The Daily Alaska empire., 1932-01-12
BATTLE WACED TO SAVE ALASKA M STATIONS
Territorial Chamber Acts to Get Agricultural
 Appropriation
(Ccntlnueu from Page Cnej

question for Congress to decide is whether the development of agri- culture in Alaska should be encour- aged or discouraged by the Federal Government. On account of the present economic depression the Department of Agric GU ture has adopted the policy of discouraging overexpansion of agriculture. While overexpansion undoubtedly prevails in many sections of the States it does not exist in Alaska for the following reasons:
 q. At the present time the farmers of the Territory do not supply more than IS per cent of the produce needed for home con- sumption. There is no indication that Alaska will ever sell farm products in competition with grow CTS in the States, but it should ha encouraged to expand its own agriculture to point of building up an industry large enough to supply US lOcal market.
 Lowered Production Costs
 "2. The future devlopment of other industries in Alaska, par ticularly mining, depends in large measure on lowering the cost of production. The only way this can be done is by lowering the cost Of living. Since certain types of agriculture can be carried on in Alaska at less cost than in the States this can be accomplished when the Territory produces enough food stuffs within it's capabilities to supply it's own needs, and this production should therefore be en- outraged.
 "3 The Alaska Railroad, upon which $70,000,000 has already been expanded, cannot be made to pay except by the development of in- dustries along it's right of way and the support of a non-transient, nomebuilding public There is no reason to believe that there can be any material development of any line of endeavor if one of the basic industries Of the country is to be discouraged.
 Necessity Is Recognized
 "The Interior Department ha. recognized tn, necessity for the development of agriculture along the course of the railroad by in- augurating land settlement pro- gram This development will be seriously retarded, if not entirely defeated, if the Experiment Sta tions are closed.
 A The theory of the Depart ment of Agriculture is that over- expansion is caused by the farming of marginal and submargiral land. Since only a very snal fraction of the arable land in Alaska has been homesteaded there is no danger for many years to come that marginal and submarginal land will be soughe for farming. Agriculture in Alaoka is basically that of utilizing re- sources already existent and not a matter of creating farm land by costly reclamation In any case the homesteader and the home site settler are not operating on profit and loss basis as is necessary in the States on account of large invest ments and heavy taxes. The AL askan settler is primarily engaged in building a home where he can make a living for himself and his family"
 Conclusions Are Drawn
 In conclusion. the brief states:
 There doss not seem to be any logical reascn for continuing to operate the Alaska Railroad, to build roads, to encourage mining, or to do anything else in Alaska that the Federal Government is doing, if the home builder in a basic industry is to be discouraged. Alaska is still much of a pioneer country. Its development is and will continue to be gradual. In some lines of endeavor, like for instance agriculture, it must be considered by the Federal Govern ment as a long term investment.
 ITO close the Experiment Sta tlons now will destroy the faith of the settler in Alaska that the Federal Government has his inter- est at heart, and the psychological effect will be that the sound pro- gress now being made in agricul- ture will cease. The Alaska Experi- ment Stations should be kept iu operation by the Federal Govern ment until such time as the Ter ritory is financially able to assume the burden.
 Doesn't Saver of Economy
 "One of the reasons advanced for closing the stations is that it is matter of economy. It does not appear to be economy for the Government to spend money for 30 years to develop experiment sta tions to their present high state of efficiency and usefulness and then abandon them. According to information received the stations will continue uninterruptedly to June 30, 1892. Then if the order of closing goes into effect pre-