnserva-
ton policy in Alaska, and for a freei
use of her natural resources. Such a
policy is demanded by many person:
financially interested in Alaska. and
l~t.t ..rx.k4 q
policy has long been maintained II
Washington by such interests.
These interests say that Alasks
Is not developing and that the Fed
eral policy Of careful conservation Il
, responsible for the lack OF develop
, ment. The conservationists agree tina
Alaska is not developing az il should
but claim that every one OF its netu
raj resources is open 10 development
This In hindered, they claim TO som
: extent by the long-range methods o
, Federal administration, which shoul
be abandoned in favor Of administra
ton on the spot. but mainly b. tn
fact that Alaska is far from market
and has poor transportation facili
ties.
Our Last Frontier.
: The greater American public ~ in
: different to and ignorant Of the Who'll
: matter. That is, in a sense, the mos
d serious and unfortunate part OF tn
9 situation. Alaska il the last Amer
e can frontier. Ninety-nine per Ger
'e Of the area is public land. II is alrnos
II the only part Of the territory OF IN
United States where true pioneer cor
ditions still Obtain--that is. where III
o individual may obtain land and othe
% natural resources free or at non1int
cost.
. Such frontier country should be
- valuable overrow-land for our exec,
20 population, as the frontier West Ior
- was. Alaska should be the have
a. OF the hardy and adventurous ma
who has no capital. but wants
~ chance to win place OF his own {
the face OF the earth. To some exte,
r. Alaska has been that, and TO son
AZ slight extent perhaps It still is. b
,r this last frontier Of ours is certain
n not functoning as II should
id No doubt harsh climate IN MAJ
parts OF it has something TO do wi
,y II. Also, there is not a great deal
ne farm land in Alaska and the esta
Id ishment Of a. profitable farm there
q difficult business. The one-m
Mt placer mining is largely thing
n the past. All observers seem agre
" that the development of Alaska
D. largely a task for Orga nized capt.
IL never will be the land of individl
w opportunity that the old West "
But IL is far more a land of indiv
Tn ual opportunity than the greater n
~ of the States, and should be ey
~ more so than 1t is. There is r
land to be taken up. Fur-farming
a profitable business there, and
- were little capital is needed. Sn
- capital has many chances in Alask
an Needless TO say, conservation fav
as the development of Alaska as a pl
me where the little fellow" has a g,
,es chance, and the demand for a
- strict conservation policy spri