WHAT ALASKA WILL LOSE
The following is the text of a
communication addressed to
Hon. J. W. Alexander, chairman
of the committee on merchant
marine and fisheries,, and Hon.
vY. C. Houston, chairman of tbx’
house committee on territories,
by Delegate Wickersam relative
to the attempt of the department
of commerce to remove the most
v luable of the Alaska resources,
the fisheries, from the taxable as
set*' of the territory As will he
noted, the communication calls
attention to the fact that the so
called Alexander bills contem
place not only the removal of the
fisheries from the jurisdiction ol
the legislature but alos include
the removal of a large portion oi
the fui bearing animals. It also
calif attention to the more vital
tacts that, by its operation, the
'•measure will deprive the terri
tory of revenues amounting to
nearly one hundred thousand dol
lars and will practically repeal
the Alaska school fund law, the
Alaska road fund law and the in
digent fund law. Mr. Wicker
sham says:
Gentlemen: So much confus
sion has recently occurred in the
matter of the reference of Alaska
fisheries bills that it seems neces
ary to call your attention to ii
and to beg your co-operation and
united action upon that importati!
subject.
Tacts in Sixty Fifth Congress,
On the first day of this con
gress, H. R. 222, “A bill to amend
an act for the protection and reg
ulation of the fisheries of Alas
ka,” was introduced by Mr. Flood
and referred to the committee on
the territories; H. R. 753, was in
troduced by Mr. Carlin with ex
actly the same title as the Flood
bill, and substantially the saint
matter, and was referred to the
committee on ways and means;
H- R. 8029 was introduced b>
Mr. Wickersham, with a sirnilai
title, and on the same subject,
and was referred to the commit
tee on the territories. On Jan
uary 20, H. R. 9527, “ a bill to
amend section three of an act ti
create a legislative assembly ir
the territory of Alaska,” etc., and
to take from it power over tht
fisheries of Alaska, was intro
duced by Mr. Alexander and re
ferred to the committee on the
territories; on January 20, H. R.
9528, “ a bill for the protection
regulation and conservation of
the fisheries of Alaska” was in
troduced by Mr. Alexander and
rfeerred to the committee on mer
chant marine and fisheries; and
on January 29, H. R. 10373 "a bill
to redistribute jurisdiction of the
secretary of commerce and the
secretary of agriculture over the
protection of fur bearing animal;
in Alaska, and for other pur
poses,” was intorduced by Mr
Alexander and referred to the
committee on the territories.
Subsequent to its introduction
and prior to this date H. R. 753,
the1 Carlin bill, was transferred
from the committee on ways and
means to the committee on the
tj^ritories, and now the bills
mentioned are all before the com
mittee on the territories except
H. R. 9528, the Alexander bill.
The Relief Prayed For.
The delegate from Alaska begs
the chairman and members of the
committee on merchant marine
and fisheries to waive the ques
tion of jurisdiction and to agree
that H. R. 9528, the Alexander hill
may be transferred from the com
mittee on merchant marine and
fisheries to the committee on the
territories, where the five bills,
upon the same subject, are being
considered, so that a full and fair
hearing mjety be had and a law
enacted to save the fisheries ol
Alaska from monopoly and final
extinction.
The objection which I urge to
a hearing before the merchant
marine and fisheries upon H. R
9528 are four in number.
First. The delegate from Al
aska is not a member of the com
mittee on merchant marine and
fisheries and his enforced absence
from* the meetings of the commit
tee would unfairly limit him in
his opportunities to present the
facts and argument with which
he is familiar in support of what
he may offer as needed legisla
tion and in opposition to bad leg
islation which might be contained
in the bill.
** . ff! >/[• ’ * w.
Second. H. R. 9528 is but one
of many bills on this subject, the
others being pending before the
committee on territories, though
they ought all to: be heard by one
and the same-committee. ,
Third. .The subjects covered
in II.. R; 9528 are so . intimately
interwoven with other Alaskan
legislation that it can not fairly
be considered without a consid
eration of other territorial legis
lation of which it is merely a part
and which is clearly beyond the
jurisdiction of the committee on
merchant marine and fisheries
Fourth. Because the commit
tee on the territories has juris
diction over the general territor
ial legislation which H. R. 9528
must be a part, and has also here
tofore considered, reported and
secured the enactment of those
acts of congress which H. R. 9528
is now offered to remodel.
For ihese reasons the commit
tee on merchant marine and fish
eries ought to permit H. R. 9528
to be transferred to the commit
tee on the territories.
Jurisdictional Features of FI. R
9528
Rule XI provides that bills
shaii be referred as follows:
‘‘Subjects relating * * * To
the merchant marine and fisher
ies to the committee on the mer
chant marine and fisheries. * * *
17. To territorial legislation, the
revision thereof, and affecting
territories or the admission of
states—to the committee on the
territories.”
It is suggested that there is
conflict between the two forego
ing clauses, that the power to
consider bills relating to ‘‘fisher
ies,” conflicts with the jurisdic
tion of the committee on terri
tories over ‘‘territorial legislation,
the revision thereof,” when the
bill covers fisheries in a territory
Passing that question by, with
out answering it, there are some
things in FI. R. 9528, the Alexan
der bill, which are not in ‘doubt.
