On (.he front page of the Alaska
£itizep of Dec. 7th, 19J.-J, appeared ,an
article under the heading of /‘Better
Road Laws Are Planned," being an
outline of proposed legislation for the
improvement of highways throughout
the territory of Alaska by aid of license
funds by O. T. Ganstad, ^Senator-elect
from the Fourth Division, soliciting the
co operation of other members of the
Alaska legislature in securing the pass
age of his bill, that all his non-partisan
,-hovel still supporters, with a bundle
of blankets otj their backs, their only
assets, would do well to carefully
peruse.
Under the pretense of building and
improving roads from license money
collected outside of incorporated towns,
they will fird that the real intent of
the bill is to build the roads from the
proceeds of the old "Obnoxious Poll
Tax**’ The license money provision of
the bill is at best problematical, if
approved or permitted by Congress,
but the "obnoxious poll tax" provision
& is a surety.
huunent statesmen throughout the
United States have time and again de
clared that a capitation tax or poll tax
is the most upjust and unequal form of
taxation ever h.vled on a people by
any government, as it places on the
sa ne level for tax ition purposes the
millionaire and I he tramp. Yet, that
is the fust manifestation of legislative
genius possessed by Mr. Gausta.l.
Should he succe ed in passing his Mil it
is very doubtlul if he will long retain
the confidence of the hurdle brigade.
Many workingmen heretofore, after
separating With the poll tax has asked
himself seriously; why he, a transient
o-jonpner in some ccunlay should he
called upon to contribute tax for the
improvement of roads when he owe s
no property? If the money was applied
to a fund created for the benefit of the
sick or indigent, it would he less ob
je.tionable. Reals are always cqr.
atuicted for the benefit of pioperty,
and enhances the value of property.
Why should properly benefitted by
their construction not pay for it? Good
roads r.evrr increases (he laborers
■wages. Why should the laborer be
taxed for building the r-ads? Why not
tax property entirely for the construc
tion and maintenance of roaejs. Since
it is the sole benifieiary. a working man
in Alaska may pay poll tax for the
h construction of a road that he travels
9 over but once in a life tima. The next
year he may 1 e 6000 miles away, hut
property remains here, and enjoys the
benefit of the road. It is strange that
M .Caustad did not conceive the idea of
levying a mill tax as pro. ided for in
the Organic Act. against property real
and personal, a certain portion of it to
be applied to the road fund for the
construction and rraiiite. ace of roads.
Mr. Ggisird (\itcr.t'y csn see a poor
*orkirgn an with a bundle of blankets
hi» back, farther than he can see a
‘:u-ncrse lower toiler and a smoke
stack on top ot it, or a stetmboat on
the Tanara river, or one of the N. C.
Co.’s warehouses. The working stiffs
w ho helped to elect lim to ofiice sh aula
ft cl frond of their s'atesmun. R>iJ
caref.,1 / the followin' pirtions of th e
j rofo e I bill.
"ft jaJ tax shall ba four dollars par
an-um, payable at the of!i:e of the
road supervisor or to him personally,
on or before th a fir at day of June each
.year, and shall become delinquent on
the first day of July, when a penalty of
5 per cent will be aJJei, anj if not
paid in 15 da a from that date, sa
t’eliiquent tax r shall oe la le
arrest, with /'■ e or imprisonm
(rather stri; • the o ■■■ »xi«.
t..x). Nonparti.- . f guess!
I wonder if Mr. Oim1 • 1 •:>.1 ,
i
or try to pass as stringent a law for
the collection of wages and penalize
the delinquent employers of labor,
£j*ch a law wjcuM he a great help .to
wage earners if properly administered
in the Tanann valleykeep your eye
on O.
Another gam of wisdom from the
same hill:
'‘All corporation co-partpersaips or
individuals employing labor, shall be
required to file with the supervisor be
fore the 10th day of Ju io each year, a
list of all persons liable to pay road
tax, who were in their or his e mploy on
i
the first day of June next preceding,
and if they neglect or refuse to com
ply with this provision they shall lie
liable to a substantial fine; such em
ployer shall be authorized to retain
from the wages of their employees the
sum due for road tax and iurn the same
over to the supervisor, tailing his
receipt therefor. V
It is evident from the above that tl.e
shovel stiif won’t have muen to say
about the matter, whether he likes it
or not. 11 is employer is an authorized
deputy collector of poll tax and he ai d
the road supervisor are empowered'
under the law to fix matters among; t
themselves. It will not he necessary
even to consult the shovel slid'. All
that is necessary for him to do will be
to iurn the money. The employer ana
the supervisor will dispense with it.
Query. What has become of the Suva
ereign citizen? The Czar of Russia ana
his cossacks docs not exercise a nioie
despotic authority ovei his helpless suU
jtets then would be given by ttie bin
io an Alaskan real supervisor m con.
junction with an Alaskan or ployer.
Workingmen in Alaska would hate
guardians as lar as poll tax is etneerm
ed. Rut deliver them from such guard,
ians as O. 1’.; and if he will considei
the fine job that is provided l'.r Hie
supervisor at the rale ol f^n hollars
per uiein and trave.ing expenses, with
sweeping power anti
number of days that
them m employ mg
workingnitii. a>uL r.ii.
lo provide any per en
will be eaiit-u upon
Perhaps he will Cons-,
a-lailiiggs lo find on
workingmen can fie
work for.
no
tie
limit io
may ext;
'.he
I
and disc!. ..0.ug 1
. CnijstaJ forgot
m lot those who
to do tfie work,
it the ft C. Co, j
t to wiiat late
jewed do .vji to
He places aiiotnei iidet on the bin, ,
and although not an original tuea itj
hus been advocated on the coast that it
wou d seriously interfere with existing
mining laws or the United States that
provides fur the periurmance of annual
labor on all located n ining Mr.
Gaustad would divert the annual .labor
from tl>e ruining claim tg the construe
|ion of roads, .an idea that congress
would not entertain fora moment. The
annual labor when performed upon the
ground roa^ possibly develop a mine,
and that is the purpose for which it
was imposed on the ground. But Mr.
Gaustad wop Id apply the work to the
construction of reeds in the direction
of some wildcat Joe iteu and held on
suspicion for which 1t -* ou lying places
jn Alaska are notable. Be would serve
his constituents much better, especially
those who work .for wages if he woulu
use his efforts 10 compel the wild cat,
ers to either develop the ground they
have pencil monopolized, or get off and
let some others that wou d work it
locate it without a lawsuit. Mr.
Gaustad has surely got the cart before
the horse. He is going wrong end to
what is the sense of using public money
to build roads, before We know whether
there is anything to b.ild roads for 01
not. Development work performea
upon the ground will demonstrate that
fact and nothing else will. Therefore,
,f Mr. Gaustad aims to assist through
legislative acts, the early development
of this terriloiy, and particularly the
Tauana Valley, ne will change las Lad
ics ai.d endeavor to stir into action toe
delinquent pencil artists* and . ompel
them to do annual .anor on their e. Late's,
instead of building roads for their
convenience.
What this camp needs is prospect
ho.es to bedrock. There is always a
iu.', us of lie men in this ioui.tr>
during the winter seas; n that are au.e
au.i wil.ing to work ill given the oppor
luuity. they have not gene to the wai
in Europe. i hey will be luund winter
ing in cabii s on all the creeks.
DA \ McdABE.
Vault.
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