The Wrangell sentinel., 1946-08-23
THROUGH THE SENTINEL PERfSCOPE

Visit of Interior Secretary Julius A. Krug to Alaska last fortnight left in it's wake a spirit of optim- ism unparalleled in the Territory
 Alaskans liked the new secre- tary of Interior. They liked the way he got down to cases with them on the various problems con in many years.
 fronting the Territory in it's drive to ward expansion and develop ment They liked his pledge that Interior meant to go all the way to help in building up an expand ed Alaska economy. They liked the straightforward, factual approach of the Secretary. Many of them cheered when he pointed to state hood as Alaska's ultimate goal, and one which he nd his department fully supported. His proposal to coordinate Federal activities in an effort to eliminate 'red tape" WAS to Alaskans like a cool hand on a fevered brow. Alaska blood pres sure has been up for years over fred tape" or the popular term for having to go through half a dozen or more agencies to attain a goal or ascertain a simple fact.
 Altogether, the Krug visit was like a "shot in the arm" for Alas kans. He emanated hope and pro- mise for Alaska's future Alaskans ate it up. For a decade and more many of them had been fighting former Secretary Harold Ickes and what many considered his restric- tive policies. This was a new deal; a vitalized approach which seemed to give Alaskans rebirth of faith in their Territory and themselves.
 Travelling on a fast, tight sched ule, (revealing what air transport ation means to Alaska) the Secre- tary absorbed in 10 days a wealth of information about the Territory, its needs and it's people. With his party, mostly division heads with in his department. he worked at it from early morning to late night endeavOring to learn to his own satisfaction what makes Alaska tick, and what Interior could do about making it tick more effec- lively for the welfare of Alaskans and the nation. At hearings in var ious communities, at public and private affairs in his honor and just in casual conversation he heard about the Territory and it's problems. The problems ran the gauntlet, familiar to Alaska-fish traps, aboriginal rights, labor, shipping, mining, transportation, land withdrawals, reservations, pulp industry, expansion of the fishing industry. No subject with bearing on the welfare and devel- opment of the Territory was ove-- looked.
 On traps, the proponents and the opponents had their brief inn ings, the Secretary now and then injecting a question. On aboriginal rights or Indian claims, he offered a partial answer. He was hopeful, he said, of getting the claims set tied once and for all and the de- partment is working toward that end at the present time. Labor told its story, particularly as it concerns industry within the Ter ritory. The Secretary indicated surprise when he learned carpen- ters get six cents an hour more in Seattle than they do in Alaska. This was worth note in the highest priced country on earth. Shipping. especially water transportation, was given an airing. Here was No 1 bottleneck and the Secretary ap- peared mindful of it. Tn the pulp industry he saw real promise ani said a way must be worked out to See that such industry is encour- aged.
 There were scores of other mat ters dealing with Alaska from it's northernmost Arctic to it's banana belt" of the Southeast The Secre- tary didn't miss many of them If he happened to be busy with some thing else at the moment there was Warner Gardner, ssistant Sec retary; Creekmore Fath Special Assistant; Edwin Arnold, Director of Territories or Carlton Skinner, Information Chief, ready to carry the ball. Also lending a hand i'l their respective fields were Joel Wolfsohn of the bureau land man. agement; William Wrather, Dirac- tor of the Geologic Survey; Will liam Zimmerman, Assistant Con- missioner of Indian Affairs and Milton James of Fish and Wildlife.
 Big, young, vigorous Gap" Krug captured Alaska from Barrow to Dixon Entrance. His visit has left Alaskans with new lease on life in the Territory and it's fu-