Seward daily gateway., 1927-01-18
LEST WE FORGET

 Bureau is 85 100000 board feet. The lumber cut on the national forests for the calendar year 1925 ST. 500OO0 feet The total cut since 1909 has been 9395OO 900 board feet
 Thus in IS years the total cut of timber has been less than one years output of the Puget Sound country.
 The Puget Sound timber, and that Oregon, to quote Clifford Pinchot author of Conservation was for the most part "stolen from the Federal government and Posterity.
 The result of this "sea e., preempton by settlers and sale to numbering interests has been the creation off combined population of 17400O0 according to the 1920 census, and wealth placed at $8,541, ,844,OOO.
 The enormous aggregate of wealth represents liquid assets which have accumulated thru permitting pioneers exercise the right of discovery and primary develop ment
 Between 1860 and 1920 Washington gained 1,345 027 in population, while Oregon gained 33O,9Y.
 From date of purchase-1867-Al has enjoyed only about 60000 population exclusive of Indians during the period of gold excitement Today it's white popula ton is given by the Census 33 whites and 2l h. dans.
 The major portion of the white population left the Territory immediately following the depletion of the rich pacers. This was about 1906 following the promuga- tion of the order withdrawing coal oil and timberands from preepton by settlers and placing them under leasing system governed by 38 bureaus of which every ninth member of Aaskas population is empoye
 Since it's purchase from Russia in 1862 Alaska has produced approximately billion and ten million dollars from it's mines, fisheries and furs.
 Statistics not at hand to show what Washington and Oregon have produced but may draw upon the imagination for the magnitude of the wealth flowing into the channels of national and international trade.
 When the federal government arbitrarily took from the pioneers of Alaska what theirs by right of pre- cedent and custom in the naon it announced that the action based upon the principle of preventing big interests from duplicating the experience of the Pa cc coast and acquiring large tracts of mineral and tim Der lands
 The offer just made by the Federal government to sell to the highest bidder ten billion board feet-whch represents twenty billion feet with the of byproducs
 it plans to deliver into the hands of aggregation of capital more timber than was controlled by the Weyerhausers the combined timber interests of the United States Land containing billion feet of timber is classified as nexhaustible" of being depleted by the natural laws of replacement by growth unless de- stroyed by fire.
 How long will it require to utilize ten billion feet of timber represented in the deal now offered by Wash ington? If monopoly the incentive for refusing to allow Aaskans to gain possession of these by small units and sale to those who could develop, what sWer can Washington give in the present instance?
 From time to time copious propaganda has been broadcast by departmental heads to the effect that bg nterests' endeavoring to steal the resources of Alaska This hypocrisy is longer impervous to pene tration.
 In these days when the moral element has been sub- ordinated to pragmatism it is debatabe any remedy for the wrongs inflicted upon Alaska will be forthcoming
 It is not too late however, to in ameliorate the wrong Washington yet allow bona de Alaskans acquire title to natural resources being content to take the governments share in royalties.
 Alaska has no quarrel with the representatives of the Bureaus in the Territory On the other hand what ever human element has entered into the premises has been due to the high class of detailed to the Terri torv who have eniOved the frendshin and rasnect