1922 Encyclopædia Britannica/Alaska

ALASKA (see ). The most important events in the history of Alaska in the ten years ending with 1920 were:—(1) the extension of surveys and investigations of resources over nearly half of the total area (586,400 sq. m.) ; (2) the change

in the public land policy, which no longer prohibited the utilization of Alaska's coal, petroleum and water powers; (3) the granting of a measure of home rule to the people of Alaska; (4) the improvement of transportation by the construction of a Government railway from an open port on the Pacific to navigable waters on the Yukon river, by the construction of many wagon roads (total roads and trails 4,900 m.) and by the installation of many lights and other aids to navigation (total 547); and (5) the great advance of her copper and salmon-fishing industries, and of gold mining until 1916.

Public Land Policy.—The political history of Alaska has largely centred in a struggle for more liberal land laws. In early days it had been considered for the best interests of Alaska to transfer the lands to private ownership as quickly as possible without too close a scrutiny of the means employed. This policy was completely reversed as a result of the conservation movement inaugurated under President Roosevelt. The aim of the movement, as first defined, was to prevent waste of natural resources; but this issue proving too academic to make a popular appeal, it gradually veered to a protest against corporate control of lands and resources. Though supported in the beginning by the best element in the nation, it ultimately became involved in the bitter struggle between the Roosevelt and Taft wings of the Republican party. As practically all the lands of the Territory were still owned by the Government, the withholding of the most valuable of these from settlement and development played havoc with her industries. Curiously enough, the most ardent of the conservationists failed to recognize the urgent importance of conserving the salmon and halibut fisheries. As it was, the withdrawal of coal, oil and good timber lands as well as of water powers left the Territory with only metalliferous deposits and fisheries on which to base its industries. A very important by-product of the conservation movement was the development at Washington of a mania for the establishment of reservations in Alaska. In this way there were set aside for various purposes, exclusive of mineral or forest withdrawals, some 40,000 sq. miles. For many years the Alaska conservation issue remained at a deadlock between the executive and legislative branches of the Government. Meanwhile Alaskan industries languished. With an abundant supply of fuel close at hand, she was forced to import coal and petroleum at great cost; her pulp wood was rotting in the forest, her water powers were undeveloped. Only gold- and copper-mining and salmon-fishing increased. Finally during the Wilson administration a leasing policy for coal and oil lands and water powers was established by law. At about the same time the shortage of paper had a liberalizing influence on the regulations relating to the sale of timber from the national forest. In 1921 the new laws were too recent to allow an estimate of their effect.

Government.—The struggle of Alaska to attain representation in Washington, lasting nearly 40 years, resulted in 1906 in the authorization of an elected delegate to Congress. At each biennial election which followed, home rule was the only important issue, until finally in 1912 an Act was passed granting a territorial government. This continued the governor as a presidential appointee, and (unwisely, though in accord with American tradition) provided for a bi-cameral Legislature. The upper chamber, or Senate, consisted of two senators from each of the four judicial districts, serving four years. Sixteen representatives formed the lower chamber, or House of Representatives, four elected for two years from each judicial district. This equal representation for each of the judicial districts gave the less-populated areas of the interior an unjust preponderance in the Legislature, and in many instances worked against the best interests of the Territory as a whole. Congress in the organic Act expressly retained the right of repealing all laws enacted by the Alaska Legislature. Furthermore, the Territory was denied the right to enact laws relating to the excise, game, fish,

animals, or the existing Federal licence tax. It was provided that the capital should be at Juneau. The first session of the territorial Legislature was in March 1913, and the first law passed gave the franchise to women. Since that date the most important legislation has related to mining, hours of labour, workmen's compensation, banking and education. Heavy taxes were also imposed on the salmon-fishing industry, and from these the Territory derived a large part of its income. In 1916 the Legislature authorized a plebiscite on the prohibition of the sale, transportation and manufacture of all alcoholic beverages. The vote was in the affirmative by 7,958 to 4,431. As the Legislature had no power to change the excise law, a petition was submitted to Congress, which passed a dry law for Alaska in 1917.

Education.—The white schools of Alaska were in 1920 under territorial management and were supported by local taxes. Even most of the small settlements had schools, and five of the larger towns supported high schools. The Territory founded an agricultural and mining college at Fairbanks in 1918, but as funds were appropriated only for the erection of a building, the school had not been opened up to 1920. In 1919 there were 62 white schools in the Territory, with 147 teachers and 2,713 pupils. The education of Alaskan Indians and Eskimos was in the hands of Federal agencies. In 1919 there were in the Territory 70 Indian schools, too few to accommodate the children of the 25,000 natives. The Federal Government also made some provision for medical service for the natives, and maintained six small hospitals for the purpose. In addition to the Government schools, about 35 sectarian missions were maintained by various churches for the benefit of the natives. Many of these had boarding-schools and a few had hospitals.

Population.—In 1920 the pop. was 54,899, a decrease of 9,457, or 14.7%, from 64,356 in 1910. The whites numbered 29,000, as against 36,400 in 1910; the Indians and Eskimos 25,000, as against 25,331 in 1910; and the balance was of Mongolian and other races. Juneau, the capital and an important mining centre, was the largest town, with a pop. of 3,058. Ketchikan, the most important fishing centre, had 2,458. Anchorage and Seward, on the Government railway, had respectively 1,685 and 652. Cordova, the coastal terminus of the Copper River railroad, had 955. Fairbanks, the chief mining town of the interior, had 1,155. Nome, on the Seward peninsula, had 852. The white population of Alaska steadily increased until 1915, when it exceeded 40,000. Subsequent losses were due to: (1) enrolment in military service of about 3,500 men, few of whom returned; (2) high wages in the States; and (3) decrease in the gold-mining industry. While in 1915 about 9,600 men were employed in Alaska mines, there were only about 3,000 in 1920. In addition to the permanent residents of Alaska, between 25,000 and 30,000 men annually visit the Territory to find employment, chiefly in fishing, but also in mining. There were also 2,000 or 3,000 tourists each summer.


 * (Author:Alfred H. Brooks)