The Daily Alaska empire., 1930-12-04
MIR. SAWYER EXPLAINS TETLIN
 RESERVATION.

RESERVATION.
 The withdrawal last summer of a tract of la om entry in the Tetlin Lake region to be u' a site for Indian fur farms which has v roperly been criticized throughout Alaska IS ained in a memorandum signed by Ernest Wall awyer. Special Assistant to the Secretary of Int IT, just received by The Empire As he was C those interested in the creation of this reser' on his statement relative to prospecting in 'ea is of some interest
 The memorandum, which is self-expanatory : WIS:
 The temporary withdrawal of land for Indian fur farms near Tetlin embraces an area which the General Land Office insists is not more than 625 square miles. It is expected that about half of that area will eventually be assigned to individual Indians under fur farm leases and then the re- mainder will no doubt be released and re- turned to the public domain. The ordinary fur farm lease under the Interior Depart ment is limited to GAO acres on the mainland or 12200 acres (30 square miles) on several islands About 25 leases of this nature have been already issued in various parts of Alaska.
 The Department of Agriculture grants
 
 acres for mainland I have no record of the total leases issued by that Department. The Agriculture Department has about 30 million acres of reservations which believe are sub iect to their lease regulations. The Navy comes second with about 26 million acres of reservations. The Interior Department alto gether has less than million acres of res- ervations including Mckinley Park
 The Geological Survey considered at the time they examined the proposed boundaries of the Tetlin reservation that there were no mineral bearing areas within the bound aries It was further understood there were no prospectors within the area. As far as we have been able to find out there are still no prospectors within that area. The Geological Survey for years has advocated the interests of the prospectors and has op- posed the curtailment of their rights. l personally am very anxious that proSpectors be protected and in every way encouraged as I believe the future of Alaska lies with the prospectors of the next few years. Both Dr Phillip Smith and myself approved of the reservation provided there were no re- strictions on prospecting. The reservation papers were drawn up and signed June 10th while we were in Alaska and for some special legal reason it was so worded that all prospecting or mining on the area must
  Secretary of the Interior Immediately after returned to Washington I began to clear this up and within short time you can rest assured that a prospector should he ever de- sire to go into that area for legitimate pros pecting reasons will be able to proceed with his activities. I believe it is unnecessary for any one to waste further time in stirring up this subject as I believe everybody is in accord with your idea of prospecting and encouraging the prospectors and it will be done.
 I have been fighting for over a year to have all reservations in Alaska pass through some one responsible head and am in great hopes that soon every reserva- ton, regardless of what department orig mates it. will be referred to the Governor before being signed.
 We can see nothing in this communication [ ustifies the withdrawal order. and probably Sawyer did not undertake to justify it. The Eml riticised this withdrawal at the time it was ma n all of the country except Alaska the Fedt is moving to wipe out Indian reser ions and to abolish the reservation system. vas doing so when it made this new reservation he Territory.
 It was created, so MT Sawyer announced asst summer, to make it possible for a tribe Indians to go into the fur farming business a hey should have been taught the elements of business by the Government through its schc No other reason has ever been assigned Ur egislation enacted some years ago. lands on public domain in this Territory can be leased ur-farms. It was, therefore, unnecessary for Government to reserve the land.
 In withdrawing the land as it did. the Cove nent set a precedent dangerous to Alaskan de ,pment If it were followed similar reseryat would dot the Territory from Point Barrow Iyder and it would be possible under such em to tie up important resources upon the de ,prnent of which the, prosperity of the Terri depends Alaska has been reserved now almos distraction No other Territory ot the United St yer had so many nor of such infinite variety. s a matter of sober fact that there is no pc rho can today tell how many acres are embr n withdrawals. Some of the withdrawal or