The Alaska daily empire., 1923-06-14

I
 force in the Territory.
 l MT. Bradley said the procedure of the Government in the Cunningham coal claims and the policy of re- serving title to the government in coal and oil and forest lands has created a suspicious attitude on the part of the prospector who was forced | to the conclusion that it wasn't worth while any longer to continue his efforts, which. if successful. might be fruitless as the Government might come in and take it away from him. The mining industry, and others, he declared are handicapped by the | leasing system which was brought about by mistaken idea of the value of Alaskan resources capable of development All that we ask is | the correction of this mistake" he concluded
 Conservation Is Assaied J. A Hellenthal assailed the policy of conservation in the Territory. Al aska has a problem. he argued, that no other part of the country has It has forests and no pulp; coal but no coal mines! railroads but no ton mage: vast area but no prospectors.
 The Territory. 20 years ago, he said was prosperous. Railroads were i built by private capital; money was i available for development of legiti- mate enterprises; prospectors combed the country. The change came about i overnight. he asserted. With the ere ation of the reserve system with drawals of coal, oil and forest lands this prosperity vanished overnight and since then 10000 people have left i servation as practiced in Alaska, he adgued, is a fallacy and doesn't con. serve anything. Mines do not con sume coal but furnaces. If you want 1 to conserve coal. shut down the fur naces, not the mines. Oil wells do not consume gasoline. but automo- piles. If you want to conserve gas oline, tie Henry Ford not Alaska he asserted. In conclusion he ar gued for a restoration of the right of private ownership to replace the 1 present leasing system
 Elsmore On Narrows
 T. S. Elsmore, Mayor of Petersburg cited figures on Wrangell Narrows improvement and gave the history briefly, of past investigations by en gineers of the cost of improvement so that it would be available for all ship traffic between Seattle and Al askan ports.
 Need of Capital
 The need of capital for develop ment of Alaskan resources was em phasized by H. l.. Faulkner, who sait I that much of Alaska's troubles came from the fact that it was advertised too strongly as land that could pay the Nations war debt and still have enough left over for a liberal soldiers bonus fund. Wealth is not found here waiting to be picked off trees or from the ground he said
 He said he didn't believe there would be any change in the present conservation policy. Referring to the pulp and paper industry he declared | tudl Wllcu cdpitdl was StCuItu, ut was confident that the Department of Agriculture would be ready tc meet the investors half way on terms and would provide contract agreeable to them. He said he had found the department fair in all matters taken to it by him.
 w. E. Britt gave a condensed state ment of the value and variety ol Alaska fisheries resources, particu larly those of Southeastern Alaska He described the depletion of the salmon supply and argued in con clusion for Territorial control of it's l fisheries.
 Hall Is Crowded
 The big hall was filled with ta, bles, approximately 1S0 persons be- l ing present, including not only the members of the Congressional party but officers from the Cambrai and l from Chilkoot Barracks.
 The dime, was prepared by the Gastineau Cafe and served under its direction.