ALASKA HELP
FURNISH FOOD IN MATERIAL
QUANTITY AND METALS USED
FOR MUNITIONS.
EXPORTS OF GREAT VALUE.
Seattle Business Man Declares That
Northland’s Development Is Great
ly Retarded by Restrictive Policy
of Government.
Alaska, the frontier wonderland, the
land of gold, has become in the hour
of national need the land of the
world’s cheapest food supply, and an
important source of metals essential
to the manufacture of munitions,
says J. L. McPherson, manager of the
Alaska Bureau of the Seattle Cham
ber of Commerce and Commercial
club, in an article that recently was
printed in the Seattle Times.
“The fiftieth anniversary of the
purchase of Alaska occurred on Ccto
ber 18,” continues Mr. McPherson’s
article. “Alaska celebrated her
birthday month by sending out to the
world during the month of October
food and metal products totaling in
value $21,639,545, more than three
es the purchase price paid P.uss’a.
* “Of this great total, gold and sii or
aggregated only $1,600,000. Metals
ad a value of about §3,000,000, while
:ood supplies totaled in value about
§17.000,000. Metals included copper,
timony, lead, tin, tungsten, graph
a. e nd chrome ore, while the food
pplies embraced fish of many kinds,
th canned, .-moked, pickled and pre
mod by other methods; oils, stearine,
vegetables and reindeer meat—any
ae item of which contains material
for a most instructive article.
Only a Beginning.
‘‘Those who know in part of Alaska
realize that this remarkable showing
i' only the beginning and that the
story of the production for 1017 will
be greatly exceeded by that of the
years to come.
from this wonderful production? Un
“Is Alaska receiving the benefit
fortunately, no. A country that can
produce and ship to the outer world
products in one month of a value far
greater than all of Seattle’s indus
tries, is capable of a great and pros
^ pero-j- development and of supporting
S large } opo'ation. We are simply
reaming the rich resources of Alaska
• vithout doing anything toward re
plenishing or assuring a continuation
of the rich outflow.
“The intensive development that
should be encouraged and fostered,
especially at this time of rich and
great production, is lacking, with the
result that Alaska is not building up
with :ke industries and permanent
population essential to the prosperity
and rational development of the
north land.
Bureaucratic Restriction.
“The cause of this non-development
. bureaucratic restriction, a monopo
listic condition that is inimical to
all that is good and that tends to the
c rati: nal development of Alaska. The
typ" of men and women who were re
spon.-.ble for the building of our great
west are not going to Alaska, a land
of extremely hard physical and cli
matic conditions, where they are sub
jected to a policy of bureaucratic re
striction never before practiced in a
, democratic country.
ft “Last year one of these pioneers
i ;nd a piece of land in the Eagle
vc" vailey, southeastern Alaska, on
which he decided to make a home for
himself and family. As all of this
portion of Alaska is embraced in the
Tonpass forest reserve, under the
jurisditcion of the bureau of forestry,
Ik* made his application to the forest
supervisor for the segregation of a
I home.-tead.
“The bureau sent one of its sur
veyor who marked out and segre
gated about 100 acres of land. The
pioneer sent for his family and start
ed to make a frontier home for him
telf. Evidently when the report of
f;;is government agent reached some
o! the numerous higher-ups, which
string like an endless chain from
Alaska to Washington, they decided
that this homestead was altogether
too large for any one man to own. So,
last year there arrived at this Alaska
home a second government surveyor,
who proceeded to cut the homestead
to’thirty-nine acres.
One of Many Instances.
“This is only of innumerable in
stances of the restrictive activities of
all the federal bureaus having to do
i with Alaskan affairs. They are sim
I ply trying to stifle development and
' force into their hands the absolute
control of Alaska’s resources. If
| Alaska is to be developed as a gov
I eminent reserve, peopled only by gov
: eminent agents and employes, there
could be no criticism against such a
policy, but we ail know that ultimate
ly, under such conditions, great and
powerful private monopolies, through
political or other influence, will secure
j to themselves the exploitation of these
great resources.
