ALASKA PUBLICITY PROBLEM
largest and most impartnrt
in confronting the people of Al
oday is how 10 Induce increased
nent of the territory by pcepie
will make it their home an»‘ to
t the attention of capital t<» its
esources and development possi
Alaska is to achieve a greater
<»f development than obtains at
resent, more people must be In
to come to the territory and
1 must be made aware of the al
unllmited opportunities for prof
investment. This is universally
nlzed in all hranohes of the fed
government having to do with
■rrltory and also by the territor
ivernment, both of which are of
no mind that exploitation of Al
< remarkable resources can be
,ixl only by properly advertising
the country has to offer to the
tor and settlor
lowing thefr recent visit to Aias
ecretary of the Interior Bayne
Secretary Daniels of the Navy
■ed that Alaska nnust be given
publicity. Doth officials admitt
ing the visit had opened their
regarding the development needs
• territory. Being to a great ex
•ognizant of Alaska’s potential!
prolwihly throug-li the medium of
•rwnent reports, they were. In
own language, "amazed" at the
tions they found. Although vast
:h producing iK»tentialities were
lv discernible <-n every side, they
1. to their great surprise. th<t
id of a land fillet! with the hum
nnnn industry, such ns might he
'ted in view of the known pres- ;
of immense resources, industry j
confined almost entirely to the i
easiest of • xploitation, with the I
inder lying dormant because of
ibscnee of essential means of do- J
*ment. After a study of the sit- |
n. they both suggested "public
as the remedy in other words I
ertislng."
‘cognizing that the desired results j
he obtained through the medium j
Ivertislng. the matter resolves it- i
into a question of methods. The i
tnination of the best method fori
mplishing the d'slredpublioity is'
an K.isy one. how<wTr\The pu*>
v question has been <4ue of the
ost "nuts to crack" that the
nher of Commerce and civic au
ctions of • very section lmve had
eal with. This was due principally
he fact that wherever it became
ssarv to further the development
district or locality by publicity
nods, the business mm. who com
• the bulk of the membership <»f
mliers of Commerce or Commercial
•s. find it necessary to continually:
down into their pockets to defray
costs. TVing usually few in num
s tlws entails a burden of exj>ense
ch no morf than a very very few
conviently bear. The country
lg so new and remote from the
tes needs far more publicity than
Chamber’s of Commerce or similar
nnlzntions can ever hope to pay
The costs of conducting an ef
live advertising campaign are so
vy that it entails too much dig
yon the part of those who are will
to contribute.
n the Second Division the Nugget
heretofore willingly and practi
y at its own expense borne the
gest part of the burden of advertis
tbe district. But the reduction in
Kluction and industry during the
t yeftr or two has erected a situa
n in which this journal is no more
e to carry on free publicity on a
• scale than any other business
portunity we have printed half
ges. full pages, double pages, and
mberless columns of reading mat*
• aimed :it “boosting” the district
sources and aiding their develop
<nt. In .addition we have frequently
>orcd under many difficulties aj\d
ndiicnps in securing special articles
d have devoted practically whole
itions to reporting Chamber of
immerce meetings and banquets, al
lys wttth the .object of furthering the
velopment of the district and ter
nary . We have found, however, like
e husiness men’s organize tiom:. that
Is too big a financial burden for
■en a newspaper to keep up on the
ale necessary to secure results.
After studying the situation fo
-er n year we have finally discerned
plan whereby the difficulties enuai
atved may be overcome and the whole
rritojv can obtain the much needed
uhlloity without embarrassing either
le merchant and bim’ness men or the
ewspaper publishers. This, brlefl"
utilised Is ns follows:
Chap. 47 of the 1917 Session Tgxws
f Alaska authorizes the Governor of
lask.-i to maintain a Bureau of Pub
city for th«» purpose of .idlog pros
ectors. settlers and investors by the
ollectfon. compilation. publ’catlonf
nd distribution of accurate informa
lion relative to the mineral and ag
riculture resources ami commercial
opportunities throughout the Terri
tory. Tlv Bureau is also authorized
to assist local civic bodies in the dJs
I brihution of such publhsitions con
taining reliable Infoimation as may in
the opinion of t.!ve Governor tend to
stimulate the development of the Ter
To carry on tlTls work the act ap
proval May S, 1017.. provides for an
appropriation of $15,000 from the
funds of the territory. Under the pro
visions of this act the Alaska Bureau
of Publicity 1ms been maintained at
Juneau during the i«st two years,
and has in i minor degree, served the
purpose for whteh it was intended.
