RUSTGARD LIKES
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BUREAUS
THE FOLLOWING IS HIS PLATFORM PUBLISHED IN THE JUNEAU DAILY EMPIRE
Seek Home Rule
.. “At the earliest possible oppor
tunity I shall seek such amend
ment of the Organic Act as will
rot only give us as much home
rule as was invariably granted
other Territories but which will
enable us to gradually assume
more and more of the functions
of government until full State
hood is attained.
“I propose to cooperate with
the Bureau of Fisheries in se
curing the best possible fishing
regulations, and intend to do all
in my power to secure such le
gislation as will leave the fisher
ies of Alaska open only to bona
fide residents of the Territory
wherever that is practical and
where, by such policy, the settle
ment of the Territory can be
materially stimulated.
“I shall also recommend that
the residents along the YukOi.
River be authorized to engage
in such limited commercial fish
ing in the river as will not ap
preciably interfei • with the pro
pagation of salmon.
“I commend the Bureau of
Forestry for its determination
to have the timber within its
keeping manufactured into ar
ticles of commerce within the
Territory instead of shipped to
foreign countries in the raw
state to be there prepared for
the market by foreign labor.
Title to Lands
“All who have made substan
tial improvement on land for
residence purposes should be
given a deed to whatever they
improve, occupy and use. The
quasi communistic system at
present practiced by the Gov
ernment is bad in principle and
should be abandoned.
“Farming is an inevitable pre
requisite to the stability of the
population and permanence of
industries. Every effort should
therefore, be made to assist ex
perienced farmers in settling
on and in starting the utiliza
tion of our agricultural and
grazing land.
The construction of the In
ternational Highway, so-called,
is a worthy project which prom
ises much for the country and
should be given ample support
as soon as definite steps are tak
en by the Canadians to meet us
at the boundary line.
“The fullest co-operation will
be given the Alaska Road Com
mission in its effort to secure
the largest possible appropria
tion for roads and trails. The
Bureau of Forestry and Bureau
of Public Roads should be given
full authority to use the funds
at their disposal to build trails
instead of roads wherever such
a course seems wiser.
Aid for Indians
Every fair and humanitarian
reason bespeaks for the native
Indian population the kindliest
and most helpful consideration
by the public and Government.
The opportunity of those races
for acquiring practical education
and for earning a living is of
foremost importance and must
be supplied whenever and wher
ever it is reasonably possible to
do so. I shall urge increased ap
propriations for the establish
ment and maintenance of in
dustrial schools and medical at
tention for the native popula
tion. Both governmental and
private employers should be in
duced to give these people em
ployment.
“I believe that the people of
Alaska, when entitled to liti rete
any questions in dispute with
any of the departments at
Washington, should be authoriz
ed to institute the legal pro
ceedings for that purpose in the
courts instead of being compell
ed, as now, to go to the Capital
to do so. The present order is
tantamount to a denial of the
r'ght to submit such disputes to
the courts and tends to encour
age autocratic attitudes by the
various bureaus.
"in consonance witn tnis view
I also believe that the War De
partment should be relieved of
the burden of adjudicating pri
vate rights to the water front or
to navigable waters, a function
which does not belong to it, but
which the peculiar conditions
prevailing in Alaska have forced
it to assume.
LEASES FOR TRAPS
. .“I also believe that owners of
fish traps and trap sites should
be protected in such ownership
against all interference except
by the Government, and to that
end should receive leases for
their trap sites for a fixed period,
subject always to revocation and
whatever rules and regulations
file Government sees fit to im
pose.
“I believe in eliminating from
the public life of the Territory
all those individuals who make
a business of stirring up antag
onism against industrial insti
tutions for the sake of getting a
hand-out.
Other Aims Enumerated
Repeal of law and regulations
protecting useless sea fowls and
animals destructive of fish. Sal
ary for U. S. Commissioners; es
tablishment of radio stations in
isolated communities; mail fa
cilities for Cook Inlet; addition
al Coast Guard on fishing banks,
increased Federal force in Min
ing Engineer’s office; improve
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