The Alaska daily empire., 1923-01-22

more a conservationist after a year and a half in Alaska. Conservation politics has been a blight 10 Alaska, but conservation conservation is a stranger to Alaska and has been positively unknown from the date of the Seward purchase. Hoard ing is not conservation. Locked ua coal fields do not mean conservation. Twenty million acres of reserved for ests, virtually untouched and over grown and in need Of harvestration, do not bespeal conservation. Un- cultivated agricultural lands. unsur- veyed and un0ccupied, the acreage beyond computation, do not spell conservation. To make two blades of grass grow where one grew before and to utilize our God-given re sources for the benefit of mankind is the kind of conservation the country
 in general and Alaska in particular needs at this iuncture.
 Prom the vast forests of Alaska for the fiscal year 1920-21 timber to
 he value of $61,000 was cut and sold. Think of that dent in the re- serve! It was enough to cover the expenses of forest administration For 1922 the sales amounted tc S35.000. How staggering these fig ures to. the lumber interests of Washington! And how impressive to little mills, unhearl of, scattered al' over the country, that cut and sell many times that amount of timber every year and make no noise about It. But a better record will be made this year and continually hereafter Pulp and paper mills are assuredly coming
 Hoardins Is Waste
 ''Hoarding is waste. For half a century Alaska has had this vast without sem biance of conservation Meanwhile. and with no outcry O. protest, the fisheries of Alaska say for the seal herds. have been ex plotted, unregulated and unconserYed
 But brighter and better day , dawning for Alaska. The tnrnina point has come. Constructive con servation is at hand. The comple tion of the government railroad, the Alaska Railroad now in successful operation, is already transforming Al aska and prospective oil discoveries on the Alaska Peninsula will make for further transformation. Alaska coal is coming into general loca ;. when it will find markets on the Pacific Coast.
 "The year just closed showed steady progress. Mining is on more substantial basis. Capital k no longer looking askance at Alaska Officialdom is less handicapped thar formerly. The bureaus operating m der an incoherent and impossible system are doing their work more l efficiently than ever before.
 ''The eyes of the country are on Alaska. It is becoming better known and being recognized as do main worthy Of sane attention and ] constructive, upbuilding policies.
 Alaska Free From 5ebt "Territorially Alaska is an exemp- lar in the simplicity and inexpen- siyeness' of it's local government The Territory is not oyer-organized in this day of over-organization as are most of the states of the Union It is not bonded to death, but free from debt. It is demonstrating ca pacity in the prudent handling of it affairs and thas even now equippinp itself to enter the Union. It needs people. It needs capital. It need. 2 chance-the American chance. Given that chance-and it is to be given that chance-Alaska will come | into its own and add strength to l he Republic"
 The Governor emphasized the sig | lificance of the opening of the Agr. cultural College and School of Mine
 1t Fairbanks and spoke of the nun
 ser of graduates of the Washington University. State College and Norma
 schools now employed as teachers |. the Territorial schools.