GOVERNOR BONE’S REPORT
Biggest Achievement for Bene*
fit of Territory in Year Was
Inauguration of Regulations
for Control of Fishing
The Governor of Alaska, Scott C.
Bone, in his annual report, says that
the outstanding achievement of the
year affecting and of enduring- bene
fit to Alaska was the enactment of
legislation by Congress to protect
and conserve the fisheries. Strict
regulations now control and will
continue to control this colossal in
dustry, and, vitally concerned in its
perpetuity, the Territory is support
ing the policy of conservation inaug
urated and co-operating in the en
forcement of the laws and regula
tions.
While not appreciably gaining in
population, the Territory, better
known and understood as an invit
ing, habitable land, is steadily pro
gressing and developing, and faith
in its future is strong. Camps that
sprang into being over night in
stampede days hayp dwindled or
passed, but in their stead have
come thriving villages and towns
which have acquired a permanency
and are destined to be cities of the
future. Industry is expanding and
on a more stable basis. Capital
again has its eye on the Northland.
Enterprises of magnitude, halted by
the abnormal war period, are over
coming obstacles and approaching
realization, and certainly the decade
to come will show substantiol growth
and prosperity.
A Homogeneous Country
Improved transportation facilities
are making a homogeneous country
of Alaska. Widely removed sections
have been brought into touch and
relationship by the operation of the
government railroad and the build
ing of roads and trails. Divergent
interests of yesterday are merged
into the common cause of general up
building of today. Distinctive fron
tier aspects are disappearing year
by year. A journey that once con
sumed a fortnight or month by dog
team is now made quickly by train
or truck, and an airplane mail ser
vice from Fairbanks to Iditarod has
furnished added proof of moderniza
tion. Automobiles have come into
use throughout the Territory. The
Richardson Highway—still called a
trail—is fairly alive with motor
touring parties during the short
Summer season. Juneau, with thir
ty-odd miles of road has nearly 300
licensed automobiles and all the
coast towns maintain a taxi service.
But roads and roads and still more
roads and trails are still essential
to the opening of the great domain.
Countless acres in the interior and
vast stretches on the islands have
never been traversed or prospected.
Further impetus was given to
mining during the year, especially
in the Fairbanks district, on the
Seward Peninsula, and on the islands
of Southeastern Alaska.
Fox-farming has developed on a
large scale and the growth of this
industry justifies the establishing of
fox-farming experimental stations in
Southeastern and Southwestern Al
aska.
Territorial Paternalism
Alaska emulates and practices
Uncle Sam’s spirit of paternalism in
zealously guarding the welfare of its
people. The helping hand is extend
ed in many directions. Probably no
State of the Union is quite so gen
erous or vigilant in looking after
its white population. In theory, the
Government takes care of the other
half—the Indians and Eskimos.
Almshouses are unknown and pov
erty is seldom in evidence. Adequate
provision is made for the re
lief of destitution and the care of
dependent children, and worn out
or afflicted prospectors find a haven
in the Pioneers’ Home at Sitka.
Hardships encountered in the wilds
are rarely accompanied by hunger,
as game and fish abound and a bene
ficient nature supplies bodily wants.
Shelter cabins are maintained on
the trails and funds are always
available to organize searching par
ties for the rescue of lost persons.
An old age pension system supple
ments these helpful Territorial
agencies and further insure the com
fort of those in need. Originally a
monthly allowance limited to $12.50
was provided for impoverished men
over 65 years who had lived in the
Territory for fifteen continuous years
and a maximum allowance of $25.00
for women of 60 years likewise qual
ified, but these amounts were subse
quently increased to $25.00 and
$45.00 respectively and today 183—
161 men and 22 women—are carried
on the Territorial pension roll, draw
ing various sums according to their
need. A substantial addition to the
annual appropriation of $30,000 is
now required to meet steadily grow
ing appeals for aid. The average
number of inmates of the Pioneers’
Home is 82, all men, making a total
of 265, who receive Territorial boun
ty. Alaska in pioneer days was es
sentially a man’s country, which ex
plains the small number of women
pensioners.
Charities and Education
Approximately $250,000 is expend
ed biennially toward charitable ends.
Considering the Territory’s scant
population, 30,000 whites, and its
necessarily limited revenues, these
liberal public benefactions are ren
dered possible only by the simplicity
and utmost economy of administra
tion. Every dollar appropriated for
relief goes to the beneficiaries with
out administrative cost. Whether
such a liberal system of paternalism
could be maintained with a growth
of population is problematical.
The Territory is equally generous
in meeting educational needs. Its
public school system, although yet
in the formative stages, is maintain
ed at a high standard and is the
pride of the Territory. A paring of
the budget invariably excepts the
schools. With an enrollment of only
3500 pupils, the cost of educating
the children exceeds $100 per capita
per year. The sum total of appro
priation for the current biennium
was $801,700.17, including $90,000
for the Agricultural College and
School of Mines at Fairbanks, in
addition to the annual government
endowment of $50,000.
Wards of the Nation
Indians and Eskimos, commonly
called natives, who comprise almost
one-half of the population, do not
share in these Territorial benefac
tions and educational advantages.
Occupying the status of wards of
the nation, the Government, through
its Bureau of Education, conducts
native schools and maintains hos
pitals, and otherwise generously, if
not always efficiently or adequately,
provides for them. As these wards
are scattered over a wide domain the
(iifficulties attending iTieir care are
manifold, and the aid given them
f*-1H far short of the Territorial
care expended to the whites, whose
needs are under more direct super
vision.
Tribal customs are largely of the
past and native life has undergone
a transformation from savagery and
heathenism to civilization and Chris
tianity. Notable progress has been
made in Southeastern Alaska. Kake,
Bayview and Hydaburg are model
Indian villages. They have local
government, with a mayor and coun
cil, and compare most favorably
with communities of like size in the
States. At Bayview the natives own
and operate the cannery and sawmill
and otherwise exhibit marked enter
prise and ambition. Electric light
ing plants have been installed in
these villages and other modern con
veniences provided. Motion picture
theaters are maintained and phono
graph and radio apparatus are in
use. Each of these villages, as well
as Angoon and Yakutat, has a
Brotherhood Hall, built by the na
tives, which constitutes a community
center where entertainments and
athletic contests are held. Kake, on
lonely Kupreanof Island, with only
four white inhabitants—a storekeep
er, two Government school teacher^
and a nurse—is an especially clean,
attractive and well-ordered com
munity.
The more progressive of the na
tive element, as typified in the vil
lages named, believe that direct con
tact and competition with the whites
would further promote the welfare
of the race and, therefore, favor the
opening of the island reservations to
white residents and settlement. A
visit by the Governor to these com
munities during the Summer was
heartening. Certainly native life as
there exemplified is full of promise.
Illiterate Voters
A reverse side of the picture
however, is constantly in evidence.
Indians living in less favored locali
ties are still a primitive people,
many of them densely ignorant, un
able to read or write and eking out
a miserable, decadent existence. The
“community house,” so-called, where
in several families abide in squalor,
still exists in backward villages and
such degradation naturally serves,
while not typical, to create a pre
judice against the natives as a
whole. The fact that many of this
class exercise the right to vote with