The Alaska daily empire., 1923-02-09
LOCAL COMMITTEE OF BUREAU
 REPRESENTATIVES CAPABLE OF
 HANDLING FEDERAL INTERESTS

StdteS mlSnI De aDrldgcu Uy SlNlHS full control of Alaskan affairs to q board residing on Alaskan soil. In answer. 1 want to say vigorously that if American citizens residing below the 54th meridian will give as much time and thought to the rights Of those hardy pioneers who have kept the roads open and the trails blazed in our northern empire as they do to the real or fancied rights of those who have never seen Alaska, the northern Territory will quickly come into it's own
 Social Conditions Normal
 Social conditions in Alaska, he said, are no different from those in any other section of the United States. Poverty as it is known in the States is unknown here. Alaskan hospitality is praised and Alaskan homes, he added, are as we'll fur nished, if not better, than the average home in the States.
 "To make long story short." he wrote, from a standpoint of schools, social conditions. stores, hotels and modern economic life, any part of Alaska from Kctchikan to Fairbanks will come mp to par with any like distance in tho States"
 Alaskans are well read and well informed on current topics and events. He also praises the news papers of the Territory, making espe- cial mention of the Associated Press service carried by most of them.
 "My general impression of the people of Alaska is that they are de lightfully big-hearted, extremely frank and engagingly courteous he said. "Ail fin all, they are that same won derful hospitable type that were so numerous in the West 20 years ago"
 Resources Are Varied
 He found Alaska not any more of gold country than it is a fishing, copper, or farming country. The fisheries, he said. need common sense regulation. He refers to sey- eral methods of conservation pro- posed but said he favored that pro- posed by Secretary Hoover-the re- serve policy with zonins and limita- tions on gear and packs.
 He recognized the fight made on this policy and said
 'I want to make one suggestion to all parties concerned: There has been such bitter controversy raised throughout Alaska over the proper permanent fish legislation to be placed in effect that l believe it i'm rerative that we protect the fish with the best law we can construct It the present time, and then fight for the permancnt system that shall go in later. The weakness of the zoning system can be determined by a four or five year trial. During that time more far-reaching legis- lation can be placed in effect if necessary. Alaska salmon need pro tectlon now, and have needed it for several years, but every time q c0m- mon sense regulation was proposed the people of the Territory wena up in arms, q batter battle was fought, anl as a result, nothing was done. I see little sense in waging desper- ate battles in an attempt to get 'wholc-hog' legislation or none, while in the meantime the salmon to be protected may be caught in such large numbers that sometime in tho future. when the various factions do get together, there won't be any thing left to protect"
 Takes Up Transportation
 MT. Rogers deals briefly with the question of transportation rates. He calls attention to criticism of water