potatoes on the Board. The Fed
eralist3 supervise the banks of the
Territory, as the Banking Board Is
composed of the Governor, the
Secretary and the Treasurer. The
Boards of Medical Examiners, Phar
macy, Dental and Accountancy are
all Territorial institutions but all
the members are appointed by the
Governor.
And thus it goes almost down to
the last dollars of Territorial money.
It is practically all spent by the
Federalists, and yet some wonder
wny the effort is made to jar loose
from the Territorial treasury the
small batch of Federal officials who
receive their appointment from
Washington, D. C., and usually
leave the Territory when their terms
of office expire.
And the greatest wonder is that
the majority members of the Ter
ritorial Legislature can be induced,
every two years, to perpetuate a sys
tem that destroys the measure of
ho ne rule that Congress conferred
upon the Territory. The vote of 12
to 130, on March 5, indicates how
the members of Congress feel on
this subject, and is further indicative
of what is expected from future
Territorial Legislatures. In the
meantime this cry for “county gov
ernment” upon the part of the
Democratic party in Alaska must
seem very silly to even the Demo
crats in Congress.
The Excuse is “Efficiency and
Hiconomy.”
In his talk on the floor of the
House Chairman Curry repeatedly
admitted that the Territory, thru its
Legislature, has passed acts impos
ing certain duties on the Governor
and the Secretary that are in con
flict with the Federal statues. Blit
he further says, “Congress did not
impose this system on Alaska. The
Territory of Alaska itself, as a mat
ter of economy and efficiency in
government, in my opinion in the
fs.ce of adverse laws, did enact
legislation that placed these duties
on these executive officers.”
But of course this “matter of
economy and efficiency in govern
ment,” is largely bunkum. That
may have been the original idea
when the Territory was without
funds, but the practice ha3 since
been fostered and encouraged by
the Federalists because of the power
and influence It gave them. And
it may be only natural that they
should perservere in this idea, until
its illegality was proclaimed by the
courts and the Treasurer was re
strained from longer paying out
Territorial funds, contrary to law.
Then Congress was appealed to,
with the hope of legalizing a series
of illegalities. But the result has
blasted the hopes of the Federalists,
that includes most of the Bureau
crats who are stationed at Juneau.
Don’t Want The People to Control
Of course Governor Parks, Secre
tary Theile, Treasurer Smith, Com
missioner of Education Henderson,
Supervising Mining Engineer Stew
ard, Highway Engineer Sommers and
the other beneficiaries under the
present system know this talk of
Federal domination i3 only “ap
ple-sauce,” and really not “economy
and elliciency in government.” It
would cost the Territory no more
to conduct the office of the Secre
tary, while the money turned over to
the Governor’s office would pay the
expense of the Board of Control,
which would include three Terri
torial officers elected by the people.
But there is the rub. They don’t
want the people, to elect these
supervising officers, the only new
one being a Comptroller, or what
ever he might be called, to take
the place of the Secretary, who is
now illegally performing Terri
torial duties.
If one were to get the candid
opinion of the Federalists or Bu
reaucrats they would tell him thai
their objection to allowing the peo
ple to select a Board of Control is
simply because friends of Delegate
Dan Sutherland might be elected to
office. The Democratic press and
•such corporation attorneys as the
Hellenthals, Bert Faulkner, Bob
Robertson, Tony Dimond, Tom
Donohoe, Frank Foster, Lester Gore,
and 3 few others are content under
the present regime, a3 they represent
to their employers that they can
control the Federalists.
Such controlled Republicans as
Senators Bartley Howard and Tom
Jensen just naturally fall for the
Federalist and Troy propaganda.
They simply look for an excuse tc
defend their Legislative actions.
Senator Howard says that not one
tenth of the Alaska population want
the Comptroller Bill and that it
would mean the building up of a
political machine. Ye, God3, what
have we now but a big, smooth
wording machine, run by the men
who owe their appointment to
W ashington. But Bartley also says
that he is to be the Republican
nominee for Delegate to Congress
at the April 24 primaries. And yot
he won’t carry one of the four divi
sions in the Territory, and will be
defeated in all by a two or three
to one vote, in favor of Dan Suth
erland.
\ omptroller Bill Is The Remedy
The Comptroller bill i3 the one
outstanding big piece of legislation
that the Legislature to meet next
March can enact. There will be no
more cost to the Territory and there
will be more efficient and respon
sible administration under men
selected by the voters of Alaska
The recent action of Congress makes
necessary future legal action by tho
Territory, and that means elective
officers responsible to the people of
the Territory.
Those of us who seek to keep
down the appropriations have no
desire to impose greater taxes on
the cannery interests. On the con
trary, we wish to treat with them
direct by cutting out the political
attorneys, and to view their taxa
tion as a strictly business proposi
tion. But on the other hand we
expect them to get out and keep
out of the politics of Alaska. And
this they show a disposition to do,
and will do, if they turn a deaf ear
to their attorneys, who simply build
up local prestige for themselves by
trading on their presumed influence
with the Big Interests.
It now looks as tho a strong,
progressive lot of Legislators would
be nominated in the Republican pri
maries on April 24, who will be
elected on Nov. 6th next. They can
be relied upon to enact the neces
sary legislation that will restore to
the people of Alaska the rights that
have been so ruthlessly given away
by previous Legislatures. The Demo
crats talk in their platforms of
more “home rule” but they are care
ful to make no demand for such
home rule as the Territory is en
titled to and can get thru Legis
lative action. They want Congress
to give us more rights, when neai •
ly every right that has been im
parted by Congress has been con
temptuously trampled under foot.
Just more “applesauce” upon the
part of Democrats.
The Reactionary Must Go.
In every age of the world’s his
tory where people have sought to
obtain self-government there have