Let me call them to your atten
tion first.
a. The Fur-Bearing Animal Item
In the third session of the six
ty third congress, the department
of commerce prepared and caused
to be introduced three bills to
give a wider range of jurisdiction
ov-r fur bearing animals in Alas
ka—H. R- 10135, introduced by
Mr. Bryan, of Washington, and
H. R. 20897 and H. K. 21159, in
troduced by Mr. Palmer, copies
oi which are Mtadhed hereto.
These .three bills were referred to
the committee on ways and
means, and after rather lengthy
hearings before a sub-committee
that committee reported the last
one—see house report No. 1332.
The bill did not pass, and atten
tion is called to it here to show
that in the bill II. R 9528, also
.prepared by the department of
commerce, the same control is
sought over fur-bearing animals
that was attempted in the three
mils on that spt.g*al suoject in
the last congress.
becuon one 01 H. R. 9528 pro
viues "that it shall be unlawful
to engage in the business of tak
ing, catcmng” hsh * * * "or other
acquatic animals,” etc.. This
business of taking, catching, etc.,
acquatic annuals ' is also men
tioned in the second sentence of
section one and frequently
through the bill. The culmination
is reached however, in section 18,
as follows:
"bee. 18. All acquatic animals
included. That the catching, kill
ing, or utilization of any nsh of
any kind or acquatic animal of
any kind or species whatsoever
not specifically provided for in
this act shall be subject to the
provision of this act, but the sec
' atary pf commerce shall have
power to authorize the catching
killing or utilization of any sucli
fish or animal under such regula
tions as he may prescribe.”
An acquatic animal is one
which lives in or frequents the
water, and the phrase includes
the land and sea otter, marten,
mink, sealion, fur seal, harbor and
bearded seal, beaver muskrat, and
the whale,, porpoise, and walrus
of Alaska, all of which were cov
ered in the former bills before
the ways and means committee
Certainly the committee on
merchant marine and fisheries
has no jurisdiction over acquatic
animals or that branch of the law
in Alaska, and that much of H.
R. 9528 should go to the commit
tee on ways and means or to ter
ritories. Herewith I attach a
carefully compiled statement of
oil Is which have been introduced
I
I
. - - ■ * • • • • .
in congress relating to fur-bear-;
ing animals in Alaska—not. onej
ol them has ever been referred to
the cornmattee on merchant ma
rine and fisheries. One was re
ferred to loreign affairs, one to
commerce, eight to ways and
means, and ten to territories
b. “Territorial Legislations the.
Revision Thereof.”
-The committee oil merchant
marine and fisheries ought not
to claim jurisdiction . over hills
relating to "territorial legisla
tion" or “the revision thereof”
and especially where such bills
are intended to and do specifically
change existing laws which were
originally referred to, considered,
reported and passed upon tlie re
ports of the committee^ on the
territories. The whole purpose
of the "fishing” elements in H.
R. 9528 is to specifically and ef
fectually change existing laws oi
the most fundamental character
which were originally referred
to, considered, reported, and
passed upon the reports of the
committee on teritories. Not
only that but H. R,
9528 mutilates those existing
laws in such a way as to force j
immediate action upon the com-j
mittee on the territories to cure
the evil effects of the mutilation.
For instance: ,
c- The Law of Taxation
Of real and personal property!
is changed in a way to greatly
embarrass and hinder the people,
of Alaska. Sec. 1 of H R. 9528
provides that
"Every person * * * engaged
in the busines of taking, catch
ing, fishing for, canning ■' * * or
otherwise dealing at wholsale in
food fish or shell fish, or other;
acquatic animals or the products 1
thereof, * * * in the territory of
Alaska * * * shall * * * apply for j
a license to the secretary of com-;
merce who shall issue the same,
and every such person shall, in
lieu of all, other federal or terri
torial license fees and taxes there-1
for and thereon, pay annual li- •
cense fees and taxes on said busi
ness and output as in this act
provided.”
Section two fixes the amount
of the "license fee and taxes” as
follows:
“Sec. 2. License fees and taxes.
That a license fee of $5 shall be
imposed and paid for each can
ning, mild curing, saltery, smok
ing, fish freezing, whaling, or
other wholesale fish dealing es
tablishment, for each fisli fertil
izer and fish oil works, and for
each fishery establishment, ex
cept retail markets, not liC/cin
specified.”
(To be Continued.)
To get the niwa read the Nugget.
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WE CAN DO IT.
Fat first «.las8 work and prompt d«
livury phone Main 151 and the People's
Steam Laundry will send and get your
laundry.
W J. WILLIAMSON. Prop
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HENRY BURGH, PROP.
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‘ W* omter to family trade <’
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Machinist rt ttiaikhmitB j
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SPRING MEDICNE
A good spring tonic taken at this time of the year is of
great benefit to everybody.
Among the simple and efficient spring ledicines the fol
lowing are recommended:
CA3C.ARA BARK.
SASSAFRAS BARK.
SULPHUR AND CREAM OF TARTAR j
Also
APARIENT POWDER. j
Which contains Sulphur, cream of Tartar and other valua
ble ingredients.
SOLD ONLY BY US.
HILL’S PHARMACY
RUBBERS
| During the Administration of the Estate I
1 of P A. Peterson ail business must be Cash. I
| P. A. Peterson 5hoe Co. |