“The excuse for such a policy of re
! striction is that the Alaskans are
not capable of properly conserving
their resources for posterity.
“It is certain that the Alaskans,
with bountiful supplies of fuel and pa
per pulp, would not misapply conser
vation by importing these much re
quired necessities from foreign coun
; tries as they are now compelled to
do. and they would see to it that en
couragement was offered to the pio
neer, for they know that under such
a policy Alaska would be peopled by
a cit>zenry typified by one of those
pione r Alaskan mothers, who recent
ly said to the writer:
“‘My boys are helping; one is a
major of engineers with General Fer
I’.Ing in France; the other is at the
Presidio, on his way, while I have
had a busy year in making a success
ful farm out of the old homestead I
recently bought.’ (Title to tiiis tract
of land had been secured before the
restrictive policy of our government
worn into eneci.j
Should Have Big Population.
“Alaska’s rich resourecs should to
day support a population of at least
500,000 instead of the 75.000 natives
and whites, whose land is producing
a greater per capita wealth of output
than that of any country in the
world’s history. Every true American
! should lend his or her influence to the
bringing about of a policy of govern
mental encouragement toward the pi
oneers of Alaska that will result ir
making the northland the home of a
strong and prosperous people.
“The development of Alaska, so im
portant to the nation, will assist
I greatly in the rapid development of
Seattle as the metropolis of the Paci
fic coast. ‘Enlightened economic inter
est as well as patriotic concern there
fore inspires the demand for needed
legislation.
“The restrictive laws now in force
preventing devlopment, are regarded
by all impartial students of Alaska’s
needs as being just as absurd as were
the objections of the congressmen
who opposed the purchase of Alaska
calling it ‘Seward’s Folly.’”
LAND BANK IS BUSY.
Spokane Institution Lends $5,500,00C
in Eight Months.
SPOKANE, Wash., Jan. 14.—Loans
made by the Spokane land bank to
<la:.e total about §5,500,000. Loans
were not made 'luring the first two oi
three months of the bank’s existence
as the time was devoted to organiza
tion work. The bank has been organ
i ized for eight months,
j Salaries and other expenses of the
bank for the first year of its exist
| ence, will be about §120,000, accord
I ing to the estimates of officials, whe
; figure that the earnings in that time
| will not be more than $15,000. Dame1
I G. O’Shea, president of the bank, says
i however, that the institution eventual
! ly will be self-sustaining, although
| not for a long time.
THE NEW VISION.
Woodman, spare that tree,
Our effort don’t retard.
Just get in line
And quickly sign
This conservation card.
altruistic work.
Some millionaires could easily con
duct experiments and tell us vvhethe:
or not there i any money in the chick
en business.—Kansas City Journal.
CHARLES E. HERRON AND L. F
SHAW HAVE DINNER TO
GETHER IN NEW YORK.
ENJOY TALK OF ANCHORAGE
Gotham Experiences Coldest Weathei
Known There in Thirty-Four Year!
and Fuel Riots Take Place ii
Brooklyn.
By F. L. SHAW,
Former Editor of Times.
NEW YORK, Dec. 13.—(Specia
Correspondence)—Charles E. Herron
publisher of the Anchorage Dail;
Times, reached this city yesterday
forenoon, and departed this evening
en route to Pittsburg. Upon arriva
here, he telephoned Mrs. Shaw an<
1 myself and we were his guests at ;
dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria las
evening. Later, we took in Rector’s
passed a couple of hours there, an<
then returned to the Waldorf, remain
ing there until after midnight. W<
had a delightful visit, talking of An
chorage and Alaska prospects gener
ally.
Ted Bedell is in Tittsburg and wil
probably accompany Mr. Herron 01
I his return here in a week or ten days
New York is facing one of the mos
severe winters in the city’s history
The thermometer dropped nearly t<
zero the other day. One old-timer say:
it was the coldest weather, for thi:
time of the year, he has known ii
thirty-four years. Today, we had ;
heavy fall of snow, a most unusual oc
curence at this time of the year. T<
add to the suffering, there is a short
age of coal. In Brooklyn today theri
were several riots growing out of tin
inability of some of the poorer class
es to obtain coal.
