fenmrii lailt) §atettmr)
OF SEWARD, ALASKA — Established August 19, 1904
Published daily except Sunday by
THE GATEWAY PUBLISHING COMPANY
Entered in the postoffice at Seward, Alaska as
second-class mail matter.
. H. V. HOBEN and E. F. JESSEN, Proprietors
E. F. Jessen, Editor and Manager
ADVERTISING RATES
Per single column, one to six issues, per inch .....$ -50
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MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LEST WE FORGET
The estimated total timber stand on the national for
ests of Alaska, according to the report of the Forestry
Bureau, is 85,000,000,000 board feet. The lumber cut on
the national forests for the calendar year 1925 was 57,
500,000 feet. The total cut since 1909 has been 939,500,
000 board feet.
Thus in 18 years the total cut of timber has been less
than one year’s output of the Puget Sound country.
The Puget Sound timber, and that or Oregon, to
quote Gifford Pinchot, author of Conservation, was, for
the most part “stolen” from the Federal government—
and Posterity.
The result of this '“steal,” i. e., pre-emption by settlers
and sale to lumbering interests has been the creation of
a combined population of 1,740,000, according to the 1920
census, and wealth placed at $8,541,844,000.
The enormous aggregate of wealth represents liquid
assets which have accumulated thru permitting pioneers
to exercise the right of discovery and primary develop-,
ment.
Between 1860 and 1920, Washington gained 1,345,027
in population, while Oregon gained 330,924.
From date of purchase—1867—Alaska has enjoyed
only about 60,000 population, exclusive of Indians during
the period of gold excitement. Today its white popula
tion is given by the Census as 27,833 whites and 27,153 In
dians.
The major portion of the white population left the
Territory immediately following the depletion of the rich
placers. This was about 1906, following the promulga
tion of the order withdrawing coal, oil and timberlands
from pre-emption by settlers and placing them under a
leasing system, governed by some 38 bureaus of which
every ninth member of Alaska’s population is an employe.
Since its purchase from Russia in 1862, Alaska has
produced approximately a billion and ten million dollars
from its mines, fisheries and furs.
Statistics are not at hand to show what Washington
and Oregon have produced, but one may draw upon the
imagination for the magnitude of the wealth flowing int'fr
the channels of national and international trade.
When the federal government arbitrarily took from
the pioneers of Alaska what was theirs by right of pre
cedent and custom in the nation, it was announced that
the action was based upon the principle of preventing
big interests from duplicating the experience of the Pa
cific coast and acquiring large tracts of mineral and tim
ber lands.
The offer just made by the. Federal government to
sell to the highest bidder ten billion board feet—which
represents twenty billion feet with the use of by-products
—it plans to deliver into the hands of one aggregation of
capital more timber than was ever controlled by the
Weyerhausers or the combined timber interests of the
United States. Land containing a billion feet of timber is
classified as “inexhaustible”—incapable of being depleted
by the natural laws of replacement by growth unless de
stroyed by fire.
How long will it require to utilize ten billion feet
of timber as represented in the deal now offered by Wash
ington? If monopoly was the incentive for refusing to
allow Alaskans to gain possession of these resources by
small units and sale to those who could develop, what an
swer can Washington give in the present instance?
From time to time copious propaganda has been
broadcast by departmental heads to the effect that “big
interests” were endeavoring to steal the resources of
Alaska. This hypocrisy is no longer impervious to pene
tration.
In these days when the moral element has been sub
ordinated to pragmatism, it is debatable if any remedy
for the wrongs inflicted upon Alaska will be forthcoming.
It is not too late, however, to in a measure ameliorate
the wrong; Washington can yet allow bona fide Alaskans
to acquire title to natural resources, being content to take
the government’s share in royalties.
Alaska has no quarrel with the representatives of
the Bureaus in the Territory. On the other hand, what
ever human element has entered into the premises has
been due to the high class of men detailed to the Terri
tory, who have enjoyed the friendship and respect of
Alaskans and their co-operation.
