The Wrangell sentinel., 1926-03-04
CANDIDATE ALDRICH MAKES DECLARATION
 OF CANDIDACY FOR
 DELEGATE TO CONGRESS

didate for Delegate to Congress on the Republican Ticket is done with full knowledge of the responsibil- ities.
 Thirty-four years a resident of Alaska, ten years a member of the Alaska Legislature, and eight years Chairman of the Finance Committee in the Territorial Senate, has given me a complete understanding of Alaska's problems.
 The vexatious techniealities of long distant bureaucratic govern ment from our National Capitol Is directly or indirectly responsible for most of the problems of non-ex- pansion.
 Fourteen years ago Judge James Wickersham, author of the Organic Act, speaking to a joint session of the Alaska Legislature, at Juneau, Alaska. stated in almost the exact language used by the Supreme Court of the United States when handing down the recent decision on taxation of the Fisheries Of Alas ka, namely: The righ+ to impose prohibitory tax if they deemed it necessary to preserve the fishing in dustry.
 This dual power vested in the Bureau of Fisheries on the one side and the Territory of Alaska on the other side is conflicting and can be remedied in but one way-eontrol through statehood
 Alaska has 4,0O0 miles of salt water frontage, and 90,000 miles of estuaries and tidelands which alone would sustain State. This vast amount of tidelands under State control would solve the problem of the governed by the consent of the governed.
 What the people of Alaska want most of all are facts and figures.
 Ohio became a State with a pop ulation of 45,000; Nevada with a population of 42,000. The popula- tion of Alaska, under the last cen sus (1920) was 55,O36. This gives Alaska approximately 10000 more population than Ohio, and 13,000 more population than Nevada, when Statehood was granted to them.
 The following are some facts and figures taken from the report of the Forest Service as of January 1 1926:
 Southeastern Alaska Tongass Ma tional Forest Report-Board feet of lumber, 80,000, 0,000,00O
 Chugach National Forest Report Board feet of lumber Gin stand ing timber) 100000.
 Total value of above, s100,000,- OO0.00.
 Every 1000 feet of lumber cut means $500 in wages.
 Cutting 790,000,000 feet annual ly, as permitted under Forest rules, would at $500 per 1000 feet, in wages amount to $6,320,000
 In addition to the above Forest resources we have available and un- developed hydro-electric power es- timated at 500,000 horse power This power when developed and in use will furnish employment to 80, 900 persons in the manufacture of pulp and paper alone. In other words the timber of Alaska is cap- able of supporting a permanent population of 250, 1000.
 Total investment in the fisheries of Alaska up to and for the year 1923, $60,037,677.
 Total number of people employed in the canning industry for the year 1923, 25,250.
 Total investment in mining equipment in Alaska, $20,000,0O0.
 Total fur market for years 1922, 1923, 1924 and 1925, $7094,340
 Total seal market for years 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, $2,536,540.
 Total assessed valuation in Is in- corporated towns, $21,283,12T.
 Total Alaska fund outside incor- porated towns, $208,553. Total bank deposits,
 1924 ........ $l0,000, ,000 Alaska commerce, 1925,
 aggregated .. $95,423,236 Outgoing shipments in-
 cluding merchandise,
 gold and silver $62,223,725 Merchandise shipped into
 Alaska :. .. $33,199,511 Balance of trade in our
 gold and silver .62,223,725
 For the past ten years, the value of copper mines has exceeded the value of gold mines by seventy (70.) per cent.
 The total gross revenue from the mining industry to 1926 has been $553, 100000. The total gross TeNeuue 1fom tue LlSHerleS 10uuSIry during the last ten years only, has been $400, 0,00O,OO0O or a grand total of $953, ,000. 100000.
 The natual revenues of Alaska, as quoted above create an income to the residents and to the govern ing body which would take care of any two States in the Union, much less Alaska. The Territory of Alaska does now pay annually for Territorial officials $50,000, this arrangement is working satisfact- orily. This amount would be ap- piled to State government in the event of Statehood This sum is distributed as follows:
 Treasurer, per annum 1000 Attorney General ...... 5000 Superintendent of Schools. 5000 Highway Engineer ...... 4,000 Mining Inspector ....... 1000 Federal Secretary of the
 Ierltofy 5000