Authorizing Certain Payments By
The Treasurer of Alaska
From The Congre ssional Record
The Clerk called the commit
tees; and when the Committee
on the Territories was called—
Mr. DOWELL. Mr. Speaker, I
call up the bill S. 4257, on the
House Calendar.
The SPEAKER. The gentle
man from Iowa calls up the bill
S. 4257, which the Clerk will
report.
The Clerk read as follows:
An act (S. 4257) to authorize the
payment of certain salaries or
compensation to Federal offi
cials and employees by the
treasurer of the Territory of
Alaska.
BE IT ENACTED, etc., That
any salaries to United States of
ficials or employees of the Unit
ed States Government in Alaska
appropriated by the Alaska Ter
ritorial Legislature, session of
1927, may be paid to such United
States officials or employees of
the United States by the treas
urer of Alaska up to and includ
ing the date of March 1, 1929,
any Federal law to the contrary
notwithstanding: PRO V,I D E D
That subsequent to March 31,
1929, all appropriations by the
Alaska Territorial Legislature
shall be in conformity with the
provisions of the act of Con
gress approved August 24, 1912,
entitled “An act to create a le
gislative assembly in the Terri
tory of Alaska, to confer legis
lative powers thereon, and for
other purposes,” and amend
ments thereto.
Mr. DOWELL. Mr. Speaker, I
yield 15 minutes to the gentle
man from Alaska (Mr. Suther
land).
Mr. SUTHERLAND. Mr. Speak
er,.this bill is a sequence to a bill
that was defeated on the floor
of the House on the 5th of March
last. Up in the Territory of
Alaska an unusual situation has
arisen by reason of the fact that
the Territorial legislature has
imposed many duties on Federal
officials illegally, in violation of
the provisions of the enabling
act of the Territory. This has
gone on for some years, although
the legislature has been warned
repeatedly that they should re
sist in the practice. Finally a
suit was brought in the court at
Juneau to enjoin the Territori
al treasurer from paying these
salaries, in addition to the regu
lar salaries from the Govern
ment.
A bill was introduced last win
ter for the relief, not of the Ter
ritory but for the relief of the
Federal officials. That bill pro
vided for the repeal of a portion
of the enabling act which would
fix the situation whereby Fed
eral officials might administer
the Territorial administrative
government permanently. They
proposed to repeal all restric
tions placed on Federal officials.
That bill was defeated on the
floor of the House; Members may
recall that it was up under sus
pension of the rules and failed
by a vote of 130 to 12.
The injunction order extend
ed only to the secretary of the
Territory, who was receiving
$2,000 from the Territory in ad
dition to $3,600 from the Fed
eral Government.
He continued to perform the
services without receiving the
salary for a period of two years.
The people felt that he should
continue, for if he gave up the
work entirely a chaotic condi
tion would prevail in the admin
istration of Territorial affairs.
So he kept on performing the
services for nearly two years.
This bill would permit the treas
urer of the Territory to pay
him the salary which he has
earned honestly.
The bill also provides that the
practice of employing Federal
officials to do the work of the
Territory officials shall cease.
The man undoubtedly is entitled
to the money. It was not his
fault, but was the fault of the
Territorial Legislature, as is
shown in the report of the gen
tleman from Iowa.
Mr. LAGUARDIA. Will the
gentleman yield?
Mr. SUTHERLAND. I yield.
Mr. LAGUARDIA. The gentle
man knows that a similar bill
was before the House, and some
of the friends of Alaska—and
Alaska has a good many friends,
sincere friends, on the floor of
the House—and we went to the
rescue of Alaska, and under a
suspension of the rules we de
feated that bill. Now the gentle
man comes in here and seeks to
destroy the action of the House
on that bill by permitting this
to pass. When this man took
office he knew that he could not
draw two salaries, and the gen
tleman is establishing a danger
ous precedent for his Territory.
Mr. SUTHERLAND. I want to
express my thanks to the gentle
man from New York in helping
us defeat the vicious measure of
last March, for it was a vicious
measure. The provisions of this
bill are such that the Territor
ial legislature will desist, and if