Thos. Riggs, Former
Governor, Suggests
Remedies for Alaska
In an article in a recent edition of
the New York Times, former Governor
Thomas Riggs, Jr., advocates giving
Alaska control of her own resources as
being vital to her development. He
comments freely on bureaucratic rule
and ascribes the decline in population
and what be terms a “pessimistic out
look for future development” to'the ex
isting system of Federal long-distance
administration. Urging that conserva
tion is misapplied in Alaska, the for
mer Governor concludes his article as
follows:
“Conservation as applied to Alaska
is wrong. The theory that predatory
interests are only waiting to gobble up
all its natural resources will not even
bear investigation. Capital will only
go to Alaska when there is uowhere
else to go. I do not know where a con
structive enterprise ends and a preda
tory interest begins, but I sincerely
w ish that a few more of one or the
other were allowed to come into the
Territory to open-up great, mines, build
railroads, explore for oil and coal, es
tablish paper plants and ■ pay t he taxes
I consider the lease system absolutely
wrong, hoth in theory and practice.
The right to hold limber, oil. coal, ag
ricultural and grazing . lands in any
part of Alaska in fee is the only way in
which to promote a permanent, law
respecting population. A tenant, un
fortunately. seldom has much respect
for his landlord’s property.
“Opened to exploitation, without the
hampering apron strings of most of the
forty eight fussy-old stepnaothero -in
Washington, each with different ideas
as to how to bring up the child, allow
ing not only copital but the individual
to make mistakes and suffer for them,
to build not only for the present but
for future generations, to explore and
to settle by right, of law and not of re
vocable permit", to be selfish, to gam
ble on the future, to Gght your neigh
bor and yourself, Alaska would slowly
fill up with the type of pioneer people
who have builded for all time. People
will soon make laws notonlv for their
own self-protection, but fo.- the protec
tion of their mutual resources. After
all. laws are only the crystallization of
public opinion. Man’s own selfishness,
or self-interest, or disinterestedness—
all depending upon your line of argu
ment, will insist upon sane laws. All
peoples, however, resent the jurisdic
tion of the absentee landlord, and it is
on this principle that our republic is
wounded.
“Some of my conservationist friends
are rabid over the wrongs of Ireland,
riltj those who will bo in need
A of deutal cervices, will say
it is my iuteution to return
North on the Eret boat landing
at Bethel, early in .July, and
later will visit McGrath, Ta
cotna, Ophir, Flat and all other
places heretofore covered.
During my stay on the Out
side it is my intention to take
an up-to-date course in Optom
etry, my purpose being to return
North prepared to test the eyes
of all those in need of this spe
cial attention, as well as to sup
ply accurate lensee and other
optical requiroments.
C.D. Carter, D.D.S.
but see no parallels iu Alaska. 1 have j
dined with came- conservationists
where the prohibition laws were vio
lated, and I was told of the various
i methods by which such laws were
i evaded, but in their minds the Alaskan
j who shoots a deer or a duck out oi sea
1 son should be haoped, drawn and quar
tered, and in consequence of violations,
which have come to their attention, of
the unenforced Federal trame laws,
they openly braud all Alaskans as law
breakers.
“Alaskans want to be good American j
citizens, and should be treated as such.
At the last session of the Alaska Leg
islature one mem >er introduced a pro
posed memorial to Congress which
simply quoted a portion of the Declara
tion qfIndependence.
“Another argument used against wive j
demands of Alaskans for the rights of
'other citizens is the bitter political ;
i haired found in Alaska. Now, I have
been directly associated with Alaska
f<xr 24 years—miner, eogineer and gov- i
ernor—and I supjHise I have been the
target for as manv poisoned arrows as
anyone else in the Territory, yet I feel
! perfectly safe in stating that personal j
politics enters no more into Alaskan;
I political life than in any other unit of
the United States. Under a republican
form of government this will always
exist, and while, in Alaska, the method
of attack is more primitive than in an
old-settled, populous State, still the
animus is identical.
“Secretary Lane, the greatest friend
Alaska ever had. once asked me what I
vmuld do if Alaska belonged entirely
to me. In reply i said: T would give
the people of the Territory absolute
control over fish and game I. would
abolish all reserves, and make the land
laws of the Unfied States apply, and I
would allow private ownersmpof coal,
oil, timber, and water power.’
. “As an alternative, I suggested to a
number of members of Congress: 'Do
j not give Alaska one cent in special ap
propriations; tnrn her loose to work
Notice of Forfeiture.
To H. Beyer, your neirs. executors and
assigns:
You, and each of you, are hereby
notified that 1, the undersigned, your
co owner, have expended for labor and
improvements the sum of not less than
one hundred dollars ($100) yearly for
I the years 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, I9M. 1915V
j 1 <>i6, 1920. upon your interests in tbe
i Three Star Association placer mining
| claim, situated on Yankee creek, a
j tributary of the Innoko river, Innoko
j mining and recording precinct, Terri
I tory of Alaska, in order to hold said
I claim under the provisions of Section
j 2324- <of the revised statutes of the
I United Slates and, the amendments
! thereto concerning annual labor upon
} mining claims. being the amount re
quired to held-said mining claim for
I the period coding July 1. 1921,
| And if within the period of ninety
| days after tbe publicatiou of this r.o
! tice you fail or refuse to contribute
1 your proportion of said expenditures,
as well as the costs of recording the
^saine and the expenses- of this adver
tisement, your interest inn said claim
will become the property of the nnder
t signed, your co-owner,’ whti has made
i the required expend it tires under the
I terms of said Section 2324 'of the re
I vised statutes of the United States.
