The Arvada enterprise., 1923-10-04

dress at Seattle was In effect q
plea In behalf Of Alnska-the name means Great
Country" md John Muir used to call II My beau
fifuI fruitful wilderness" Said Mr. Harding:
Against a program Of ruinous exploitation We
must stand firmly. Our adopted program must be
q development of Alnska for Aiaskans.
Incidentally. In his Seattle speech Mr. Harding
made these points: That Alaska does not need
"Government managed, federall ypnid-fOr hothOuse
development" that more restriction OF the nsh.
Ing Industry IL necessary and urgent that more
lbernl terms In Leasing may be necessary to de-
velop the oil fields that there should be nn Orgnn.
izailon capable OF the rendest response to de-
mnnds for roads and trails that there Is the ne
cessity To provide feeders for the government rail-
road: that ''in II very few years we can very well
set on the Panhandle md n large block OF the
connecting southeastern part ms n state"
The purpose Of this article. however, is Infor.
NATIVE. not argumcnntlve. What follows Ia largely
n compilation from the latest authoritative sources
of Information of interesting facts nbout Alaska
or course until development iukcs place 1t IL In
possible To estimate. even approximately the prob.
able value of Alnskn's natural resources There is
no question that they are varied and immense:
Coal oil, copper, gold. silver. lend. various metnls
marble. timber. fish, fur, agriculture. water power
scenery. Probably no state in the Union has 80
great n variety of assets and so much potential
wealth.
Even now. when II is admitted that Alaska Ia
not iour!shng. that Its production Is decreasing
ana TINT Its population is falling on II pays annu.
ally several hundred per cen, on It's original cos,
In lS6I-S72ooooo (css thnn two cents nm ncre)
The total mineral production In 1921 wns Sl7OOl,.
12i, The total of fishery products In 1927 was
S2IOsG.SGl
Alaska, since 1867, has produced mineral, Ash
and fur products considerably In excess OF one
billion dollars.
Gov. Scott c. Bones latest available report to
the secretary OF the interior contains these figures:
According To the 1920 census, the population was
b5,G'G nn apparent decrease of $3.50 from tina, OF
1910, though the iurmcr was taken IN the dend
OF winter ana the latter In the spring
In lH"l the number of persons employed In the
fisheries Industry was 1000 and the total active
Investment was Sa,Uls7i. The total vnuc OF
the fishery products exclusive OF seal and other
n1uatlc furs was S2i,osGSG7. n decrease OF SIT.
4O5,2aI from the preceding year. The output OF
canned salmon consisted Of 25N0. $40 cuses valued
~ SloN32,'ll ns compared with I.42D.i iG3 cuses
In 1870 vnlucd NJ S35 Coz. 500
The total commerce of Alaska for the cnlendnr
wear 1921 was SG5o5i. .jGG. n decrease OF sjo375
I'D from the amount In 1920. The total commerc.
with the United States S63.5ll .3sl ms nraips,
SlodAsO,W5 In 1920, II decrease Of Sl3OiislI
There were approximately 100000 reindeer two.
thirds OF which belong to the natives.
There were fifteen territorial and three national
banks: .li domestic and 42s foreign corporntons
The government, of Alaska is more pernl,xI,,
tam amy Chinese puzzle. The executive pow,r ia
vested In the governor. who is appointed by the
president for n term Of four years by and WITH
the ndvcc md consent of the senate The l,ris,n.
tive power Is vested in territorial legislature
consisting OF SENATE and house OF representa-.
ives Tho Judicial power OF the territory ia
vested In the District court Of the United S,,,o.
Tor the District Of Alnskn. The territory elect.
delegate To congress. who mny participate In do
bate. but who has no vote
yet according to Alnskans, I, Ia n case or 500
hnch government by too mnny bureaus. To-, f,r
hWay There are ut least thiriyelght burrnu. of
Tie s0cmd departments thut have "A hnnd IN nj.