The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1947-08-28

the OulQOOT WTllSIS ASSOCldllOll "a
America, today expressed the pur-
poses of the current trip of OWAA
members to Juneau as:
To have a good time.
To get taste of Alaska fish
ing.
But mainly to find out about
present conditions in the Territory
and learn, if possible, from the
people of Alaska first hand, how
to find answers to problems now
present before Alaska-answers
that will help to save Alaska's
wildlife.
Among those problems Brown
includes:
Statehood.
Wildlife cropping.
Cropping of the forests for pulp
production.
The Lemke veterans homestead
bill.
The OWAA President said he
has advised members of his party
to find the truth from the people
of Alaska-in barber shops, in the
stores, on street corners.
The message he brings to the
people of Alaska is: 1T costs ten
times as much and takes ten times
as long to restore as to preserve !"
For his own impressions. Con-
ditions in Alaska are in line with
what he expected, but worse than
he thought could exist Alaska
today is a perfect repetition of
what happened in the States in
the old days when lumber barons
exploited the forests, exploited
the sumberjacks and exploited the
people. Absentee landlords and
Federal government agencies today
are exploiting Alaska.
Alaskas greatest remaining re-
source is what Brown calls its
Green Gold" it's forests.
Safeguard Wildlife First
He feels that taking the Green
Gold" inevitably will cause some
additional loss to the already de-
pleted salmon runs-but, he feels
the loss will be worthwhile If safe
guards are taken to see that the
loss is not avoidably great. He is
not alone among the writer's here
in emphasizing that guarantees
against water pollution and 9TH
er hazards to wildlife must be Sc
cured tefore the pulp industry
gains its foothold-once the indus
try is established in the Terri
tory it will be too late.
Brown added that he is afraid
Alaskans are SO anxious for new
capital that they are willing to
sell their heritage for mess OF
pottage."
Gene Latourneau, who represents
the Gannett newspapers, express
ed shock at finding from reading
the rules under which pulp timber
is to be cut that those rules con-
tain nothing definite to prevent
cutting timber right up to waters
edge of streams. All the fish he
has so far caught in Alaska, La
tourneau said, he has caught above
timber edge. Rigid rules for pro-
lection must be laid down before
the axe gets into that timber, he
stressed; and they must not be
softened later on.
President Brown declared that he
very much likes tie people OF
Alaska the real Alaskans, not
those who have flocked in from
Seattle and other places in the
States to try to get what they
can. He mentioned number OF
generous little gestures which he
has appreciated very much; in
particular that of a man at Wran-
CELL who left aboard his boat some
warm clothing to protect his IL
year-old and often-broken bones.
Statehood now, under existing
conditions, and under the terms
a State of Alaska would get, Brown
declared would be "the worst thing
that ever happened to Alaska"
Alarka Not Ready
Brown said he has been asked
about Alaska's cashing in on its
recreation crop. Alaska Is not
ready, is his answer. He pointed
out that with only Al people in
his party, Juneau is the first place
they could get accommodated. In
Ketchikan, he had to scurry up old
iron cots to make out their own
hotel in an old USO building. A
taxi ride of less than two minutes
in Ketchikan cost three of them
one dollar each.
That he cited as an instance OF
visitor gouging which he feels is
to be blamed not on the real
Alaskans but on outsiders who
are in the Territory for rich pick
ings.
You don't get a recreational