Seward daily gateway., 1923-07-21
LOOKING LAT" ALASKA


 icial parties from the National capi tai have been in Seward this summer looking over Alaska with a view to determining the kind of legislation the Territory needs. None of these parties take sufficient time for their inyestigations to see small part of Alaska. They merely look "at' it as they go through. They touch few points and journey short distance to the Interior and return believing they know Alaska.
 The great trouble is that not many persons, even those living here, really know Alaska. It is country so vast, and it's interests are so diversified years of travel and inquiry are need ed to understand Alaska's needs, and by this time it must be done all over again. The matter of interviewing Alaskans does not produce dependa- ble information, as what is good for one section is the reverse in another. It is therefore noticeable by those visiting us that Alaskans are not in accord as to the Territory's needs.
 Most Alaskans see only the re- quirements of their particular sec tions, and if those needs seem to con- flict with the needs of other sections the tendency is to scoff at the other sections claims and send the investi- gators back badly muddIed in their opinions, with the feeling that Alas kans to rot know just what they want.
 Outside papers are remarking over the fact that Senator Jones and Con- gressnan Lin Hadley, who are now to the westward on the cruiser Unalga, will have a better opportunity of see ing Alaska than most other official parties; which no doubt they will The party has the cutter Unalga at its disposal, and will be able to con trol it's time and map out it's visits so as to more thoroughly study the problems that are presented. They will go far to the north and west, as well as to the interior and should un- derstand with great clearness the larger questions On the other hand they will know little of the require ments of Alaska other than those of the Third division, the Second and Fourth divisions being other countries with different customs, different man per of living and different resources and requirements.
 Like Russia, Alaska is an enigma Its resources are vast beyond com prehension The nation has produced nearly four hundred million in gold and a greater amount in fish the past quarter century, and its resources are barely scratched over Our riches up to within the past two years have been locked up by impractical regu lations made on the plea of conser Vation, but in reality stifling enter prises. We have millions of tons o1 coal, yet we are importing coal from Canadian mines; we can raise any thing necessary in the vegetable line yet we import our vegetables iron Seattle. Our food supplies, our cloth ing. our tools and implements an( our household goods come from thu States, despite the fact that as fin flax can be grown here as in Ireland Even our parkas are imported, as wei as our fur caps and gloves. We hay vast tracts of timber, and pay hig rate for outside lumber. We have al unlimited supply of the finest meat and buy from the States. Even ou bling for our WharVes comes ire: Puget Sound, although we have tn finest piling timber in the world.
 Law makers at Washington ar so penurious in granting appropri; tions to Alaska, as to be almost mi erly. Many of them think of flask very much as did those of the day when Seward asked congress to ratit his agreement for it's purchase ft $7,200000. It was folly then an it is still held to be folly to sper money on Alaska. Yet the gover ment has collected from licenses alor many times the purchase price, asiC from the millions in minerals, St foods, hides and furs.
 Alaska needs help in order to velop. It needs help because the go ernment collects its monies and e bends them for other causes. Alasl would be a rich, self-supporting n tion could it retain its monies I ceived as taxes and it's resources.