The Daily Alaska empire., 1937-08-19
HINDERING ALASKA DEVELOPMENT

Over the years efforts have been directed toward further settlement in Alaska. Various inducements have been offered but there remains one hurdle as yet unsurmounted and until such time it can be removed or at least lowered settlement in the Ter ritory is certain to be slow process That hurdle is the inability to acquire title to land. True land can be had for under permit system but to acquire title in many instances is impossible. As result development either small or large scale is sharply curtaied Capital of any kind does not feel safe in erecting substantial improvements on land to which it may gain title
 typical example of the situation may be found in the experience of the Yukon Fur Farms, Inc, of Petersburg, operated by Game Commissioner Earl N. Dinner and associates. A good many years ago MT Dinner who has established large shrmping op- erations in Alaska decided to go in the fur farming business. He and his associates cleared an area of land across the channel from Petersburg and began operations Their efforts at producing good fur proved particularly successful with the result that in few years they had invested some $60000 or $75,000 in buildings and other improvements and building up their stock. Their fur became premium on the mar kets of the world and Alaska could boast of another substantial and comparatively new industry.
 Viewing the success of their venture and proving to themselves and many others in the Territory that fur could be raised profitaby farms the operators began effort obtain title to the land they had cleared as an experiment. For l2 years they have been en- deavoring get kind of right to the property but thus far have met with no success Despite the success of their undertaking and its obvious value toward development of the Territory the government continues to regard them squatters and refuses to do anything about it. In fact at a recent hearing in Washington agents in hearing the under the trade, manufacture other productive industry" act.held that fur farming was not productive in- dustry and thus denied title to the land It ap parenty considered production of 1,400 mink pelts this valued at around $50 each was not pro ductve industry"
 The Dinner is just example There are countless others with the result that very definite damper is placed industrial advancement in the Territory. Fur farming properly carried on prov ing to be Alaska Experts are of the opin- ion that with the vast unused acreage in the north the Territory future years be producing the bulk of the worlds fllrs from farms and fur produced on farms has been found superior to that grown in the wild.
 The Territory at the last session of the Legisla took steps to aid in furthering this industry It ap- prepriated money to set up an experimental fur farm with the aim of helping those who attempting to get start in the business There are many questions of feeding breeding and housing in connection with the animals which the farmers have been trying to work out for themselves, Some have been successful. large number have not due to hit and miss methods With the experiment farm in operation to help them a great step will have been taken forward in pro- moting the industry
 But even then the fly is still in the ointment The fur farmer will still have the problem of getting title to his land True, he may get homestead rights in some places but in others close to centers of popua ton which most desireable for marketing he can only operate under permit from the government. He can never be quite sure when he will receive six months notice to move off
 That sort of a setup will never be productive of industrial advancement for Alaska and so long as the Territory is hrotled under such antquaed regu- lations we not look to great degree of develop plent along that line
 Commenting the subject recently MT Dinner made this statement which strikes us as summing the situation up very well:
 Tt has been my impression that our government wished to do anything possible to assist settlement h Alaska. It. therefore follows that the least thing that can be done to assist settlement is make it easy to obtain land title There literally thou sands on thousands of square miles of land in Alaska much of 1t which is unfit for farming purposes, is the in Southeast Alaska where the lands are largely of muskeg condition believe anyone who has determination enough to settle on or try to make a home or living on these muskeg lands should have by all means, every assistance He should at least be assisted in every way possible to make his way easy to getting title of some sort.
 Carving out home and making living in Alaska, especially for family man, is not easy This applies not only to the man Of small but also lo the man with capital. In either case he must work hard and use lot of horse sense to succeed However he can succeed fl he is in earnest and to help him make his home go abont his psnfhictio