THE ALASKA FISHERMAN
Published the 15th of each month at Ketchikan, Alaska
WILLIAM L. PAUL, ATTORNEY FOR THE
ALASKA NATIVE BROTHERHOOD
Entered as second - class matter at the Post Office at
KETCHIKAN, ALASKA
SUBSCRPTION PRICE $2.00 FOR TWELVE ISSUES
OUR PLATFORM:
ALASKA FOR ALASKANS.
FULL TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT.
ABOLISHMENT OF ALL TRAPS.
COMPETENT CHRISTIAN CITIZENSHIP.
TERRITORIAL PLATFORM OF THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY PROPOSED
A number of the members of the last legislature
met Informally one night and some one suggested that
a proposed Republican Platform be adopted for the
entire Territory.
We herewith print the result of this and other
discussions for the consideration of the Republican
Party in Alaska, to-wit:
!• Elective Territorial Officials for all major offices;
2. Separation of Territorial offices from federal offices;
3. Equitable taxation;
4. Trap-tax based on catch;
5. Discriminatory tax on non-resident fishermen,
6. Repeal by Congress of Section 27 of the Jones
Merchant Marine Act.
THE VOTEItS MUST HE AWAKENED.
A\ lien the next Legislator meet's it is to be wonder
ed whether Governor Parks, Secretary Thiele, Collect
or McBride, and a few other Federal officials, in com
pany with attorneys Faulkner, Robertson and Hellen
thal, will again conspire to have an unlawful act passed
whereby certain Federal officials can be compensated
from the Territorial treasury for performing the duties
that are strictly Territorial and should be performed
by territorial officials. Now that the Courts and Con
gress itself have declared against any further irreg
ularity along this line is it not high time for the
Legislature to take a stand against its own illegality?
The fault lies in the “Towards, the Jensens, the Dunns
and the Pratts, who ire sent to the Senate, the first
three named at least, as the friends of Sutherland
and supporters of the reform measures that the Dele
gate supports, but who are soon listening to the siren
songs of Bureaucracy and the Democratic press, and
present a solid front against the passage of progres
sive legislation. The people thruout the Territory are
becoming aroused to the necessity of enacting legis
lation similar to the proposed Comptroller Bill. They
can easily bring this about by selecting the right men
for Legislative office, and it looks as tho they propose
to do it at the primaries on April 2 4 and the general
election on November 6 next.
WILL OF THE PEOPLE CANNOT BE THWARTED
The action of the voters at Seattle on March 13 last
reminded us somewhat of the usual results in Alaska
when the people turn out to give expression to their
preferences for public office. In Seattle the three great
daily newspapers, the leaders of the Chamber of Com
merce, and certain big interests, combined to re-elect
Bertha K. Landes as Mayor. But the voting public
wouldn’t have it so, they said NAY with an emphatic
voice. And when the votes were counted it was found
that Mrs. Landes received less than 40,000 votes while
Frank Edwards received slightly less than 59,000.
And so it is in Alaska, when the big newspapers and
the corporation attorneys combine their attack on
Delegate Sutherland To read the newspapers one
would almost conclude that Sutherland was defeated
but when the votes are counted it is evident that he
polls about two to one against his opponent or oppo
nents. And he usually carries with him a good major
ity of the Legislative ticket. But after certain of these
distinguished gentlemen reach Juneau they usually
fall before the blandishments of Bureaucracy and the
fawning of newspaper satellites. This year the selec
tion of stronger men as Legislative candidates thru
out the Territory give promise that a body of Legis
lators will be elected who will stand like a rock of Gib
raltar for progressive and desirable measures. In the
First Division the holdover Senator will be ably back
ed and assisted by the probable Republican nominees,
namely, Senator Charles Benjamin, Representatives
Grover C. Winn, P. C. McCormack, A. L. Olts and Wil
liam L. Paul.
POOR BARTIjEY
Bartley Howard wants to go to Congress so that lie
can secure a closer cooperation between Alaska and va
rious departments. In other words he thinks that if
he were in Washington that he could secure larger ap
propriations, and quicker. But then no one takes him
very seriously. It is remembered that as a member of
the Senate he was always in favor of the Comptroller
Bill. But it could never be framed so as to meet with
the entire approval of this self same Bartley. His
jumble of words just simply don’t mean anything and