The Alaska daily empire., 1923-07-25
GEN. RICHARDSON WRITES ON ALASKA

The New York Herald recently contained an ed toral in which t declared that Alaska should ha' control of her own affairs, to the point of rul ming and disposing of it's own natural resources TT editorial attracted the attention of Gen. w. r. hlcl ardsen for twenty years resident of this Territor and q eommendatory letter from Gen. Richardson a pears in the Herald of July 10.
 Gen. Richardsons letter, written from Washing ton under date of July g. is as follows:
 read with much interest your editorial
 article of July D, Conservation in Alaska,
 Permit to quote and thus give additional
 emphasis if possible to the last paragraph
 of this editorial article, follows
 Alaska will be satisfied until it
 gets the American chance Some day the
 Federal Government must take the risk that
 Alagkans will know how to run Alaska and
 dispose of it's resources. It is better that
 men grow through self government than that
 things should be svaed for their descendants
 through the holding power of a paternalist
 government.
 That is truly said and sound American
 doctrine, and it is encouraging to great
 paper like The New York Herald making
 pronouncement against policy which has
 long kept Alaska strangled in it's effort
 toward development and for years past
 actually going backward; notwithstanding
 the great expenditures made by the Govern
 in the construction of the Alaska Rail
 read well upon wagon roads and trails. military telegraph and cable system geo. lveai rscearch. snd agricultural experiment
 work
 Aaskans want the American chance" at
 least the gamblers ehanee'-and all pio-
 neers are gamblers in large sense-Apitting their money their best energiees and risking lie itself against unknown conditions in the effort to open up new country. Yes, the Government must take the risk sometime that Alaskans will know how run Alaska and dispose of it's resources" have lived with them for twenty years and think know them, and have the dis couraging effect of long distance control and an aggravated application of conservation
 While not withholding credit for encerity of purpose 5n the part of the conseryatonists generally in respect to the policy which has been followed concerning Alaska, and for which they are principally responsible it is apparent, the ether hand, to any care ful observer that they have muddled the waters and brought confusion into the public mind upon the two entirely different subjects of Conservation" and "deyelopment' Req sonable withdrawals or reservations should doubtless be made of certain natural re- sources and careful regulations prescribed for the conservation of the timber and fisheries to prevent wastage; but for the develop ment of the agricultural and mineral re- sources and for the upbuilding of industries ana Tor the Inducements to emigration into the Territory, broad and liberal policy is required
 Alaskans will do this if they are given the chance and they will not see the country footed as so many people to fear
 The Herald and General Richardson's iae. suggest something that should be accomplishe ef The Federal Government should get out of the land lord business. All the Government owned natnra resources should be presented in fee simple fo in eparate States in which located and those in Alas should be held in trust for the future State or State which will be erected in the North The Feders 1o'eihmeht covers 100 great an area, the interest Df those in different parts it are too varied an too conflicting 10 permit of a continuation foreve or system of Federal ownership and Federal land ordihm Federal control of the resources within tb epaiate states ig nonresident government and in in United States government gets it's just powers fro, the consent or the governed. The only way to mak sure oi the consent of the governed is through sell AcVerhment and soli-goycrnment goes with the owr srshp control of the soil
 Where there is local self government privatel rwnod property + under the control of the loc, government while Federal owned property is not