Evening star., 1923-07-15
ALASKA REVEALED
LACKING OLD PUSH
Desire to Keep Natural Re.
sources While Selling Them
Seen in People.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

SEWARD, Alaska, July 14.-Alaska
MOULD like to eat it's God-given cake
s-her natural resources-yet would
like to keep 1t. That is the estimate
the presidential party has placed on
the perplexing question, and It con-
forms with the views communicated
- President Harding and hif cabinet
by official advisers in places where
they have stopped.
That portion of the population
which is engaged in salmon fishing
fesents the Hoover restriction on
their own special phase of the indus
try. They want conservation at the
expense of the other fellow, yet they
tell witt sighs of the depleted spawn
ing str = IS where not so very long
ago the .sh were so thick one had to
wade through them in crossing.
When you turn to the vast possi-
bilities of the spruce and hemlock
forests for newsprint, and the water
power, 1t is stated that development
cannot come when capital must hur-
die so many obstacles in the way or
governmental rules and regulations.
Yet Skagway stands today as me-
mortal to the lack of stability that
opment The town that was once
beehive Of activity, the outhtting
point for the Klondike, now is little
better than a deserted village,
shadow of better days.
Attitude of People.
It would be quite easy, to regard
Alaska as a country with crouch,
and at times it seems that every one
has something about which to COM
plain to the President. No two COM
munities have seemed to agree as to
lust what the federal government
ought to do or ought not to do, and
QUITE often the most widely divergent
views have been heard in the same
locality.
Alaska desires permanent develop
ment and seems to feel that 1t Will
be impossible to bring new capital TO
a new and far distant country II there
are TO be government agents win
bundles of don't at every milepost;
rushes to bleed her dry and then
abandon her. leaving nothing put
scattered houses, dismal and de-
cayfng Alaska does not wish TO
have forest and power site explorers
skim the cream from her resources
and 60 their way rejoicing over their
easy profits without any returns Tor
the abandoned settlement.
fisheries from the depletion which
characterized the cannery operations
of = California, Oregon. washington
daine Massachusetts and Maryland,
1ut beyond and above Alaska wants
deyelopment That, of course, is the
cause of conflicting opinions, and
every man has his own theory OF
what should be done.
Criticism General. ".
Almost every one has criticism 10
offer against some government activl-
which centers In the obstructins
lfluences Of the DepaItment Oh Oh Agr5- sd-
Illustration has instituted.
Secretary Wallace, however, wins
.rore praise and less censure than
~ of the others. The Department
, Interior is viewed as stepped In
p. .ocesses, preferring red tape and
,crastination, and lacking vision.
scretary Work has done little bet
+. - than did Secretary Fall for
aska, and Lanes government rail-
ID project is not counted a success.
cries Of discomfort are traceapie IN
any instances to political rear OF
.eading on the toes Whlcn klGkeu
;ichard Ballinger out OF the Ia1I
abinet Yet, strangely enough. one
ears more kind words for Ballinger
han for Pinchot.
Secretary Hoover is the most popu-
ar member of the party. There are
laIiy who contend that Alaska should
western states, the American MAIN
and. They say: Let US invest our
capital and come here for develop
nent. We have learned much from
thel west Many of the abuses of ex-
lodtation are no longer possible.
3ut the development of any new
country must depend in the larger
'nalysis on the man willing to take
chances-call him gambler, capital
IT, adventurer or whatever you
to {rit fhof da-
teloped your west, and you cannot
bind that spirit In a mass of red
tape and ask 1t to fight and conquer
nature in one of her strongholds.
New Communities.
Tt is more important that we shall
build new communities in Alaska. for
1t is in Alaska that our population is
desiining o,S,, Or are are W. we ., to base our
government to make no return on
the public domain. for fear that per-
haps some investor may earn profit
which demagoguery might hold to be
The simple fact is that under your
present policy Alaska is not going
forward: Would it be better to con-
vert this land into a neglected en-
oire for fear that some one might
nent? Can we hope for the future,
when the young men we gave to the
colors in the world war elected to re-
main on the mainland when they
we're mustered out? =
The people up here ask these uues-
tfons. They are fine. and they try to
be hopeful against odds. They have
crouch, perhaps, but they are not
:fven to grumblihg. Their inclina-
ions are to live in the romance Of
Llaska, but the Department of Inte-
for agents do not render that story
o = easy money grabbers seeking
4omething for nothing.
Amy untutored Indians who desire
return to primitive ways are not fac
tors In the problem. The man and women
who run the industries, shops. banks
and newspapers are the ones who
count, and viewing their problem at
close range 1T does seem that the
great. glorious !. government, which
forces the territorial legislature to
hold its sessions in Elks' halls and
over stores because red tape Wash
ington prevents the erection of a
capitol building, is not giving them a
decent chance. This Is their home
They intend remaining here. They
expect to bear and induce a new
generation of Alaskans to carry on
here. They ask only the fair chance
to build. Their government has been
remiss 1t was hindered and ham,
pered, not helped"