*Uncle Sam and Columbia
Confer With Elder Sons
(Continued from Page Three)
to hope that I may one day have
the joy of visiting Alaska and our
children in that far-off country.”
U. S.: “X, too, wish it were pos
sible for me to personally visit the
country. Frank, when are you go
ing to have that railroad finished
so we can go?”
* Franklin K.: ‘‘Well, sir, in about
two years more, and I hope that
by that time some of our broad
visioned brothers with sufficient I
money to qo so will have built
^ some beautiful hotels for the sum
mer tourist trade. The summer
elimate of Alaska is unexcelled. The
scenery in its tremendous moun
tains is equaled nowhere. Its gla
ciers are the largest and most won
derful in the world. The voyage
thither by way of the Inside pass
age surpasses the Mediterranean in ]
beauty. The Alpine climber can
never experience the thrills that will
come to him in the climb of Mt.
McKinley (the Din-ali of the Indi
an—the great-one of Alaska, the
greatest in the world). Its innu
* merable hot springs and mineral
waters offer opportunities for health
reports such as are to be found
nowhere else on earth. Its water
falls and canyons, precipices and
peaks; its volcanoes and its lakes;
ite fish and its game—these are
the attractions that will start the
* tide of tourist travel away from
Europe and northward toward the
pole. Its long summer days, with
their gorgeous skies and the cool j
breezes from snow-clad peaks, make j
it the ideal for the seeker of the!
dolce far niente.”
1 Woodrow: ‘‘There is much merit,!
Father, in what Frank has to say,
but the financing: of such ambitious
plans make it desirable to hear j
what Carter has to say.”
Carter: “There should be little i
difficulty. Our Liberty Loans and
our Victory loan have shown what I
our people can do and will do when j
their patriotism and pride are ap- j
^ pealed to. Besides, the world needs j
gold. The commerce of the world
is hampered by the lack of it. '
When it costs more to produce the!
gold than it is worth, then produc
tion languishes. That is the trou- j
ble in Alaska today. Gold has not j
decreased in value, but every ele
ment entering into the cost of pro
y duction of gold has increased. Wej
have considered a bonus to be paid
to producers of gold in order to
stimulate production, but the value
of gold never has had and never
will have any direct relation to the
cost of its production. It is pro
duced today in large quantities as
A a by-product of other metal recov- j
eries. and at practically no cost. A '
gold bonus would benefit these pro
ducers more than the Alaskan pro
ducers. We can confer upon Alas
kan producers, by a system of aids
such as Brother Frank proposes,
benefits equal to a bonus without!
disturbing the world’s exchange.;
j Could we do this with a gold bonus?
I have very grave doubts. But if;
we can so cheapen the cost of gold j
production in Alaska that its mines
will immediately respond, we shall'
have accomplished the result sought
by advocates of the gold bonus, and
we shall not have disturbed the
world’s commerce by substituting
t an unstable for a stable medium of
exchange.
“I will pledge you my word that
all necessary funds will be pro
sided. The investments discussed
will be productive—unlike money
spent in large federal buildings and
for the so-called improvements of
rivers and harbors, these will ail
be revenue-producing investments.
They will pay for themselves. A
bond issue for this purpose would
be eagerly taken by those who have
acquired large fortunes in war con
tracts.”
Columbia: “That sounds reasona
ble, Papa. And I should think a
great many of our sons who will
find little employment now f«r their
capital in making munitions. would
be glad to undertake the develop
ment of some of these great enter
prises as well.”
U. S.: “There you've hit the nail
on the head. Womanly intuition is
certainly inspiration. There is a
thought for you to consider, boys.
What are all your brothers going
to do with the idle time and the
idle money that comes as a result
of peace? Alaska surely offers
them an unusual opportunity for
the employment of their time and
means and the exercise of their
imaginations. Now, David Frank*
lin, haven't you some plans?”
David F.: “Certainly, sir, many
of them. To begin with, at our
Agricultural College and experi
ment stations we have developed a
new type of wheat, which for five
years or more has matured under
every possible variation of climatic
conditions. Next year we shall have
500 acres of this wheat grown.
