Evening star., 1926-08-29
Looking Through Arch. HURRICANE BRIDGE
AlaSkan Railroad

sion in Juneau he grows Strawberries
that equal the best hothouse grOwthS
of the South and East. and around
Anchorage little plots of the fertile
Alaskan soil produce two crops of
vegetables every year. True enough,
back in the high interior, where little
lakes lie covered with ice all the
year, and green-clad slopes throw
back the wall of foxes and shroud
the movement of bands of rowing
wolves, weather conditions are not
the best for numbering. But even
here, Gov. Parks says. modern meth
DDS will serve to bring out Alaskan
timber.
Cannery operations, he asserts,
have not been pushed with either the
progressiveness or the sound financial
policy that should mark the far-see-
ing business methods of men deter
mined to aid in the development of
the territory. The fisheries, made
famous by Rex Beach. constitute one
of Alaska's great sources of revenue,
and should he developed along sound
economic lines.
The >55 900 persons who make up
the present population of Alaska are
in the same plight as the 100000 who
reside In the District of Columbia.
| They have no vote In the National
! Government Of the United States,
although, better than in the Federal
/ Capital, they have a say in their
local government, and every two
wears elect a delegate to Congress.
| This delegate-the present incumbent
| is Dan Sutherland. one of Alaska's s
| pioneers-has no vote In the House
| of Representatives. but is permitted
| the privilege of the floor. where he
may deliver speeches or take part In
debates on the affairs of the Terri
tory. He also serves as member
Of the House committees dealing with
| Alaska.
Sutherland. by the way. is a genuine
"sourdough." or early settler, and is
the hero of an unchronicled exploit.
back in the early part of the present
century. that sent him staggering
| down miles of the famous White
| Horse Trail, over the mountains in
dead of Winter. to save helpless
comrade from certain death by cold
or starvation.
Alaska's principal commerce with
the outside world today is in it's fish
cries. Salmon, herring. clans. shrimp
and other sea foods are taken in abun-
dant quantities from its waters. Its
fisheries yield revenues aggregating
| more tHdn SoO,VUO,VVV anu
vet improvident fishing has done
harm. Conservation of the fisheries
supply Is one Of the big problems that
must be solved. Commissioner of Fish
cries Henry OMalley visited the Ter
ritory last year and drew up plans
for conservation work.
The salmon fishing has been reck.
lessly overdone for many years and
the industry is now threatened with
extinction from careless exploitation
| A LASKA. pictured popularity as
"A forbidding, ice-covered glacier
crowned land Of dog teams and polar
bears. is really a country of delight
full climate many months Of the year
with an area of 1000 square miles
fitted for agricultural development and
capable of producing crops Of almost
endless variety. The valleys of It's
long rivers are fertile with soil iT
which may be grown wheat. rye, hay
turnips, parsley, peas. cabbage. po
tatoes, spinach and other vegetables
Clearance of these lands for Cultiva
ton. however, is an expensive process:
!, and will have to have Government ait
: before farming on large scale can b'
prosecuted.
! Alaska's forests, running down Il
the sea, cover an area Of 2o.57s.33