Seward daily gateway., 1932-04-07
ALASKA ITEMS OF INTEREST AT TIE
 NATIONS CAPITOL
(By W.A.S.)

The Department of the Interior has request before Congress for the continuance of the use of the MS Boxer. If this request is grant, ed and Congress provides the funds to operate the Boxer, it will be used by the Bureau of Indian Af- fairs in increasing the medical re- lief work among the native vil- lages in Southeastern Alaska, in- cluding Sitka, and in transporting to the Juneau Native Hospital such natives as need hospital care.
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 The Washington office of the Vermont Marble Company states that the specifications for the new Federal building at Fairbanks re- quire considerable "Tokeen" mar ble. AS consequence, the opera tionS at Tokeen, near Wrangell, which have been idle for the past two years, are about to resume op- erationS with a crew of 75 men at the quarries.
 Secretary of the Interior Wilbur has submitted to the chairman of the Appropriations Committee that economies in Federal .adminisrta- tion can be brought about by the placing of health, education and conservation under assistant secre- taries. Tn this connection will be submitted chart showing the complicated Federal administration in Alaska. It was pointed out that unificatiOn of control, and espec- tally a single embracing bud get would effect great economy in the Territory
 The bill introduced by Delegate Wickersham to grant the Terri torial Legislature power to manage the fisheries, the game, fur bearing and other wild animals, was re- ferred by the Committee on Terri tories to the Department of the Interior. An adverse report was made by Secretary Wilbur, who writes to the committee as follows:
 "I transmit herewith a copy of a letter from the Hon. George A. Parks, Governor of the Territory of Alaska, to whom the bill was re- ferred by me for report as to the nevessity for, as well as the advis- ability of, the enactment of the legislation contemplated in the bill. It will be seen therefrom that he regards the present policy of the government in the controlling of the fisheries and wild life as ade- quate and satisfactory, and that the Territory is not financially able to assume the burden which would be imposed on it under the bill. I concur in the conclusions cf the Governor in this matter, and rec ommend that the bill be not given favorable consideration"
 In his conclusions, the Governor states that under the policies that are in effect the fisheries are be- ing protected and the depleted areas restored to normal produc- tion." To do this work, the ap- propriations made and expended by the government for the past three years, have been as follows: 1929, $418,456; 1880, $414,O61; 1881, $457,- 868. The Governor adds that the average yearly revenue derived by the Territory from all sources over the past five years averages about $1 100000 yearly, and then states:
 Revenues are decreasing instead of increasing and there must be an increase in taxes next year to meet essential demands. During 1929 and 1880 the fisheries produced 7693 per cent of the revenue, and obviously, it is impossible to fur ther burden them to provide any, where the sum necessary to main tain an organization such as is now administering the fisheries. Ob- viously, the Territory is not finan- cially able to assume the burden that would be imposed by the bill. The situation with regard to the game is much the same. Approxi- mately $10O,O00 is expended each year by the Biological Survey for warden service and predatory ami mai control. The combined service is now costing approximately $55O,- 000 per year, and even though it lcould be had for half the sum, the