LEGISLATION SOUGHT j
ARMY PROMOTIONS:
i
—
ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF WAR
SUPPORTS OPINION OF MR.
DAVIS
£
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., Jan. 18.—j
Hanford McNider, Assistant Secretary
of War, a witness before the House
Committee on Military Affairs, recent
I
ly advocated legislation in the interest
of the promotion of army officers.
His testimony was along the lines of
testimony already given before the
committee by Dwight F. Davis, Secre
tary of War, regarding the group of
5,800 officers that- stands in the way
of the normal flow of promotions.
Maj. Gen. Chas. P. Summerall,1
chief of staff of the army, in testify
ing before the House Military Sub
committee, in compliment to the state-;
ment of Secretary Davis, said both
the officers and the enlisted men of
the army are inadequately paid and
housed, and the food and dress of the;
soldiers should be improved. He por-;
trayed the army officer as a type of^
high order, and said the officers sac-j
rificed compensation and opportuni
ties they might have received in civil;
life and that the country owed to '
them adequate and just treatment. .
He said the Department’s study of i
the problem of doing away with the i
group of officers that is barring ad- i
vancement in the service generally «
indicated that there should be an “at- *
trition”—a weeding out—by a 4 per J
cent removal from the active list by [
stimulating and inducing retirements J
and resignations to enter civil life J
among the officers in the group. He J
said that while this process would J
continue for about 20 years, the bene- (
fit would be immediate in showing the «
younger officers that the door was be
ing opened to advancement.
General Summerall said that there
should be a system of promotions such
as to induce officers to go into the re
tired list or to go into civil life by a
bonus separation allowance. He said
promotion of officers in a number of
the company field grades should be
unlimited.
IRON CAGE FOR BABY
, tri,_ :
LONDON, Jan. 18. (/P)—Lord and
Lady De La Warr, who have taken
a house in a mews near Victoria,
startled the neighboring chauffeurs
by erecting a galvanized iron cage
outside their door. It is for their
baby to play in the open air -without
being able to wander off.
PICK THE EASY STATIONS
When listening to a program from
a chain of stations why not try to
tune in on the most economical unit?
There is one station on any chain
which a receiving set can pick up
with less effort. This is the econom
ical one because it can be brought in
with less current consumption, which
also means longer tube life. The
economical unit of a chain may not
be the nearest nor the most power
ful. Any radioist can deside this
point by noting the volume and clari
ty he gets with each station of the
chain in relation to the voltage need
ed.
Ask for the film in the yellw box.
Eastman’s Films. Schallerer’s Alaska
Shop.
-- ♦ ■ --
Mefford’s fresh ranch
eggs. Seward Trading Co.
A newsy newspaper. The Weekly
. Gateway.
8 O’CLOCK — ONE SHOW _ 8 O’CLOCK
This Remarkable Cast:
VERA REYNOLDS
CHARLIE MURRAY
HOBART BOSWORTH
WALTER LONG
WILLIAM BOYD
BEN TURPIN
WILLIAM MONG
NIGEL BARRIE
A tale of the steel industry; that will delight all
moving picture fans
A combination of fun and absorbing seriousness
never before seen—you will see this in the names of
the players
This picture was actually played right in one of the
largest plants in the world.
THRILLS—SUSPENSE—LAUGHTER
Also PATHE NEWS AND A FABLE
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JOHN C. WHITE |
& CO.
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High Grade Line of »
i
CIGARS, TOBACCOS, & I
CANDIES
i
FINEST BILLIARD HALL IN ALASKA j
...j.!
Pure Milk
From
Gontented Cows
CARNATION MILK IS DEPENDABLE
The quality of every case is backed
by $8,000,000
MAKES GOOD COFFEE TASTE BETTER
For Sale at
SEWARD TRADING CO. Inc.
Phone MAIN 135 for Courteous Service
JOE STANTON, Mgr.
Agents for Dupont Powder, Caps and Fuses