The Wrangell sentinel., 1950-02-24

next week.
 The record disclosed that after Julious A Krug succeeded MT. Ickes as Secretary of the Interior, the announced policy of the De- partment was that reservations. should not be established in South eastern Alaska. Notwithstanding, it is my opinion that certain ele- ments within the Department work ed in opposition to seeretarial policy and continue actively and quite openly to advocate the reser- vation policy.
 So many reservation advocates have lately been declaring that the act referred to above was passed primarily to afford oppor- tunity to settle land claims that 1t would be appropriate here to con- suit the record. Unfortunately, thre is no stenographic record of testimony before the House or Sen ate committees in connection with the bill to etend the Wheeler-How- ard Act to Alaska, much less a printed record. It is true that in his report to the Chairman of the Committee on Indian Affairs of the House of Representative dated March IA, 1996, on H. R. 9S6G, the Secretary of the Interior men toned the provisions of tn bill relating to reservation authority contained therein.
 However, I have it from the author of the biM himself and from others now in Washington who had something to do with the measure when it was under iegi- slative consideration that the measure was introduced and passed for one reason only-namely, to tend to Alaska the credit provi- sions of the Wheeler-Howard Act. The natives of the Territory were substantially without access to credit in their business undertak- ings and it was extremely impor- tant for their economic betterment that they be granted the same ac- cess to government funds for busi- ness purposes enjoyed by Indians within the states. Certainly no one at that time could well have worked in behalf of the bill as a means to settle native land claims because they were not then directly and importantly at issue.
 The record seems o show that the Office of Indian Affairs did not regard the Act of May 1, 1936, as having any purpose other than to make it possible for the native people to borrow money for busl- ness and industry. This is demon strated by the JUne 1, 1886, edi- tion of Indians at Work" On page B thereof there is an article entitled, "The Alaska Amendment to the Reorganization Act" Be- cause it is of importance in ln- dicating the official belief as to the purposes of the Act, l quote the article here in it's entirety:
 "The Alaska Amendment to the Indian Reorganization Act of 1884, signed by President Roosevelt re- gently, marks another constructive step in the program of the Office of Indian Affairs to advance tn. economic and social welfare of the Indians.
 "The problem of the Indians in Alaska is largely economic, but with this difference-that in Alas ka, because of the large propor- ton of Indians there is difficul race problem. There is also th' problem of the seasonal character of the chief ndustry-fisheries II this industry the ordinary pre-sea son work and the normal earl. pdchIhS !cdHhlhS sdlHtohJ Cdh peS be met by skeleton crews brought to Alaska from the states
 "The problem of the peak loat during the heavy run of salmon which lasts about ten days, is me by hiring local labor, chiefly In dians. These emergency worker are used only during the rush be riod. These Indians live near th canneries. As a result, the Indian