We l»elleve, houvver, Uiat the work
of this Rureau can be conducted on a
much wider scale and with fur great
er benefits to the territory if. instead
of having on*, bureau for the whole
of Alaska, the funds provided therefor
are distributed among four bureau’s
or agencies, one of which shall be
located in each of the four judicial
divisions, and the work of publicity
is carried on through thie medium of
the newspapers. This conclusion lias
been reached only after long consid
eration and consultation with other
newspapers in different parts of the
territory.a llo f which haveg Iven it
warm endorsement as a vast improve
ment over’the territorial publie.itv svs
[fin. W'f have also interviewed the
leading meml>ers of Chamber of (\>m
lorial representatives and those now
seeking oflive. "Without exeeption.
they have characterized tlie proposal
as presenting publicity possihilities
infinitely sui*qior to those of the svs
Ily inakin? the newspapers of the
territory the publicity agents and car
rying on tlv territorial publicity work
through their columns, each district as
well as the territory as a whole will
'!*» adequately represented. fn addi
tion. the whole publicity effort will do
immeasurably enlarged. Instead of
one publicity bureau, situated at tlie
extreme end of a vast country an 1
qnsploying as its principal publicity
medium a. wiuill pumphlet or “dodger",
under the here proposed every
newspaper .In %VTiska will become
amutJipiece, representing not only tic
territory as a whole but also each
division and section thereof according
ly to their special needs and resourc
lt is absurd to think that it is pos
sible to either achieve the amount of
publicity needed by the territory thru
the present bureau or to adequately
represent the. widely varied resources
and dcvek>pm!ent needs of the several
districts. By way of example it may
l»ea sked “what does the Juneau bu
•r«m really know of the resources and
wants of this section without direct
contact or how ran it effectively ed
vertlse us with or through the medium
of a journal no bigger than a hand
With a publicity bureau established
in each division and the newspapers
publishing daUi of their own particu
lar section, the work can be carried
on more intelligently anti systemati
«>Hy. for the simple reason that the
people of each division know their
own peculiar needs much better than
an outsider can know them, saw by
considerable investigation and study.
With sixteen or twenty newspap
ers carrying on the work of publicity;
each possessing a clear knowledge of
what Lt advocates, the territory is as
suredly ltound to receive many times
the annount of publicity it can possi
bly hoi** io achieve under the present
system. There is scarcely a single
nowsjKUper in the territory at present
which does not give more sjKice each
month to publicity propaganda for the
benefit of Alaska than the Alaska
Publicity Bureau in a year. Further-,
more they have been doing the same'
thing for years past without a rent of
direct remuneration. Ninety nine
percent of the large volume of public
ity provided by th«. newspaj>ers is
none entirely at thio cost of the publish -
its and without thought of. recom
pense. on the nthor hand, the little
dodger and a few equally small pam
phlets distributed by the Publicity
Bureau at Juneau cost the people of
Alaska the neat sum of $15,000. This
is assuredly a lot of money for a very
small amount of advertising. The
newspapers voluntarily gave a thous
and times as much for nothing during
the same period. The Publicity Bu
reau as at present constituted appears
a decidedly poor investment where its
publicity methods are compared with
those <*t' the newsixtpers. Were the
territorial puMicity appropriations.ex
pended through the news journals, the
territory would not only receive a
vastly increased amount of advertising
but each division would he adequately
represented and its special resources
and development needs set forth In
understanding and authoritative man
ner by those who are well acquainted
with them. In this division for in
stance there are numberless import
ant resources lying dormant which
canbeandw ill be developed when suf
ficient publicity is provided to attract
the attentian of capital. Of these the
Publicity Rtireau at Juneau possesses
little knowledge it best and is in no
degree qualified to exploit their po
tentialities in an understanding and
symimthetic manner because of its
lack of familiarity therewith.
