The Nome nugget., 1944-07-03
By HOWARD LYING
PART L


 Your editor has asked n7e tos write a second article on state hood for Alaska-a sort of com panion piece to the ore hat wrote for the Christmas edition of The Nuggef-this one to deal with the mechanics ot acquiring statehood including an explana- ton of the method and details involved in the process of beconn- ing a state
 However. before getting around to this. would like 10 call your attention to some of the monkey Wrenches that have been thrown into the Congressional machinery that has been appraising and studying Delegate Dimond's state hood bill for the past several months This, of course, was to be expected. and is merely the normal result of rampant beauro- cracy in action.
 Bill Introduced by Dimond
 When a Bill pertaining 10 Alaska is introduced by Delegate Dimond in the House of Repre- sentatives. it is handed over to the committee on Territories, who in turn hold hearings on the bill, inviting those who favor or op- pose if to step up and give their reasons. The Committee on Ter ritories, after concluding their hearings and investigation, report the bill back to the floor of the House, recommending either for or against the passage of the bill.
 Among those who appeared be- fore this committee in the matter of Statehood, either in person or by delegated authority, were the Secretary of the Interior. the Secretary of War, the Secretary of the Navy, the Secretary of Ag- riculture, and the Secretary of Commerce-all members of the Roosevelt cabinet, and all heads of the various national depart ments of government. who, through the many bureaus work l ing under them in Alaska, control the destinies of our Territory. If you think I'm kidding, look up the record --- There has never , yet been a major piece of legis- lation passed by Congress that in- wolves Alaska without the o. K. of the above-named gentlemen.
 All of the aforementioned in- dicated they were favorable to statehood for Alaska-after the war-with the exception of Sec retary of the Interior Ickes.
 As the Department of the h. terior has by far the major man. date in the management of Alas l ka with respect to it's natural resources, we are therefore prin- cipally concerned here with the objections of MT. Ickes, who runs the Interior Department as one- man show. Mir. Ickes, through his department, has charge of the public domain--four- -fifths Of Alaska-national parks and mon uments. Bureau of Indian Af- fairs coal and oil lands, fisheries, fur and game. The governor and the secretary of Alaska are em- nloves of the Department of the Interior, appointed by the Presi- dent.
 MT. Ickes lists as his objections to the passage of MT. Dimonds statehood Bill: CD Sparseness Of population; CD Insufficiency of .n,,blic services; (3) The Treritory's economy is unstable and unsound; .f4) The natural resources belong to the entire nation, and if trans ferred to Alaska would be unwlse- ly used or footed by absentee ownership.
 The first three of his objections were covered in my first article --the fourth, and principal one' will be dealt with here.
 MT. Ickes has long regarded Alaska Is his special oyster, and long ago staked out his claim to