Statehood Issue
Again Reviewed
(Continued from Page 31
Ickes Fellows Taft
These words that Mr. Ickes uses
parallel the language of the di
rectives issued during the ill-fated i
Tim administration-. whefeby all'
caal and oif lands in Alaska were
Withdrawn from entry, and over;
1*00 coal land claimants dispos-j
scssed—their proper'y and invest-1
ments confiscated. It is true thatj
'file leasing system was instituted
hut he meager dveelopment of!
these resources under this system j
speaks for itself—there just isn’t1
any.
Mr. Ickes has assiduously tried
for a number of years to have!
Congress enact legislation with-!
drawing all gold-bearing lands
from acquisition by staking and
patenting, placing this valuable
portion of Alaska's present econ
omy also under the nefarious leas
ing system. If this whim of Mr.
Ickes is enacted into law the bells
will again begin to toll heralding!
the end of gold mining in the Ter-'
ritory.
When Mr. Ickes states that
"the national rseources of Alaska
were purchased by the United
States from Russia for the benefit
of the entire people of the United (
States,” and uses this language as
an objection to statehood for
Alaska, on the grounds that Alas
ka should not be permitted to own
and control these resources, he is
talking nonsense.
May I ask Mr. Ickes whose
money paid for the vast rich em
pire bought from France and
known as the “Louisiana Pur
chase?” There has been, for many
years a number of thickly popu
lated and highly productive states,
once Territories, functioning in
that sector of the United States,
| once known as the Louisiana Pur
; chase. Their natural resources
have been and are being manu
factured into commodities of trade
'for the benefit, first, of,the.people
rot' those states, and secondarily,!
, for the country at large.
: While it is true that natural re
; sources are, generally speaking, a
! Part of the national assets, it is!
| also true that they beeome wast-;
I i°g assets unless put to work.:
: The tremendous natural resour- i
! ces of Alaska are not worth a
I plugged nickel to anyone any-1
j where as long as they remain un-;
used.
j Mr. John Pegues in his Jessen’s
| Weekly column, puts it in a nut-|
shell when he writes: “Salmon
in the sea have no real value to
; the people o% New York or any
| other state, until they are captur
ed, made into some form of food,:
and transported to where it can,
be consumed. The billions of feet
! of timber in our forests are like-!
t
| wise valueless until they are made
into lumber, pulp or newsprint
and transported to some point for
utilization. Milady cannot wear
a beaverskin coat if the beaver
still wears its pelt.
! Only when these resources are
put to use—are manufactured Ln
! to commodities, will the entire
people benefit from Alaska’s as
. sets.
“In the process of making them
| usable, our economy, as has been
the case in all other new states,
will broaden and become sound—
our population will grow and our
! industries will become diversi
fied.
Develops Potential Market
As we increase in population.
; and expand industriously, we will
i buy more Connecticut nutmeg.
▻+**+***+*+**-4-+***+****4~{>!!|
New York gowns, Chicago pork,''
Kentucky whiskey, California
fruits and all other products and
commodities of the entire eoun-!
try. Then and only then, not-!
withstanding, Mr. Ickse to the
contrary, will the entire people,
including those of Alaska, reap
any benefits from Alaska's nat
ural resources.”
The trouble with Mr. Ickes is
that he argues from a false prem
ise, hence his reasoning, such as
it is, is falacious and falls of its
own weight. Another of Mr.'
Ickes troubles is that he arro-|
gates to himself infallibility, an'
attribute that belongs only to
Cod. !
________
PART II.
Three fundamental things must
( be done before Alaska can become
' a state:
(1). An Act of Congress enab
ling the people of Alaska to form I
a constitution and state govern- \
ment, and to be admitted into
: the Union on an equal looting
with the original states
(2>. The forming of a Sta‘e Con
stitution in accordance with
American principles of govern
ment by a constitutional conven
, tion of elec4ed Alaskans in ses
sion for that purpose.
