STANDPATTERS’ PLAT
FOTM: “OIL F03 ONE”
The platform promulgated by the
standpat candidates for the legisla
ture from the First Division is sig
nificant for what it hides. It is
practically the same as the Demo
cratic platform adopted by the Ju
neau convention and obviously writ
ten by the same hand.
The first plank declares:
“For strict economy in administra
tion of Government, with fewer laws
and better enforcement of those now
on the statute books; and for repeal
of all useless laws of which there
are many?”
This sounds good, but what does
it mean ?
Economy is a virtue to which it
is already safe to lay claim. But
why do they not tell us in what
manner they intend to practice the
economy which they proclaim :
Will they reduce the $30,000 per
year now paid by the Territorial
Treasury to maintain the Federal
Offices ?
Or do they want to reduce the
money paid for schools ?
What laws do they intend to re
peal ? Is it the primary election
law? Is it the law limiting the
season for fishing?
What law do they refer to as not
being enforced and the enforcement
of which is within the jurisdiction
of the Territorial Officers? Is it
the “Alaska Bone Dry Act?
The second plank declares:
“For a law to prevent the mass
voting of illiterate Indians.”
This is fine. But do they intend
to enact a law changing the quali
fication of voters before the legis
lature has been given powers to
enact such law, and thereby lay
foundation for another election con
test?
Would they, if they had the au
thority, give the keys to election
judges to open or shut the door to
the ballot box for a purpose?
The third plank declares:
“For full and complete Territorial
control of the Alaska Fisheries.”
This, the courts say, we have now.
But what about the fish reserves?
That is the question of the day.
That is the question the voters want
answered.
John Troy, who probably wrote
both the Democratic and the Stand
patters’ platform, writes editorials
both for “full form of Territorial
Government” and also for fish re
serves.
There are other questions the vot
ers are entitled to have answered:
Do the standpatters intend to la
bor for the repeal of the primary
election law? They certainly have
talked that way. So have their
backers. They have not forgotten
that it was the primary law that
drove Shackleford out of Alaska.
Are they willing to give direc
tion to the Attorney General to de
fend the people of the Territory
against vicious usurpations by the
Washington Bureaus? One member
of the junta, Mr. Shepard, has an
swered this in the negative by his
record. Presumably the others are
satisfied with that record, or they
would not have made him their lead
er.
Do they intend to abolish the of
fice of Attorney General and turn
over the funds of the Territory to
the Governor to spend on “transpor
tation experts” in Seattle? That
seemed to be the attitude of Old
Shep. last session of the legislature.
Are they willing to help to stop
the practice of permitting Federal
Officials to purchase legislators with
Territorial funds ?
They do not say so.
Obviously, the platform is a cam
ouflage to cover up and hide the
real purpose of the gentlemen.
Let the voters smoke them out or
pass them up.
— ■ —^
THE WHITE BILL
The White bill has passed the
House. It carries a clause prohibit
ing traps in bays whose mouth is
less than two miles wide and from
channels less than three miles wide.
PURSE SEINES ARE ALSO EX
CLUDED. All natives are asked to
consider what this means. The
traps are starving you slowly, but
the House of Representatives would
starve you at once. Write to Sena
tor Jones, of the Commerce Com
mittee of the Senate, and tell him
what that means to you, your wife
and children, to the people of your
own town. Also send a letter to
Senator Ladd. Jones is from Wash
ington and has a lot of cannery con
stituents, but Sutherland says he
will give us a square deal. Ladd is
from North Dakota. He knows what
it means when the wheat crop failed
for several years in his state, and I
feel sure that he will not allow the
Senate to pass a law which will
make our fish crop fail at once.
Senator Pepper is another man
who will help us.
Senator Robert LaFollette is an
other good man for us, only many
Senators fight him and his meas
ures. Just the same, write to him.
Perhaps the Senators will find out
that the Indians of Alaska are hu
man; they have wives, and little
children. And they will find out
that when the canneryman talks
about the “heart of a trap” he is
talking about a “shark’s heart,” and
not a human heart.
Write now.
ZIPP woo
Hand Laundry
150 Stedman Street
Ketchikan, Alaska
Chinese Noodle House
Noodles and Chop Suey Upstairs
Pool Tables Downstairs
Green 46
Ketchikan, Alaska
O. K. Barber Shop
Shower and Tub Bath
Ketchikan, Alaska
INDEX FISH AND OYSTER COMPANY
“If It Swims, We Have It”
KJPPERED SALMON—10-lb. Packages or Better Shipped to any
Address. MIKE LEGAZ, Mgr., Ketchikan, Alaska
FOREST J. HUNT
Kodak Store
KODAK SUPPLIES
BOOKS
STATIONERY
PERIODICALS, NOTIONS
TOBACCOS, ETC.
The Fair
Complete Stock
NOTIONS and TOYS
KITCHEN UTENSILS
CUTLERY, ETC.
PICTURE FRAMING
DEVELOPING AND PRINTING PROMPTLY AND
PROPERLY DONE.
KETCHIKAN,
ALASKA