NOME. ALASKA
A few issues of this paper finds
its way into the Nome country.
The distance of this district is so
great that they hardly hear whac
their representatives have done for
them at each legislature, that I am
bound to place a little bit in this
paper for their benefit.
Nome is really the stronghold of
Labor. At every election the issues
are sharply drawn and citizens vote
for what they consider “Progres
sives” among the candidates.
The opposing candidates for Sena -
tor are Senator Charles W. Brown
and Mrs. Lulu Welch, and it seems
that it will depend on one of these
two whether or not the next senate
will be progressive or reactionary.
Governor Scott C. Bone, Karl Thi
ele, R. J. Sommers and others of
the machine are supporting Mrs.
Welch and opposing Charlie Brown.
This should be argument enough
for most people. Of course, we know
nothing about Mrs. Welch ex
cept that she is a lovely lady, of
charming manner, with a great many
personal friends in the Nome coun
try. But she is the candidate pick
ed by Senator Fred Ayer, and we
do know Senator Fred Ayer, so we
will remind the Nome citizens about
his record.
He came to Juneau to get a ‘good”
workman’s compensation law passed.
It seems that this was one of his
campaign issues, and one which got
him a great many votes and his e
lection. Soon after he got to Ju
neau, out of sight of his Nome pro
gressive friends, he showed his true
colors. Perhaps he thought the
People of Nome would never learn
that he surrendered his independence
and gave himself over to Governor
Scott C. Bone and the carpet bag
ging machne. Senator Fred Ayer
did not care at that time that he
became a part of the lobby support
ing steamship trust.
Senator Charles W. Brown intro
duced a model workmen’s compensa
tion bill which had been submitted
to the American Federation for La
bor Legislation and had their ap
proval; it followed closely the Un
ited States act under which the Al
aska Railroad was built, and the
Panama Canal and under which the
transcontinental railroads operate.
This act would have given every
working man in Alaska the guaran
tee that if he were hurt, that lie
would be taken care of, his hospi
tal bill paid, transportation, and
when he got well, that he would have
a little money left. Or in case of
death, his widow would surely get
her money, for herself and her
children.
Senator Fred Ayer opposed this
bill so it was lost in the Senate
by a tie vote.
Then Mr. Ayer introduced the old
Alaska act, this act which was
drawn up by the attorneys of the
Alaska-Juneau and the Alaska Gas
tineau mines; an. act that is not
a compensation act, but a limitation
<// liability only. Under this bill the
injured party is entitled to a cer
tain amount of moneyproyiding his
employer has it otherwise he is out
of luck.
This bill still applied only to min
ers. The improvements to the bill
and its extension to all industries
was the work of Senator Brown as
sisted by Representatives Wilson and
Decker.
Then when the controller bill came
up, this bill which seeks to place the
control of strictly territorial affairs
in the hands of the elected agents of
our territory, Senator Fred Ayer op
posed that, and so that bill was lost
by a tie vote.
On the mine tax, Mr. Ayer was
very tender with great mines who
made more than a million dollars
net profit each year. In fact it got
so that it seemed as if Senator Ayer
was representing the Hammond Min
ing corporation and other big fel
lows rather than the people of the
Territory. By his vote, he saved
a tax of $2,500, to those mines who
make more than two millions in
ret profits yearly. Instead of tax
ing these large corporations $30,000
on two millions of net profits (after
deducting all expenses, betterments
and improvements), Senator Ayer
considered that $20,000 was plenty.
But he supported the bill which
taxes the little truck-driver the
value of his truck, that places a
heavy tax on the poor trapper, and
other little fellows who voted for
him because he talks like a progres
sive and votes with the reaction
aries.
“The voice is the voice of Jacob,
but the hands are the hands of
Esau’’ and so Isaac gave his bless
ing to Jacob who had deceived his
father Isaac. It is ever thus.
GEORGE OHASHI
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