ANCHORAGE MAN IS
CAPTAIN IN m\
WILLIAM G. REYNOLDS WIN;
QUICK RECOGNITION IN EN
GINEERING CORPS.
_
From a mechanic’s helper to a cap
tain in the United States army in les
than five months is the achievemen
of William G. Reynolds, a former em
ploye of the Alaskan Engineerinj
commission in the machine shops a
Anchorage, as told in a letter recentl;
received from him by Walter De Lonj
of the stores department.
Captain Reynolds went direct fron
Anchorage to Seattle and after havinj
been accepted by the military force
was transferred to the Second En
gineer corps stationed at Fort Sheri
clan, a few miles north of Chicago.
“Captain Reynold s was the fines
specimen of manhood I have eve
seen, and it is gratifying to learn o
his rapid promotion,” said Mr. D
Long.
ENLISTED MEN’S CLUB.
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 14.—An en
listed men’s club, at which any enlist
ed man serving in any capacity witl
the colors finds a welcome, has beei
j opened here as a part of the wa
camp community service. A wel
stocked library, comfortable lounging
quarters, a writing room, billiard ta
bles, musical instruments, a luncl
counter and a soda fountain ar<
among its attractions.
The club occupies a suite of room;
in the Trinity auditorium building
j near the business district, provided b;
the Los Angeles Investment compa
: ny, owners, and the Los Angele
; Chamber of Commerce, and the fur
nishings were donated by Los Angele;
! merchants.
i A group of Los Angeles women
i headed by Mrs. M. J. Connel, has ar
I ranged to supervise social activitie;
j at the club. These include a genera
! entertainment each Wednesday nigh
• at which local motion picture actor;
■ | and well known persons appearing a
•; theatres here are asked to “do thei
' bit.”
ism™
TO ALL CITIZEN
SOLDIERS HERE
, RIFLES AND AMMUNITION EX
PECTED SOON FOR HOME
GUARDS AND LOYAL LEAGUE
, NOTICE IS SENT BY GOVERNOR.
■ Officers of Two Military Organiza
i tions in This City Urge Members to
, Attend Semi-Weekly Drills in Ro
barts’ Hall Regularly.
Rifles and ammunition in sufficient
number and quantity of meet all the
* j requirements of the two citizen mili
’ j tary organizations, the Home Guards
I and the Loyal League, of Anchorage,
have been allotted by the chief of ord
’ nance of the war department, and
l their arrival is expected in the near
l future. Information of the action of
1 the chief of ordnance in the matter
: was received today from Governor J.
« F. A. Strong by Captain Thomas
l Dwyer, of the Home Guards.
" j Money was apportioned last fall
from the territorial treasury to pay
rental for a drilling place for the
Guard and the league in Anchorage,
; and, accordingly, Robarts’ hall was
* engaged for this purpose, each organ
1; ization to hold drills semi-weekly.
Members Lost Interest.
Lack of rifles, however, detracted
from interest in drilling, and the
drills, particularly of late, have been
very poorly attended.
Captain Dwyer has addressed a
communication to members of the
1 guard, urging them to be present at
the drills, and officers of the league
have addressed a similar communica
| tion to members of the league.
The letter from Governor Strong
to Captain Dwyer regarding the al
lotment of rifles and ammunition to
1 the citizen military organizations
| here follows
“I am in receipt of a communica
tion from the chief of ordnance,
Washington, I). C., advising me that
. his office had allotted, for the use of
> the Anchorage Home Guards, an ade
quate number of Springfield rifles, cal
iber .45, together with a plentiful sup
piy ui animumuun.
i Similar Allotment for League.