In five years we should be able to
increase this acreage to 50,000 or
100,000. Alaskans can consume it
all. But such wheat must be ground
into flour. That means mills, and
to venture on flour milling up there
requires courage and the conviction
that Alaska’s future is assured. We
must help to bring this about. If
we had 50.000 acres in wheat, pro
ducing an average of say 20 bush
els to the acre, the present popula
tion could consume it all. The cost
of transportation of flour from the
States would constitute a protective
tariff that would guaranty the pro
fitable growing and milling of
wheat.
“Potatoes are now grown to such
an extent that the population is in
sufficient to consume them, and the
growing of potatoes is a precarious
industry for that reason. If we
adopt means to increase the popu
lation and afford them profitable
employment, the farmer will be en
couraged to increase his acreage of
potatoes. Beets thrive, as do all
root crops, and there seems to be
no insurmountable obstacle to the
culture of sugar beets. Under prop
' er encouragement, Alaska should
produce all of its own sugar. As
a matter of fact, certain indigenous
roots do now by a process of nature
secrete a saccharine content which
: the natives call sugar, which they
! gather in large quantities and value
very highly. It is possible that by
cultivation and selection these plants
may be improved and become the
! basis of, a new and valuable source
! of sugar supply. Our experiments
will determine this.
“Brother Frank has so thoroughly
covered the field of animal indus
try that I shall say nothing on that
head. He did not, however, men
tion the fish. Alaska’s fish have
produced more wealth than all her
i mines. The annual catch has great
FOWLER & MORRIS
General Merchandise
Groceries, Hardware
Gents’ Furnishings
Trappers’ and Prospectors’Supplies
HIGHEST PRICES PAID FOR
RAW FUR
INENANA - - ALASKA
“£1
er value than the annual output of
placer gold. But the fish are in
danger of extinction, like the buffalo
of the plains. We therefore must
make provision for the culture of
the fish. We must provide a hatch
ery to match every cannery, and
should so improve our system of
inspection and regulation as to pro
vide for increasing the salmon sup
ply in direct ratio to the increase
of consumption. This, it seems to
j me, were a wiser policy than to
limit the catch. As long as the
world needs the food, we should
not limit the take, unless annihila
tion is imminent. We can prevent
this by propagation and protection,
j Alaskan bears destroy more spawn
| ing fish than the fishermen. The
bear is a non-essential. We should
' exterminate the bear. We can do
: this by a system of bounties and
thus lend greatly to the increase of
; the salmon supply.
j “Certain native Alaskan fruits i
^re prolific. The native cranberry
I is superior to the cultivated article,
jit will stand long shipment without
| deterioration. If Brother Frank
| will make the right kind of a rate
out of Alaska on barreled cran
j berries, the natives will furnish him
a very substantial traffic. There
|are many other kinds: blueberries,
I whortleberries, raspberries, black
] berries, currants, all of which,
j though not promising much for ex- j
i port, still will go a long way to-1
! ward supplying local markets, if;
! the wild varieties are domesticated
and cultivated. Forage plants,
abound. Our experiments show how
these and the more familiar varie
ties we know so well may be grown
and so afford sustenance for do
mestic animals during the long win
ters. The present high cost of for
age brought into the country from
| the States is the chief deterrent of
successful stock farming.
“But with the development of
; forage supply supplementing the
| native ranges millions of the finest
I wool-bearing animals in the world
should be thriving in Alaska, pro
, ducing a finer fleece than the high
j lands of Scotland or than the high
j altitudes of Montana, Idaho, and
: Oregon.
I “I trust Brother William Cox
I will not blame me for venturing to
talk about Alaskan fisheries.”
Columbia: “Certainly not. my son;
| we are glad to hear from each of
| you on the work of the others. A
Ihappy family like ours should har
bor no jealousies; we should be
mutually interested in one anothers
| problems.”
U. S.: “True. Mother Columbia.
! Depend upon the women folk to
j cultivate harmony in the domestic
| circle. Well. William Cox. what
have you to offer?”
I William Cox: “First and foremost,
jsir. the safety of Alaskan waters.
