The Daily Alaska empire., 1931-12-29
POOR ECONOMY AND WORSE
 BUSINESS.

It is clearly apparent from statements to The Empire from Commissioner Charles H. Flory, of the Federal Department of Agriculture, and Dr. H. w. Albers, Director of United States Agricultural Ex- pertinent Stations in Alaska, that the Hoover Ad- mnistration desires to withdraw active Federal sup port from future development of the agricultural industry in Alaska. That is position that Alaska must view with deep concern.
 The extent of the Terrtorys agricultural industry is not generally realized here at home The 193O Federal Decennial Census shows it had a normal and material growth for the decade preceding that date The Alaska report reveals an investment in farm lands, buildings and machinery of almost S3500000 exclusive of livestock on the farms. The settler in Alaska is primarily pioneer, engaged in trying to build up home out of wilderness under natural and climatic conditions strange to him and of which he not gain working knowledge unless he has expert scientific and technical aid. He is entitled to have help in solving these problems and is justified in look ing to the Federal Government for the needed assistance
 In the past he has had that help. For 3O-odd years the Experiment Stations have taken lead ershp in series of studies and practical demon strations of soil conditions, climate land clearing methods crop varieties and yields, harvesting and marketing that has made farming in Alaska less of a gamble and more of business. It has devel oped hardy grains that can be grown successfully; evolved small fruits that being cultivated almost within the shadow of the Arctic Circle; bred strain of stock that bids fair to replace the older strains of dairy cattle.
 There is scarcely yard in Southeast Alaska that does not contain shrubbery, fruit bushes straw berries and other fruits, that have been developed through years of patient research and experimental ii +bo the great interior valleys annually reap wheat barley and other grain crops for local needs from varieties proved up by the stations at Fairbanks and Matanuska. The latter plant is standard izing hybrid breed of cattle, known to be better suited to the interior farmer than anything he get from the States
 While this work is naturally of benefit to the already established agricultural community and to the Territory, it has even larger significance It is through this medium, and it alone that selective agricultural settlement can be made of the fertile lands of such fine areas as the Mata- nuska, Sustna and Panama valleys. The Federal Government is, or, at least, it ought to be, more concerned about such settlement than anyone else It owns the land, and until that passes into private ownership the costs of administering it as well as a proportonate share of Territorial administration costs, must come from the national treasury
 Some four years ago, the Alaska Railroad the Federal Governments S600O0000 utility and on which it loses about s1OOOOOO annually without including interest charges capital investment launched program of bringing homesteaders to the agricultural lands adjacent to it. AS a result of the Alaska Railroads advertising program and through the efforts of it's colonization agent large number of families have been induced to settle along the road.
 This is sound business only if they can make comfortable livings. They will remain and grow in number only so long they have commensurate reward for the privations they naturally undergo in this pioneering. The colonization plan un- doubtedly rests on good business judgment and is supported by the experience of the Western rail- roads Of the country which have learned that each new settler along their routes brings to them an additional annual revenue of about s7oO
 The Federal Government ought to learn some thing from the experience of the Western roads. It ought to extend every possible assistance to settlers its lands, and bring in as many as the local markets for their products will support. It has two great ends possible of achievement bv doing so It can rid itself of lands now idle and capable of sustaining a prosperous, home-owning population. It can take its railroad out of the deficitpaying class and put it on a sound founda- tion.
 This Administration has failed signally to recog nize it's opportunity. First, it has hamstrrng the railroad with excessive freight and passenger rates Now it proposes, in the interests of economy to wipe out of existence the only agency through which it can hope to assist in agricultural deyel- opment and through it build up permanent settle ment In this it is guilty of poor economy and unsound business judgment
 Alaska should bring these matters to the atten- ton of Congress. That body once correctly in- formed on them, probably will be willing to make