Congress, makes very fine speeches on almost any
subject, Home Rule for Alaska and even on Abol
ishment of Fish Traps.
We judge men by the company they keep and
not by words, but by their actions. Mr. Grigsby
is preaching the doctrine of abolishing the fish
traps. His main support is the Juneau Empire.
The Empire is not, has not and will not support
abolishment of fish traps. It will not support any
candidate who sincerely advocates such a mea
sure. The pledge of the Democratic candidate
therefore cannot mean anything to the citizens of
Alaska. It is only a blind, a vote-catching pledge
without sincerity of purpose back of it.
-x
GAFFNEY ON MINOR'S DELINQUENCY
-X
By his vote, which is on record in the House
Journal, Tom Gaffney indicates that he does not
believe that persons who contribute to the delin
quency of a minor child should be punished.
Prior to 1927 IT WAS NOT A CRIME to con
tribute to the delinquency of a minor child. To
cure this situation and to protect the children of
Alaska, William L. Paul introduced bill No. 78—a
copy of the Oregon Act. On final passage, it pass
ed by a vote of 15—1, Gaffney thinks it is no
crime and should not be made such to contribute
to the delinquency of a minor child. While in
Petersburg electioneering for votes this campaign
in order that he might be elected as Territorial
Auditor, Tom was seen in the company of a girl
who was a delinquent and who should be under
the Board of Children’s Guardians. Is this one of
the reasons why Tom opposed that good law?
-x
LAW SUITS FOR WAGES
-x
House Bill 58, The “Monthly Pay Day Bill’’ was
introduced by Representative Paul. This bill pro
vided that corporations should pay wages on the
10th of each month or on demand within three
days if the person is fired. In case of lawsuit to
collect wages, if the laborer won his substantial
claim, the wages should be figured up to the date
when judgement is paid. This provision was to
stop groundless appeals to try out honest claims.
Tom Gaffney voted against this bill as did
Bobby Sheldon of Fairbanks. The motion to kill
this bill was made by Ralph Lomen and seconded
by his employee “Slim” Rydeen, both of Nome. So
this measure for the protection of labor introduced
by William L. Paul was defeated.
-x
“WE ARE FOR HOME RULE”
-X
The political battle cry of the Juneau Empire
and its political henchmen is “home ruie.” It is a
vote catching cry and means nothing to the mak
ers of that pledge. Their record belies their word.
The Controller Bill- which was introduced
several times in past legislatures was a measure
giving to the people of Alaska the right to elect
certain officials and to remove their duties from
the office of the federal appointed officials. This
gave back to the people of Alaska a control over
their own Territorial affairs.
With limited funds at its command, the past
legislatures surrendered to Washington appointed
officials many duties which should never have
been surrendered. Among these duties are man
agement of the Pioneer’s Home, the Pension laws
for aged men and women; destitute widows and
orphans; road building; management of the Alas
ka College; tax collecting; Treasurer’s office; ex
amining and governing boards of all kinds; his
torical museum; a liberated attorney general; a
liberated department of education and many
others.
The Empire and its cohorts which fought and
defeated the Controller Bill again promises to se
cure to Alaska a “full territorial form of govern
ment.” The Republican candidates through their
efforts have secured an elective Treasurer, an
elective Auditor and an elective Commissioner of
Education. The duties of the various boards com
ing under those offices. The Empire is still fighting
and its cohorts are still fighting this measure of
relief from bureaucratic domination. Yet they
whine and are accepted with a lot of gullibility
that they will give to Alaska a full measure of
“home rule.” Their actions and their record be
lie their word.
-x
TOM GAFFNEY
Tom Gaffney represents in
Alaska the “blarney Kissing”
Irish, the same breed who en
joyed the bounty of the English
carpet baggers in Ireland.
They were loud in their sup
port of home rule and voted
against home rule.
In the last legislature, Gaffney
fought against the home rule
bill called the Controller Bill. He
said it was a bad bill and should
not be made law. But he either
showed his ignorance or his bad
faith when he voted for the
Emergency Clause. The emer
gency clause is this—'“An emer
gency is hereby declared to ex
ist, and this act shall take effect
immediately upon the passage
of this act/’
When Gaffney voted for the
Emergency Clause, he declared
that AN EMERGENCY EXIST
ED.