; (3b Ratification of such consti
tution by at least a majority of
the qualified voters of Alaska. j
The Enabling Act referred to
above would specify the terms of
I admission to statehood—the assist *!
anee to be given the state by the!
federal government—and the re
spective rights and obligations,
Federal and s'ate, within the new
s-tate. The following indicates a,
few of the provisions of an Enab-j
' ling Act:
| <ab A fund provided by Con- j
: gress for defraying the expenses
j of electing delegates to a consti-j
tutional convention to form a
; constitution.
| (b>. Provide that the constitu-:
'tion formed by elected delegates'
i to a constitu4ional convention!
' must be ratified or rejected at
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Over There...
a* # I»
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t MR. and MRS. GARNET MARTIN. Props. *
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a*i election held for that pur-^
pose, by a least a majority of the
voters—and if rejected that the
Territorial government should
continue the same as if the Enab- {
ling Act had never been passed j
by Congress.
<c). Provide that the conven
tion might be reconvened to
form another constitution, or
amended constitution.
<d>. Provide for the grant of all
tide lands in Alaska to the State
ol Alaska—grants of large tracts
of public lands for erection of
publie buildings for the state—
and for charitable, educational,
penal and reformatory instiuttionsl
and other purposes—and a spec-!
fieri proportion of income from!
sale of public lands for support
of the common schools.
(e) Provide for election, not
appointment, of a Governor, twoj
United States Senators, at least j
one representative to Congress,
and oher state officials.
(f) . The continuance in effect of
all Territorial laws until altered
or repealed by the state Legisla
ture.
These are a few of the elemen
tary provisions of an Enabling
Act. An Enabling Act for admis
sion of Alaska to statehood should
also settle and specify the re-j
spective rights and obligations ofj
the Federal Government and the,
proposed state of Alaska with re-!
lation to the following matters: j
Nature and extent of land,
grants—nature and extent of Fed-j
eral reservations retained; exten
sion of the Federal Highway Act
to Alaska and the respective pro
portions of federal and state con
struction and maintenance costs;
the respective obligation, Federal
and state, with respect to the Na
tive population, heretofore wards
of the Federal Government; the
fisheries, timber, fur, game and
other natural resources; provi
sions for state use of existing
government buildings, air fields
and other existing facilities and
many other Important matters.
Enabling Act Essential
It is only by providing all of
i these matters in an Enabling Act
in specific detail, that the voters
: can determine, with any degree
! of certainty whether statehood
! for Alaska would be practicable
j or otherwise. This is what we are
seeking through Delegate Di
mond’s bill. We should at least
have the right, through the pass
age of this bill for statehood, to
appraise and study the Enabling
Act, and Constitution, then go to
the polls and state through the
ballot, whether or not we want
| statehood.
But this can never be exercised
| unless Dimond’s bill and the Enab
i ling Act are first passed by Con
gress.
' In the meantime, and until an
Enabling Act and Constitution are
| presented for consideration and
study, the argument that state
hood would impose burdensome
taxes on the people of Alaska
must continue to be founded on
misinformation, speculation and
prejudice. As to the benefits and
advantages of statehood compar
ed with what we now have un
| der our limited territorial govern
ment. one might just as well ar
gue the respective merits of elec
tric lights and candles.
We all believe in democracy
—democracy operated through
representative government. Gov
ernment is exercised best in the
local community. There the prob
lems are perceived in greater
clarity because they are close to
the people and on a scale within
their grasp. The self reliance of
the individual, town and terri
tory is being destroyed whenever
we are relieved of the necessity
of governing ourselves, for when
people stop thinking and acting
for themselves, there is always
someone willing to step forward
and do these chores for them—
take a good look at Mr. Ickes!
| Patriotically Speaking... !
I |
|| ... YOUR HAIR-DO IS $
|| IMPORTANT, TOO! |
j| • • • An appointment can be arranged by call- I
| ing Main 148 .. . Let us make up your coif
* fure so you’ll be in style for the Fourth!
j MAHAN’S BEAUTY SHOP f
t Main 148 Nome, Alaska I
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