I The coast and geodetic survey must
locate and chart every pinnacle rock
and mark the safe channels of coast
al navigation. Upon this prime es
sential depends the very life of our
distant empire. Why, sir. our Aleu
! tian chain of islands is the very
j bulwark of our nation. We must
j protect them, make their approach
'and passage as safe as walking
j along Pennsylvania avenue. We
must establish coal storage station*
i at practicable point® thereon, not
1 only for the benefit of our navy'
(pardon me, Josephus), but for the
more efficient and economical oper- i
j ation of our Pacific mercantile ma
rine fleet. Great circle sailing;
! brings our transpacific steamships
i in close proximity to these islands.
There should be ports of call open
to them with great coaling stations
there. There should be lighthouses
and all the other aids to naviga-;
tion established there. Those is-!
| lands will produce abundance of
| furs, marvelous richness of miner-.
als and of marine fur-bearers. We'
must not neglect insular Alaska be
cause peninsular Alaska holds forth
such great promise. I am even
more enthusiastic on the fisheries
question than David here can pos
sibly be; but it is not alone the
silver horde of the rivers, but the
halibut of the sounds and sea. and
the myriad of food-fishes of the
Bering and its estuaries. The Bu
reau of Fisheries is daily proving the
food value of thousands of neglect
ed varieties. A systematic study of
the supply and of methods of tak
ing and utilizing these should be
I instituted.
i “Then there is enormous waste
! going on at all the caneries. Study
should be made of the utilization of
this waste for fertilizer and for
, glue, and perhaps many other uses.
Thousands of tons of offal, clam
shells and the like are annually
wasted, from which riches could be
recovered if processes were per
fected.”
U. S.; “The utilization of waste
is certainy one of the most im
portant aspects of the whole sub
ject oi conservation. Indeed, our
whole Alaska problem is exactly
that. What a terrible waste of nat
ural resouces has been the policy
which would have withheld them
from use by the present generation.
Boys, here is a task that is worthy
of our great nation—the resolution
of this great waste and its conver
sion to the uses of mankind. To
conquer that waste is a victory
greater than we have just accom
Iplished in Europe. An achievement
|worthy of the great men you are]
| and the great times in which you
l live. Josephus!”
Josephus: “Sire: You do know,
I my convictions. If we are to main- !
| tain an equality on the seas and
| their consequent freedom, we must:
i have fuel for our Greater Navy.
' Sites for coaling stations in the
i Pacific we have in plenty. Coals
we must have. We are in daily
! danger if we depend upon Atlantic
[coals for our Pacific fleet. It is a
j crime to transport Atlantic coals to
ithe Pacific ports. Not only do we
need those coals at the Atlantic
i ports for our Atlantic fleet, but1
the problem of their transportation
across the continent makes their
use by a Pacific fleet prohibitive.
We cannot depend upon the coals
of another nation, no matter how
friendly now. We must develop
our own supply. We must have1
! Alaska’s coals hoarded at a score
I of depots throughout the Pacific
j isles. Alaska’s known coal supply
i is nearly one-fifth of that of the
; remainder of the country. Its un
discovered deposits probably will
duplicate the quantity elsewhere
available. No mere problem of fin
ances should limit or circumscribe
] our efforts. We should be storing
j a thousand tons of Alaskan coal
, every thirty days.”
Columbia: “Josephus may always
] be depended on to get to the meat
]of a situation in a few words.
; Surely his words are the words of
! wisdom.”
i U. S.: “Right you are. Mother,
• as you always are. Josephus, you
;shall have your wish; we w-ill get
! that coal for you, depend upon it.
j But to do these things well we
must establish better and closer
means of communication. Albert
, Sidney, what have you to say as
to that?”
Albert Sidney: “Only this: That
we must and will have it. Better
telegraph and telephone connec
tions, which should be administered
by the postoffice; better post roads
which may do service as wagon
roads and feeders for the railroad;
aerial communication overland as
well as wireless; daily aeroplane
departures from Washington and
Fairbanks and Anchorage and other
important points, Nenana for ex
ample, and Lignite. Aeroplane
transportation is coming as c-ertain
i ly and as efficiently as any other
; mode of communication. Give me
; the money and I’ll give you the
' service.”