By amending the Publicity Bureau
act so that the work of advertising
territorial resources will be done by
the newspaper in the-district in which
the resources in question exist, there
is not the slightest drNibt that the re
suits will he far more extensive and
beneficial than they can possibly be
under the present system. Direction
of the work done by the newspapers
in each district may be vested In the
administrative officials of the Cham
ber of Commerce or other civic or
ganizations who in turn may work un
der the general supervision of the
Governor, thus bringing it directly
under those who are most vitally ln
| terested in its success. Where this
cannot be done advisedly, direction of
| the work may be placed In other com
l*etent hands or left entirely to the
newspapers, with the Governor as
supervising authority. The above is
merely offered its a suggestion, as
there are many ways in which the
worl^ can he handled effectively in
each division.
Tf money is to he expended fy' the
territory for this purpose, it certainly
should he spent where the largest
amount of effective advertising can be
obtained in return and the newspap
ers are clearly in a position to do the
work on a far larger and more effec
tive scale than is to be obtained from
the present system.
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
BANQUET REVEALS
OPTIMISTIC OUTLOOK
(Continued from page one)
of Kotzebue Sound. Capt. ^XiotWills
said the Alaska Koail C ommission has
already outlined plans for this exten
sive trunk line system and will bend
all its energies to its completion at
as early date as )>ossible.
An appropriation of $1,000,000 will
be asked of Congress to inaugurate
a vast and .compresensive road build
ing program thmuout Alaska, he said,
and the work of opening the territory
by read and trail construction will ’ e
pii'-hed as rapidly ;js possible if the re
onsite funds are available. C pt.
Gotwals also delivered a strong urge
for th, cooperation of Alaskans i** se
curity. the appropriation, statii.p thatg
In- hoi»ed that all Alaskans will pu’l
together to put fhe appropriation over
when it comes up in Congress next
At tiie conclusion of Capt. Gofwals
i .l«’.rt«« the banqueters proceeded to
Arctic Rrotherhood Hall, where ti.e
ball program was inaugurated.
GOSHAW ESTABLISHING
TRADING STATION AT
SHISMAREFF INLET
The schooner Ham sailed Friday
afternoon for Sliismareff Inlet with a
load of supplies and equipment which
will form the stock of a new trading
station to he opened there by George
It. Goshaw, the well knowp fur deal
The new station will be under the
mansigeinent of Percy Rlatchford, Svith
Albert Warner, a brother of Capt’.
Fred Warner, as assistant. Mr Go
shaw' is also establishing similar sta
tions at other points to aid his fur
trading operations.
to Tacoma
for many years this bank has shown special consideration to
Alaska customers. Three Officers of this institution are former Alas
kans and therefore understand the many little services that are
appreciated by those in the Far North.
Our policy has been to extend to our Alaska friends close and
constructive co-operation; the advantages of our resources and facili
ties and the benefit of our experience with conditions and oppor
tunities on the Pacific Coast.
We now desire to increase oar family of Alaska customers. Your
"Banking-by-Mail" business will receive every attention. Deposits
nuy be sent by Post Office Order, Express Money Order, Draft or
Ctteck, Currency by registered mail.
Send for our booklet “Banking by Mail'*
Thirteenth Street Ondfktciftc Avenue. ThcOBIB
Resourcea of this Bank exceed $8^000,000
NOTICE
COAL PRICES WILL BE INCREASED TO >45.00 PER
TON, OCTOBER 13.
ONLY TWO MORE DAYS IN WHICH TO PUP-.HASE
YOUR COAL AT THE OLD PRICE.
Alaska Li<Me & Commercial (o.
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Nome Tailoring Co.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN'S CLEANING,
PRESSING AND REPAIRING
MODERN METHODS AND PROMPT SERVICE
Opposite Nugget Office,
Nome, Alaska
GOLDEN GATE HOTEL
JAS. SWARTZELL, Prop.
STEAM HEATED, ELECTRIC LIGHTED
BATHS IN CONNECTION.
I W. J. ROWE
§ TRANSFER AND FREIGHTING
§ Dealer in all'kinds of Lumber
§ Horses For Sale
JOHN LAND Tailor
Suits made to order
Repairing, Pressing add Cleaning
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Finest Rooms in Nome
Home like and comfortable
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By Day, Week or Month
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MRS. BARNEY GIBNEY, Proprietress
NORTH POLE BAKERY
ANVIL BAKERY
Bread 15c loaf straight ,
CHAS. CAVEY. Prop.
H. P. CARLSEN
500 GROCERY
First Avenue