Seward daily gateway., 1927-01-17
LOCALIZED BUCCANEERING

LOCALIZED BUCCANEERING
 After having despoiled Alaskans of their inherent rights pioneers the United States government Satur- day began what is may be characterized the second chapter in crime that smells to heaven in it's nausea It is proposed to barter than billion feet of tim Der to the highest bidder who will expend not less than ten million dollars in erecting pulp mills and developing water power.
 How many Alaskans are able to bid on such an under taking? And how many small capitalists in the United States will be able to enter into competition with the big neWsprnt combination with it's thirty millions of dollars invested in and controlling the Canadian pulp industry and it's control of the pulp industry of the United State
 Ordinarily the prospect of such industry in the Territory would be hailed with acclaim But the eation is smohered beneath memory of the crime of despoation inflicted upon Alaska under conservation system a- legged to be for the purpose of preventing big interests from acquiring the of the Territory and offer ing opportunity for the small investor.
 The question to be reconcled is whether the poneers should have shared in the emOlment from timber claims when it passed to the larger interests whether they should be told stand aside while great and powerful government wrests from them their patrimony and later offers 1t under terms whereby only the strongest financial interest may bid.
 There are ten and half billion feet of timber being offered for sale in two compact This sufficient to have given onefth of the residents of Alaska the ceus of competency added 5000 settlers to the Ter
 ors population and in the process repeated the cond t1ons now obtaining in Oregon and Washington even duplicated the industrial magnitude of Sweden
 Former Secretary of the Interior Jahn Barton Payne said that eventually the big interests would get the re- of Alaska No could object to this hypothe sis long Aaskans allowed to share in the pr mary operation of acquisition and barter Paynes pre- dicton appears to be approaching It not drawing tool heavily upon the imagination to envision the Alaska Rail- road being bartered to big corporation along with the entire coal fields of the Matanuska Valley It would bel as logical and carry much justice in it the bghtng lnfamy to be inflicted through the barterng of the tim Der areas of Alaska to these immense interests.
 If the thing is ust then Congress and the people off the United States owe apology to Messrs Fall and| Dohenyther only shortcoming being found out, or Tn lacking the nesse accompanying the present nfamy
 We have boasted of great democracy If one| may paraphrase: ''What, greater debasement can there be to democracy whose towering and steadfast| heights founded upon truth and justice than that it should be chained in sort of dependence for ruinng or existence upon the unhoy rapacty of men driven mad by the lust for gold aided and abetted by subsevent servants of the same inhuence').
 One may join in the elaton naturally felt by the te fellows in Southeastern Alaska who may be permttedl to crook the pregnant hinges of the knee where thrift may follow fawnng and thereby lick the crumbs that fall from the table of this industry but lingering in the background will be the nausea of memory of brave and patient people despoed that mammon-worshipng gov er1lment may exercise the right of might.
 Alaska has antagonism to the entrance of capital Rather the Territory is anxious to welcome capital with open and extend to it every safeguard and fair deal thru it's laws. Had Alaska been permitted to ad- minister it's capital of every description large and small would have had an even break It will get break far as Alaska is concerned but isl not getting it from the federal government. j.