The Cordova daily times., 1923-02-22
ROGERS FAVORS GOVERNING 0F| ALASKA BY DNTERDEPARTMENTAL| BOARD LOCATED IN TERRITORY


 ministration on the Alaska Inter- departmental Committee, the local or ganization of Bureau representatives and abolition of the Interdepartment- al Alaska Board at Washington, in stead of the creation of the Alaska Cabinet" recommended by him in his first article, is advocated by Sher- man Rogers in his fourth and con cluding article on Alaska, which ap- peared in The Outlook of January A. The final article is in the na- ture of summing up and review of the first three that were published in the same magazine In December
 MT. Rogers frankly admits that he has studied "the present Alaska de- partmental boards" carefully since writing his first article in which he suggested a cabinet of assistant sec retaries acting as an administrative body with final jurisdiction over all matters, including those involving policies, to supplant the present sys- tenn of long-range administration from Washington. The result of this study was to incline him to favor giving the present local board full power and discontinue the Washing ton board which he said added great ly to the confusion, red tape and petty jealousies of the Alaskan ad- ministration"
 Could Be Efficient
 Continuing, Mr. Rogers said
 and yet the interdepart- mental board could be reconstructed so as not only to be highly effective, but to engender confidence and elm- mate red tape. To do so it will be necessary to eliminate the commit reorganize and grant to the interde- partmental board in Alaska executive power over Federal affairs in the Territory. For instance, the Presi dent could by executive order es- tablish an interdepartmental board composed of an official representing each department in Alaska, to have full charge of the affairs coming un- der his jurisdiction without continu- spondence with Washington. There would be an advantage in this kind of a board, which would be practic- ally the same as an assistant secre- tarial board with the exception that the appointees on an interdepartment al board would come under the Civil Service, which would mean that these highly efficient men would not be removed because of an adverse presi dential election. The tenure of office of these officials would depend en- tire1y upon their ability; incompe- tency or maladministration of office would be the sole cause for removal. It would be necessary that they com pose a board that would meet often to straighten out overlapping ques- tions and to expedite development by meeting across table and set ting affairs on the ground that now takes 5000 miles of correspondence"
 This kind of board he added. could be established at once and be- gin functioning, it being necessary only for the President to sign proper . executive orders for its creation. On the other hand, Congressional sanc- tion would be necessary to create the secretarial board, or Alaska "cab- met" recommended at the outset.
 Red Tape Eliminated
 Much of the reluctance of capital to engage in undertakings in the Territory, he said, ''is based on purely psychological fear. Most of their suspicious are grOundless. want to repeat that most of the red tape has been removed from Alas kan management. And I do not be- 1l6V6 that there IS Hay ouUoldl1llo'i reason for investors to fear Govern mental restrictions, which in most cases are purely mythical
 Alaska, he continued, needs the truth told about it and that will be sufficient to dissipate most of the fears held by many who desire to engage in Alaskan business.
 No Cause for Uneasiness
 He answers those who have eX- pressed a fear of the results of granting executive power to resi- dent board, saying:
 "I have heard a great many Amer ican people express the fear that the rights of the people in the United States might be abridged by giving full control of Alaskan affairs to board residing on Alaskan soil. In