Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-09-14

WASHINGTON, d c., Sept. IL
1t is the characteristic of republics
that they are inclined to honor their
great men after they have passed
away rather than during the term of
their lives. An example of this is
that ia the land of the free one of
the freetst things is popular criti-
clsm, usually given in an imper-
senal spirit, devoid of direct malice
or Bitterness: but when the hour
comes in which a statesman passes
away, the spirit of criticism gives
way to kindlier thought of achieve
ments of the dead man.
Considered in this light, the last
known policy of President Warren
G.. Harding is worthy of special
examination. Through the members
of the cabinet who were with him
on his Alaskan trip, information
has been obtained concerning the
plans he was working out for the
improvement of affairs in Alaska.
For some years Alaska has shown a
tendency to decline in population
and in activity. This has been so
at variance with the usual course of
n American jurisdiction that Mr..
Harding thought it his duty to make
a special trip to the great northern
territory to determine what the Fed
tId1 GONGInlHGHI COu1u no W iii
prove conditions. The vigor of his
investigation was in some S
responsible for the exhaustion which
occurred at the end, rendering him
incapable of resisting disease.
Mr.. Harding was oyertaken by
this illness while he was engaged
in considering what should be done
for Alaska and therefore he was
unable to complete a definite policy.
He had, however, sifted down the
information that ne had obtained
until three possible purse of re-
form appeared open. He died before
he had made a final selection among
these three courses, but his defini-
ton and grouping of the three ten
tative plans may be regarded as rep
%resenting his last constructive work
for the nation.
The primary difficulty with Alaska
Mr.. Harding recognized to be an
excessive overlapping of authority
and responsibility. He was Impress
ed by the necessity of a better or
g%anization and especially of a CEN
tralization Of administrative respon-
sibility. The three plans he had
worked out Tentatively he commun-
icated to Secretary of Commerce
Hoover, one of the rev to whom the
President gave his last confidence.
Which of the three the former Pres
ident would have selected can never
be known. The three plans were
as follows:
Three Plans For Alaska
First: Establish a Federal Board
of Commissioners for Alaska. This
body would be formed rs an indie
pendent government establishment,
similar to the Tariff Commission, the
| EaAo.,T DaCnNFrA- Board nr fhn In
terstate Commerce Commission. 1t
would be under no department, but
it's members would be appointed by
the President and confirmed by the
Senate. One of the members, at
least, would be an Alaskan. This
board would have full charge of
Federal affairs in Alaska and all
the activities of other departments
touching Alaska would be- taken
from it.
Second: Select one of the three
executive departments now charged
with conduct of Alaskan affairs and
concentrate all such affairs in that
single department. The departments
Of the Interior of Commerce and of
Agriculture are the three depart
ments. This would bring about a
complete Capitalization of Federal
administrative authority in Alaska.
Third: Leave the various Alaskan
responsibilities exactly where they
are in the three big departments
but add to the organization of each
department an additional assistant
secretary. Under this assistant
secretary would b. placed all the
activities within the department
having to do with Alaska. These
assistant secretaries would not have
= theif ofices in Washington, but
would be stationed in Alaska an6
) would act, to some extent, as a join
board.
/ The outlining Of these three plant
may be regarded as the last officia
work Of President Harding. II is ex
pected that the secretaries of thu
three departments concerned, all o
whom accompanied the President Il
t Alaska, will bring to the attention
of President Coolidge what conclu
t sibns the President had reached a
the result of the Alaskan study.
Y How Alaska Has Suffered
Perhaps no branch of the Fedora
service presents more fragrant case
of overlapping authority and re
D sponsibiIity than Alaska. This vas
wilderness sprang into importanc
/ with such rapidity after II becam
American territory-especially afte
the gold strike in the Klondike-
that methods Of administering IN