The Daily Alaska empire., 1948-02-25

poyment is in fact contemplated by the Secretary as is evidenced by the following statement appearing on page 72 of paper titled Recreational Resources of the Alaskan Highway and Other Roads in Alaska" published by the then Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes in 1944:
 Direct returns to the individual citizen
 will be mostly in the form of payment for per-
 sonal service in connection with the consruc-
 ton of facilities or with their operation after
 they completed"
 To further the Alaska Tourist Facilities project the right of way of the Alaska Highway including the Tok cutoff established by the Secretary of the Interior feet that is 300 feet either side of the center line of the highway The private citi zen may not establish claim this right of way.
 The Interior Department however is authorized by H. R. 469 this land for sites for their tourist facilities. In addition to the competitive advantage this monopoly gives the Interior Department it has further secured its advantageous position by having additional reserves created at certain strategic points along the highways in Alaska.
 These lands are in fact the lands in Alaska served by public highways that best suited for the commercial development of highway facilities As result of the action of the Secretary private citizen may lawfully occupy the land and result of the action Delegate Bartlett the Secretary of the Interior will be given a preference right to use any of the lands sites for his business venture.
 The appropriation of public lands by an appointive official of the government to be used for the purpose of engaging in commercial enterprises in competition with private citizens is departure from system of government known at time 'The American Way of Life" This departure is clearly defined on page 40 of the above quoted paper-"Because of the preponderance of travel of recreatonal nature and because the way is not presently cluttered with un- desirable accessories it is part of wisdom to plan ordarlv controlled deVelODment facili- ties rather than leave their initiation to individuals and perhaps unwise private adventure
 Planned and controlled development "-"rather naturalization by the individual '-"unwse private adventure" might well have been taken from page of Joe Stalns book. If the Congress of the United States sees fit endorse legislation of this nature and bestow upon appointed official the dctorial authority provided for by H R. 4691 it would appear futile to have waged the and futile indeed to pursue further the "Un-American" activities of others
 Alaska as Territory has no problem it cannot meet and it is not without and resources to conduct it's own political and economic future fl bureaus under whose control we live will simply per- form their basic duty and not attempt to use Alaska as field for social and economic experimentation The war made it possible if not necessary to delegate to the Secretary of the Interior vast power and authority It is not believed that the Congress in- tended the power thus delegated would be used as provided for by Bartletts bill.
 It is fervently hoped that common sense and reasoning will dictate that such emergency powers should now be curtailed and that to favoraby con- slider H. R. 4691 would be to acknowledge to the world that while the~U. S. advocates free enterprise on the part of it's citizens it does in fact practice system advocated by the United States Of Soviet Russia.