International Viewpoint
“The fact that members of
your association have made
heavy investments in timber
and mills in other countries for
the manufacture of paper to be
consumed in the United States
naturally tends to create an in
ternational viewpoint with re
ference to the present question
Your correspondence has rather
minimized the fact that under
present conditions the markets
for timber and woods labor
created by the demand for news
print in this country is enjoyed
by other countries and their
citizens to a greater degree than
by this country and its citizens.
You have laid major emphasis
upon the probable disturbance
of that part of the industry
which involves manufacturing
activities in this country. As a
matter of equity, not only to
Alaska but to the nation as an
entity, I must consider economic
policies in the light of domestic
needs and broad national wel
fare.
Based on Present Conditions
“Your proposal is premise:!
upon existing conditions. Bui
even though final awards of
timber sale and power privileges
were made immediately it pro
bably would be five years before
any appreciable quantity of
newsprint, from Alaska appeared
on the market. Mills, power
plants, transportation systems,
logging improvements, etc.,
would all have to be established
under rather adverse conditions.
Prqbabl'y a great deal of pioneer
work would be necessary before
large scale production was at
tained. It is wholly conceivable
that by the time the Alaska
newsprint is available its pro
duction will be fully justified by
the then existing economic situ
ation.
“In other industrial fields the
tendency is to create conditions
favorable to American labor,
capital and natural resources.
Alaska has not requested such
action in relation to its forest
resources but has merely sought
nn opportunity to promote their
development on terms of equali
ty with other regions and coun
tries. Acceptance of your propos
al would mean a denial to Alaska
of such an opportunity. The re
presentations made do not, in
my judgement, warrant such
action.”
Yours sincerely,
Arthur M. Hyde,
Secretary.
What Are They Aiming At
-—-*—x
To the average citizen of Alas
ka, the name Alaska Native
Biotherhood is anathema, a
political boogey to be feared and
to be destroyed. Ignorance is the
mother of prejudice in this in
stance as in any other. Strange
as it may seem, the average
citizen, the so-called educated
citizen does not stop to use the
head God gave him, except to
hold his ears apart. If he did
use it for other than an ear prop,
he would commend this organi
zation of “illiterates” and com
mend them for their efforts to
develop Alaska and to make it a
place worth while to live in.
The first political bugaboo
scare thrown in the Alaska elec
torate is that The Indians want
to get into the public schools, e’n
masse.. “Public” according to
the dictionary means “Of or be
longing to the people at large;
relating to or affecting the whole
joeople of a state, nation or com
munity; opposed to private; a-:
the public good; public affairs;
the public service; public calami
ty; public opinion; public
schools.” 2nd; Open to all the
people; shared in or to be shared
in or participated in or enjoyed
by people at large; not limited
or restricted to any particular
class of the community; as pub
lic meeting; public worship; a
public subscription; a public
road; a public house; public
baths; public school.”
The private “Public” school
debarred any Indian citizen from
receiving benefits of a co-equal
education with other citizens.
Illiteracy predominated; there
was lack of ambition or desire
for future betterment. The
Brotherhood took up the matter
of education and demanded co
equal opportunity or entrance in
the ‘public’ (not private) schools
of Alaska. The guns of criticism
were turned against the Bureau
of Education, its administration
and its system and equipment; it
was turned against the public
school system which in an un
American way debarred the In
dian citizen from an educational
opportunity. Now, even the
American Legion is taking up
the Child welfare prcb'cm un
dertaken by the '‘illiterates” of
Alaska thirteen years ago first
under the leadership of the
writer and then under William
L. Paul. The change in condi
tions and opportunity is some
thing to be proud of. It was an
achievement despite the opposi
tion of the political guns of the
Territory.
Can anyone gainsay the
worthiness of the effort to de
velop an educated citizenry? Let
him say it.
The trend of the fisheries bu
reau was the parceling out of
the Territory to the Fish Barons.
The Brotherhood fought this