Jean McLean,
Co owner.
! Date of first publication, Dec. 29. 1931.
Date of last publication, April 5, 1922.
Billy Jones
Freighter
out her own problems, but give her t he |
net profits from her natural resources
now {join}' into the Federal treasury.’
“Unfortunately for Alaska, however, ,
this would deprive mauy Washington
bureaus of a large amount of their.
present authority and cut down their
payrolls. Love of authority and the
payroll will not allow of progress in
Alaska
“1 have assailed bureau activities in
Alaska, and yet all of their efforts are
not evil. The Alaska Road Commis
sion builds roads adapted to the coun
try, tiuauced through cooperative]
agreement with the Territory and a
modest Government appropriat ion: the j
States Relation Service maintains help
ful agricultural experiment stations;
the Biological Survey investigates dis- ,
eases of reiudeer; the Bureau of Mines ]
gives technical advice to miners and
prospectors; the bulletins of the Geo
logical Survey are studied as are text
books; the Bureau of Education, as far
as appropriations will permit, does ,
good work among the natives: the Coast |
and Geodetic Survey, the Geological
Survey and the General Land Office are
I slowly charting the waters and map
ping the land. Where their work is |
scientific and advisory the bureaus 1
hate proved invaluable, but in adin u
istratiou there is little to show but ex
pensive failure.”
Illiteracy ia Alaska.
Residents (d Alaska 10 years of age
and over number 43.108. according to!
the 192U census. of which number 24 8
per cem are illiterate. The greatest
per cent of illiteracy, however, is
among the Iisiians. 56 4 per cent of
wtiom are illieeraoe. Ot the whites of
i_
Notice of Forfeiture,
To John Neimi, E. Oksanen, John
Heino. Man B^soIh. Mail Ktvinen,
John Turtenain, Henry Kleimoia,
August Belkola. vour heirs, ex
ecutors, administrators, and as
signs:
You, and each of vnu, are hereby
notified that we. the undersigned, have
done and caused to he performed labor
to the value of one hundred dollars
($100.00) vearlv, for each of the vears
1915, 1916. 1917,, 1918, 1919, 1920. 1921, j
upon placer mining claim known as '
and called Neimi Association, sit.ua'ed
on Spruce creek, a tributary of lnnoko
river, lnnoko mining and recording
precinct. Territory of Alaska, in order
to hold the said claim under the pro
visions, of Section 2324. and amend
ments thereto, of the revised statutes
of the United States of America, con
cerning annual labor upon mining
claims. >
And if within ninety (90) days after
the publication of this notice yon fail or
refuse to contribute your proportion of
said expenditures, as well as the costs
of recording the same and the costs of
this advertisement, your interest in
said claim will become the property of
the undersigned, your co-owners, who
have made the required expenditures
under the terms of said section 2324,
and amendments thereto, of the re
vised statutes of the United Slates of
America.
FJ J. Vinal,,
W. A VlNAK.
Date of first publication, Feb. 4 1922.
Date of last publication. May 6, 1922.
American birth, but 0 5 per cent are
illiterate. Of the 11.518 whites of for
eign birth, 3 4 percent are illiterate.
The per cent of illiteracy fur all whites
is 1 9.
Forfeiture Notice.
To Frank 1’. Hasluud, your heirs, ex
ecutors and assigns:
You are hereby notified that I have
expended during the years 1914, 1915,
1910. 1917 and 1920 the sum of one
hundred and twenty-five dollars ($125)
in labor and improvements upon
your undivided oue-fourth interest
in claim No. 2 below, first tier,
left limit, Candle creek, in the
Mi. McKinley mining and recording
precinct, Territory of Alaska, in order
to hold said claim under the provisions
of Section 2324 of the revised statutes
of the United States, and the amend
ment thereto approved January 22,
1880, concerning annual labor upon
mining claims, being the amount re
quired to ho d said placer mining claim
for i he period ending December 31st,
192ft.
And if, within ninety davs from the
personal service ot thi-> notice, or
within oinetv days afier the publica
tion thereof, you fail or refuse to con
tribute the amount of such ex
penditure as well as the costs of re
cording the same, and the costs of this
advertisement, your interest in said
cliiip will bee une the property of the
undersigned, your co owner, who has
j made the required expenditure under
the terms of said section 2324 of the
revised statutes of the United States.
B. B. Green.
Date of first publication, .tan. ft. 1922.
Date of final publication, April 8, 1922.
Any Length of
WOOD FOR SHE
Delivered to Your Order
J,
CHARLIE’S.
LAUNDRY
Shoe Repairing
Sign Writing
Paperhanging
CHARLES REBHUN
The Handy Man
HIGGINS
Tacotna