“I am also advised that a similar
j. allotment was made for the use of the
j Anchorage Loyal league of Anchor
p age. The chief of ordnance states
j. that these stores will be shipped as
r; directed in my communication to him
under the authority of the act of June
14, 1917. These supplies, therefore,
will be shipped in care of the Alaskan
l
Engineering commission, Anchorage,
Alaska, and it is probable that the
two allotments will be contained in
-
one unit.”
Capt. Dwyer’s communication to
^ the members of the Home Guard fol
lows:
r i
j. “While there was some uncertain
ly as to when arms and ammunition
J would be available, many of those who
! joined the guard when it was first or
ganized, lost interest in its meetings
and have taken little or no part in the
. preliminary preparation of marching
. and foot movements,,which have been
i going on for some months past. Since
i the territorial appropriation became
- available for the rent of Kobarts’ hall,
1 the drilling of the guard has steadily
f improved, under the efficient instruc
.! tion of non-commissioned officers
i from the regular army infantry com
; pany stationed here. 1
“Members of the guard are now
51 qualified to give instructions to begin
, ners in the preliminary movements,
r and much can be learned from watch
- ing the others drill.
; Time Can Be Spared.
“While I appreciate the fact that
; some joined the guard more as a dem
| onstration of patriotic duty than any
, thing else, and would have to sacrifice
-1 their business interests to attend the
3! drill meetings—these members ai-c
1 comparatively few in number, and
t most of the members can spare the
3 time, one or two evenings a week
t from 7:30 o’clock to 8:30 o’clock to at
r tend drills.
“It should not be necessary to re
nind these delinquent members that
this is a patriotic duty, which they
owe to themselves, as true Americans,
i and to their country. It is as little as
any of us can do, who stay at home,
while our brothers are fighting at the
front. There may not be the chance
to win renown in the ranks of the
home guard which comes to gallant
soldiers on the battered fields of
Flanders, but there is the same oppor
tunity to render needful service to the
country in its hour of trial.
“I would appreciate it very much
if those members of the home guard,
who originally signed the muster
rolls, would again present themselves
and take up the work of the drill,
which we are now having Tuesday and
Wednesday evening at Robarts’ hall.
Any one is at liberty to join.”
To Members of League.
The communication from the offi
cers of the Loyal league is as follows:
“Your organization was formed by
a number of men who gave their
pledge to aid the government in any
way required of you. Until called upon
specifically nothing seemed more log
ical than to organize a drill corps for
the purpose of learning the first ele
mentary principles of military drill
and discipline.
“Accordingly, it was agi'eed to hold
a drill period on Monday evening each
week from 7 to 8 o’clock at Robarts’
hall.
“For the past few weeks the aver
age attendance has been about ten or
twelve out of an organization of six
ty-five. It looks as if some pledges
were not being lived up to.
“This is an appeal to those of you
who have failed to appear, to come
out and help this work along. By neg
lecting to attend regularly you not
only lose the opportunity to learn this
work, but you are making it just that
much harder for those who are doing
their best. It’s a fact that a drill
corps is only as good as its poorest
man.
To Get Over Drudgery.
“We want to get over the drudgery
of it this winter, so that when the
weather permits of outside drill we
can put a company in the field which
j is qualified to undertake some of the
i most interesting features such as tar
j get practice, platoon drill and a few
simple maneuvers and tactical prob
lems. in these we hope to have the
help of Captain Davis of the Four
teenth infantry.
“Permanent officers and non-com
missioned officers will soon be chosen,
this being based on written examina
tion and attendance records, as well
as ability in drilling. Sufficient rifles
for the entire organization are now
on the way here, and should arrive
within a few days.
“ ‘A promise made is a debt unpaid.’
While there is no penalty for failure
to attend, there is really no excuse for
any of us except physical disability.”
BERLIN NEWSPAPER SAYS SUB
MARINES HAVE UPSET CAL
CULATIONS OF ENTENTE.
LONDON, Jan. 14.—The Tageblatt
newspaper, of Berlin, declares that
Germany’s submarine operations have
upset all the economic calculations of
the entente nations. The submarines,
according to the Tageblatt, constitutes
the principal factor in the war at the
present time, and their operations, it
is declared, are bein^ expanded.
