Seward daily gateway., 1933-04-29
TERRITORIAL INVESTIGATIONS

TERRITORIAL INVESTIGATIONS
 The announcement that the present summer will see general investigation of the Territory with view to creation of progressive policy may be taken to mean that the Administration at Washington W1l @ o Sahe up where the Wilson administration left oft III l9zl-zz
 It was in those years that Alaska was virtually cast overheard to shift for itself and all that had been accom- plshed was scrapped
 Records of succeeding Investigations by the succeed ing Republican administrations point an era of rum
 First there was the pronOuncement or secretary ol the Interior Hubert Work and United States Land Com, missioner Spry to the effect that now that the Fedefa government had built AaskanS railroad It was up to them to make it success rather startling postuate in view of what the party of these gentlemen had oone in point of removing from the grasp oi Aaskans 9o per cent of the natural resources ana put Oe at e i'y of carpet baggers.
 Following came the undoing of all steps taken by Secretary of the Interior John Barton Payne and Secre- ta1y of the Navy Josephus Daniels in effort to assist in developing the Matanuska coal fields and exportauon of coal
 Unlike their predecessors who, apparently investl- gated Alaska to learn how best to protect vested inter- sts in the United Staes both Payne and Daniels secur ed their information first thand, by intimate personal contact with the people; they craWled thru the coal mines and saw the coal provided coal camps and secured cargoes coal be tested by the Navy These tests are matters of record, showing that Alaska coal was equa to if not superior to other naval coals.
 Hardly had Payne and Daniels left Alaska when their successors abandoned all facilities for aiding the coal miner, including washery costing $4ooooo and camps entallng an additional cost or SoOO,OUU
 Plans for establishing coaling station in the Aleu- ans for the purpose of combined service to the Navy and mercantile ships plying the Pacific halted.
 This resulted in turning the Pacific Coast coal busl ness the Utah and Montana mines owned by men occupying high positions in the councils of the G. O. r.
 Then came the burlesque of the Howell Senatorial committee with further expressions upon the Alaska Railroad and the Territory at large What documentary fact there available found place in that mttees record presented to Washington. Among the most important of these that of transporting of reindeer and freight and passenger rates calculated to encourage industry and travel. The reindeer industry was killed as item for the independent and Es- kimo and the ralroad which lost possible an- nual business of S1OO,OOO.
 The reindeer investigation another farce in keeping with previous investigations, resulting in break ing down of the agencies established for the protection of the Eskimo and the treasury of the United States This accomplished by taking the industry from the Bur of Education and placing it under the Interior De partment.
 Roads built by the War Department for develop en of the Territory snatched away by the Inter for Department which proceeded to enact Legislation compelling frontersnen to pay tolls for their use.
 The Bureau of Fisheries under O'Malley, con verted from of livelihood for resident white native fishermen to an iron-bound monopoly
 And this program all the time being folowe in the United States-loot and vandalism hitherto un known in America.
 The task of undong this evil and removing its agen ces and causes is one of gigantic dimensions.
 It is fortunate that Alaskas cause is pooled wit that of the remainder of the nation
 The time is ripe for Alaskans to begin assemblin facts and data preparatory to meeting investigatin committees face to face instead of having hand pcke vasSaS of bureaucratS summoned like culpritS before police court and m ellie to say what wishe of them.
 How we'll Alaska fares result of this next inve tigatiCn will be contingent how we'll they prepare the