The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1923-06-19
PRESIDENT WILL SAIL
70 ALASKA THIS MONTH
uvrc1rTTVE BENT ON UNRAV-
LING sNARL OF GOVERN
WENT IN FAR NORTH.
cOINTRY YET UNDEVELOPED

Tbrty-Five Departments Regulate the
'' coyernunent of the Territory, and
Much Confusion and Conflict Re-
suit 1t Is Charged.
President Harding will forsake the
L+s house this month and pay a
-. to A1aska-but not all for the
omroose Of seeing the sights. The af-
t.;rs Of Alaska are in a tangle. The
ors.;dent is going there to secure
i.,+ hand information relative to the
,,r,eose natural resources OF that ter
-;+orv and also to see what can be
done about the proper use otthem.
Rich in Resources.
Alaska has gold, silver, copper and
rial beneath its surface. 1t has great
forests rich oil deposits, while its
fishing industry can be developed to
ooe Of the biggest in the world. Its
promising agricultural lands are thin
" settled. 1t is one OF the richest ter
rtories in the world, yet Alaska is
today an undeveloped country, capa-
bIe Of supporting many tirIes its pres
emf incubation, numbering barely co.,
600 PERSONS, OF whom half are Indians
and Eskimos.
Governor Scott c. Bone, of the ter
rtory. which was bought from Rus
Ia in 1867 Tor $7,200,000, believes that
too many fingers are in the pie, that
Alaska is stagnant because she has
loo much government.
Too Many Departments.
i Alaska's affairs are handled in
Washington by IS different depart
nents and bureaus. The department
b interior, for instance, has jurisdic
ion over the mines, the oil, the
kharves and it supervises allotments
Indians and directs the use to
Which public lands are put.
When coal or oil is found under the
ublc lands, then the jurisdiction is
transferred to the general land Office.
The forestry department has juris-
Fiction over the timber lands, except
hose included in the public domain.
Should minerals or oil be found I'M
er the forests, then those lands are
transferred to the administration of
he land office. Other departments
conflict in the same way.
In this manner the governmental
fairs OF Alaska are very often jun
d Governor Bone believes all OF
SIS departments should be concen-
Fated in two, the department of the
terror and the fisheries bureau.
Alaskans Disagree.
Many in Alaska believe that too
Rnch authority would be given these
epartments. Others maintain that
.aska should govern itself, response
L to the United States for the prop
conduct OF its affairs.
President Harding is going to Alas
to ind out what is the best thing
he done in the matter.
He will take a trip over the gov
Enment railroad which runs 500
lies into the interior of the country.
his road taps the rich forests and
.neral fields, yet it has not accom-
lShed what its advocates claimed it
ould.
Seeks Cooperation.
Alaska believes that if its govern
tent were better handled, concentrat
INTO two departments, or if it were
lowed to assume its own govern
ent the line of that railroad would
dotted with pulp and paper fac
res while farmers would settle on
lands along the route.
It IS pointed out that if the forests,
mineral deposits and the agricul-
raj lands were under the jurisdiction
the same department that governs
railroad the co-opertion resulting
ouId greatly aid the government of
country.
lille in Alaska the president will
Edcate Mckinley National Park,
uprising 1000 square miles. He will
w the stupendous natural wonders
lne country; the glaciers, the noun
is the valley of 10000 smokes"
u ITS active volcano, Mt. Katmai.
aSNa has, at present, dozen volca-
8 spoutng smoke and lava.
ne Will travel the Yukon river, L.
OF IT'S 1000 miles navigable.
put the president is not going there
me mere purpose of seeing the
lIdb ID IllC1utllldl. Ills purpose
10 devise some way to disentangle
tumble OF governmental affairs of
territory.
VIII Hear Mixed Stories.
me president will hear a mixed
~ when he goes to Alaska. Not a
lmpassioned speakers will tell
mat the territory is bound around
s1'ernment red tape, and that the
poiace, resources and progress are
pS-eSSIy enmeshed in tangle OF
B'' mental regulations and rules.
considerable group of Alaskans
se that eXploitation-frst by pri-
individuals and corporations, then
soFernment-has prevailed in that
territory ever since its discovery.
say it began under the Rus
~ Later, after the United States
bought the territory. American
golahons and individuals were the
-oNers. There followed strict gov
ment control.