The underwater craft, says the
Tageblatt, destroyed millions of dol
lars’ worth of property last year.
OFFER MILITARY BURIAL.
LONDON, Jan. 14.—Persons killed
in air raids can have a military fun
eral if their relatives so desire. In
making this announcement the war of
fice says that arrangements may be
made for the attendance of troops,
with a band if one is available and for
the loan of a Union Jack to cover the
coffin.
RAILWAY TO DOUBLE TRACK.
HONOLULU, T. H., Jan. 14.—The
Honolulu Rapid Transit & Land com
pany of this city will begin shortly the
double tracking of King street, which
is the city’s main thoroughfare.
MISS CLARA GILMER, WHO USED
TO BE IN FAIRBANKS, WRITES
FROM LUCENA.
FLOUR AND RICE ARE SCARCE.
Cocoanut Milk Is Used for Every Pur
pose to Which Cow’s Product Can
be Put and Makes Butter of 3Iore
Delicious Taste.
Miss Clara Gilmer, formerly princi
pal of the Fairbanks school, who is
now in the Philippines, has written
friends in Fairbanks describing condi
tions in the Philippine islands, where
she is teaching school at present, and
extracts from her letter will no doubt
be of interest to many, says the Fair
banks Citizen. Miss Gilmer is sta
tioned at Lucena, Tayabas, Philippine
islands. She describes life in the isl
ands and conditions there as follows:
“There is absolutely no notice now
of the arrival or departure of any
transpacific mail. The German raid
ers in the southern islands, not the
Philippines, are responsible for this
secrecy. r.ecentlv we thought we
were going to be without flour here,
; as the Australian product is being di
I verted to England and the United
: States is holding up on her exports to
| feed our dear allies, but American
flour was shipped to us. There is a
great campaign goipg on now to make
! the islands self-supporting in the way
of food.
Products of Island.
“The rich products here are sugar,
tobacco, hemp, copra—on none of
which can one make a meal, but all of
i which are vastly more protfiable than
rice, potatoes, meat, etc. The result
is that most of the islands’ rice comes
from Saign, and if the French stop
exportation thence, I do not know
what the people here will eat unless
they come down to oried banana flour,
land sweet potatoes which grow wild.
I Of course, we shall never suffer for
! food except the two staples, flour and
| rice, but it will be a great hardship to
i do without these.
“We make ice cream from cocoanut
! milk, flavor it with bananas and pea
; nuts. Two gallons and a half, includ
| ing salt, ice, 10 cents to a boy for
I freezing, cost 75 cents. How is that
for cheap living?
Five Cocoanuts Enough.
“The milk of five cocoanuts is suffi
cient. This milk is delicious for ev
j ery purpose for which ordinary milk
; is used, and if the price of cow’s milk
(in the United States is anything like
j what it has risen to here, I should
think that the West Indian cocoanuls
would prove a good substitute. Put
ter can be made from the cream in
the ordinary way, but if not mixed
with beef suet must be kept in tne ice
box to remain solid. The cost of this
butter here is 5 cents a pound, as two
cocoanuts make one pound of nutter,
within a fraction. I think the taste is
better and more delicate than cow’s
butter. It is certainly a vast improve
ment over this canned butte" we pay
75 cents a quarter-pound fot here.”
THE VALUE OF BIRDS.
Without birds succesful agricul
ture would become impossible and the
destructions of the greater part of all
vegetables would take place. New
York state now pays an annual insect
tax of $10,000,000 and birds are the
chief agents in keeping this tax from
increasing yearly. As consumers of
weed seed a single species, the tree
sparrow, is estimated to consume
about 900 tons in New York state
each year. The ravages of field mice
and other rodents are kept in check
by hawks and owls, and the farmer
upon whose land a hawk or owl stays
is saved upon an average $20 a year
by each owl or hawk. The damage
done by some few species of birds to
growing crops is more than offset by
the benefits of their work in destroy
ing insects, rodents and weed seeds.
—New York Sun.