BtielYlSo v/.uiJK bhICh IS ORti Of1 TEb MOST nUTHOh^TIVK
pub 1.13: ■ d in this U.b. has an art id*-; in tho bopt. bth issue in which
th point up s 'Hu of the facta of lli\; to the infant State of
ale.;!, a, it tin article is refreshing and assuring contrast to the
irresponsible guff put out by tho nlaska press in 'the past several
men! as in support trig tho Statehood idea. Here are some bits from the
a rticis : Most nlask- ns will resent these statements simply because
tho:. are true.
t! • ,
toil. ;u is the first stup, but it helps economic development
onl;, psych*. logically, th--a*o still ar ; obstacles to growth,
be to last Vv .j . k f when dusk- ns wont to tho polls and joyously voted
ov£srv*h...imingly to join tho Union, it had taken 4o years to promote
.tfl...si:, from the status of Territory to that of state. How that this
politic 1 goal has been achieved the 49th state faces many more years
of • devu 1p ing itself econe; ,ic ally.
This is a sob..ring thought for everyone who expected to cash in on
the territory’3 su- den good fortune. After the Senate passed, tho
statehood bill lost Jun.-, the Vision of easy money dazzled hundreds.
ouu Hi uojl- 4. .lx i u (;;tciLLr.wnu, Lii'i triuiapnni ooni iruG, anu trio
re-11 or co os tor ridos of a1. 3k a stocks, the realization cane that
statehood is no gold..*n key to the economy of an uncierdova 1 oped area,
that the admission of state is a political - not an econo-ilc- event.
Any economic advantage of statehood that has decisive bo- ring on
Ala ska’s future is bound to cone only as a second ,ry effect. ' State
hood has put the region into the public stage ana this reminder of the
state’s existence should indirectly bo helpful.
r'er- example, statehood cannot change the cl inn to of Alaska or its
remotnoss frin the 48 states or its topography.
Alaska my be twice the size of Toxae, 'but it will still bo "snail"
in the eyes of intvustrialists and politicians - at least until a new
boon takes hold under the auspices of the area’s new self government.
Its popula tion has nearly doubled since. 1950 - from 12B,b43 to about
220,000 but many of the new c r.ars'are government off lei-.Is
or military rtn arid their dependents. Alaska still has 50,000
fewer people than Nevada, 43th in popula tion,
Dae state’s a j<. r JioW burdens will be a judicial system to take over
nd the oxponu;* of highway Or. intenane;;. Tiio
from the feeler 1 c iurts,
U.3. has bo on paying most f the cast of rad maintenance as well as
construction; the r/tointononco cost now falls back on the stat ,, as n
11 a 1;
‘.. U' i
a
■ ti lO I
The .A. r:.U!u;u nura-ena ris an lur-vior tax? tion. This wua a point
b'-f ■ re last woek ’ s ref e rendu:/.Iask -. ’ s Territorial tax t* .ko p- r oa
it a is ■ Iready 16, -b higher than the av rage for the states, and
sole, people suggested that the need for new r v .iiuos might crrat an
oxc« :fiiv tax !..*-od.
bat
P
-connrrj z .cx’vj is o ngv-roualy dependent on r.illt .try spending.
i.l ..5!c i : ;31 obvious no jr'l for doVcl up?-*; nt 1; risk capital.
flll h.vua-a that could channel funds into ..lauku, into other
dev: It pis nt iturtionr, 3-y statehood by itself nak j little niff .rcnc s
in th 5r thinking,
3 .n inv start
o/
.v.ill have to rv>\’,
D’ .nkv r.
not
Jo.-it
ik or., are
r* 1hlng, t t b /
the cry t hat
ma
r In raid m y b
hit by higher tx r t. s
- - _ _ _ _j,
.n underd volapcd jt- to boosts it ?, 1 ;vv . rt • 111 eh inr nt
iruiujr.rl a in ard r to cut its taxes cn thu Industrie;* it wants t ttrr
oinc iklas»•: i l t still - neb a miniscule market nr n, its i anufuctux* r s
end pr: c ■>:; r.i will hav to depend on selling th .ir a ;r ;.i ut .id< . It.?
cr. r.ulp rill 1 is report-d running at only of capacity} th on unu i
c. not.ruction with Juponoosc capital, wi ll .prob bly ohip its pulp t
J'pan#
,.1 kn want.* to provide cmpleyr*;nt bef rj it encowr guo n wooners,
: ttract industry, the legislature last your pass .d o 10-yv.r
i n Cvx:. incoao '.rid local property t x for new industries t»v t qualify
r J’r bio. Vhia law is expected to bo a* ntinuod under jt# t* g\ v rn
• tth ugh opponents will charge that oXrptl.au r iso the t >• f
.e.-J-i.... ( j ~;Ti
X.