U. S.: “Well said, well said.
i Pray that by this time next year 1
may also say Well done! Well done!
Robert, how does this discussion ap
pear to you?”
Robert: “To be truthful, sir, it
| makes me feel lonesome that I
have no part to play in so won
derful a program. My comment,
sir, is this: Carry out that program
and international problems will. dis
! appear. Diplomacy will play but
. small part in the politics of a world
!with a Nation so supreme in all
things as that program will make
I us.”
Columbia: “I agree with Robert.
Surely if we can attain £he won
derful heights we have glimpsed
j here today and we continue to be
'guided in our conduct toward other
nations by Woodrow's golden rule
■for nations, then we may forever
maintain our independence, free
dom. an<4 the peaceful pursuit of
I happiness. I am somewhat con
cerned about labor and its relation
i to this program. Just how will la
i bor be affected. William B?”
William B.: "My beloved Mother,
jdo you not recall that just before
, this wai began, we sat together at
! this table and discussed ‘Homes for
| the homeless and jobs for the job
less?’ Do you not recall that our
! employment bureaus were swamped
i by needy men, seeking employ
ment?
“Much do I fear that with the
return of our three million brothers
there will be a return to those
questions. What a dreadful wel
come to those who went forth to
fight—to die if need be—for the
principles we adhere to—of equali
ty before the law, of freedom, if
they are confronted by the gaunt
specter of want stalking before
them!
“And it must be so unless we
do for our brave boys something
like what is comprehended in out
previous discussions and in this
OUR FALL SHIPMENT
-OF
Winter Clothing
HAS ARRIVED, INCLUDING
Men’s and Boys’ Mackinaws
Heavy Wool Pants
Shirts, Underwear, Socks
Mitts, Felt Shoes, Etc.
WE CARRY A FULL LINE OF
Gents’ Furnishings
Staple and Fancy Groceries
Hardware, Enamel Ware
Guns, Ammunition, Etc.
W. A. COGHILL
<
—
one. We must make jobs for the
jobless. ’Twill be many years be
fore industry is restored to its
normal phases abroad. Now, if we
strike while the iron is hot we can
weld our hold upon the commerce
of the world. We can do this only
if we accord to labor its rightful
place in the scheme of things.
“This Alaskan program will give
our brothers ample opportunity and
employment and afford to each and
all a fair chance for work at fair
i wages and a fair opening for the
better things of life. I am with
you heart and soul-—only I say in
all this Alaskan scheme of things
give preference to the returned sol
dier.”
U. S.: “Now, Newton Diehl, that
puts it up to you. You have been
rather quiet—won’t you say some
thing?”
Newton D.: “Alas! My occupa
tion’s gone! W’ar and its horrors
must disappeai when you have done
all these things. And that you will
do them I have only to look at
your determined faces to believe.
Verily, verily, war hath been ban
ished—and I cannot say I am
sorry. Yes, let us provide for our
soldiers. Let us not make mendi
cants of them with pensions. Let
us pension them with opportunity.
Let us reward them not with privi
lege, but with opportunity. Let us
. make the American crusader in
France the American conqueror in
Alaska. Let us confer upon him
the same advantages that should ac
crue to the pioneer. And to th3
pioneer of Alaska let us attach the
status of the soldier, for they who
have composed the advance guard
of the army of conquest in Alaska
are soldiers by right. Soldiers who
,-!-----_
• have borne the flag of their country
j to a new region, and overcoming
lit? difficulties and dangers, have
'subjugated the hostile forces of na
ture and tamed the wild.”
* U. S.: “Well, sons, our discussion
J promises to be a profitable one; let
1 us endeavor to give reality and
I substance to some of these projects.
’ Let us invent a new flag to replace
, the service flag' we have so greatly
i honored. Let the field of it be
blue to betoken Alaskar. skies, on
I it' center the White Mountain
[ named after your martyred brother
McKinley, and across that azure
j field in blazing letters of red, be
i tokening the flaming Aurora of the
1 North, the word
“ ‘ALASKA’.”
■
w
%
Men’s Furnishings
Cigars and Tobacco
FINE CANDIES
Choicest Fresh Fruits
ALFRED J. GHEZZI
Si - , "ffi