THE PENSION SMOKE SCREEN
The Territory is committed to the policy of
Old Age pensions and pensions for widows and
orphans. All candidates are pledged to con
tinue this policy.
The appropriation for aged persons last year
was $110,000.00.
The appropriation for dependent children was
$35,000.00.
All applications must be approved by two
special boards before they can be allowed to
receive a pension.
Old Acts Illegal
Joseph Murray in a speech before the last
Legislature said “We have known for a long
time that the present law is defective on ac
count of the limitation giving only white people
the benefits of the law.”
When the vote was taken on the bill of Mr.
Paul’s to strike out the word “white,” the bill
passed by the vote of 15 to 1. Those who vot
ed for the bill were First Division, Charles Fer
guson, William D. Grant, William L. Paul, and
N. O. Hardy; Second Division, Andy Nylen,
Richard Sundquist and Thomas Jensen; Third
Division, Ben Grier, Joseph Murray, William
Sherman and Charles Wilcox; Fourth Division,
George Moody, H. H. Ross, Robert Sheldon and
Harry Watson. The only vote in opposition
was J. J. Elliot of Nome.
, r.: In The Senate
In the Senate on April 29th the same bill was
passed, by the vote of 7 to 1. Those voting Aye
were * Frank Aldrich, Charles Brown, Anthony
Dimond, John W. Dunn, Bartley Howard, Forest
J. Hunt and Fred Ayer. The only negative
vote was Harry Pratt.
The Governor
Governor Scott C. Bone signed the bill and
it became a law.
What The Vote Proves
The vote proves that as a matter of law, the
old act limiting relief for the aged persons
and the dependent children was unconstitution
al. Is there anybody in Alaska who is willing
to defend a law declared unconstitutional by
everybody who examined it and cared to pro
tect the pension system of the Territory?
Law Now Satisfactory
The pension acts are now fool proof and are
constitutional. Pensions are being granted by
the Territorial authorities to those who can
qualify under the law.
No Change In Pension Acts
The old age pension act and the act for the
relief of dependent children will not be amend
ed or changed in any respect if the Republican
candidates of the First Division are elected.
Who Are Excluded
The present law now excludes all natives who
are receiving aid from the federal government.
All persons who are receiving aid from other
pension funds or who have relatives who should
support them (such as sons, daughters, etc.,)
are excluded.
This is a correct principle. If any native
gets support from the United States govern
ment, that native should not be allowed to re- ,
ceive aid from the Territory. In the same way,
a man or woman who has relatives able to sup
port them are excluded by the pension acts.
Pioneer's Home
As for crowding into the Pioneer’s Home at
Sitka, the natives of Alaska would rather a
great deal to stay among their own people. j
FISHING INDUSTRY IS
ENDANGERED
The principal speaker at the
Commercial Club luncheon last
Monday was Mr. F. Reed who was
the guest of the club on that oc
casion. Mr. Reed is one of the
originators of a movement that is
being- started in an effort to stop
the use of herring for the manu
facture of fertilizer.
Mr. Reed pointed out that the
fertilizer plants of southeastern
Alaska are now operating on such
a gigantic scale that within an
other .year or two the supply of
herring will be exhausted, thereby
dooming the fishing industry in
southeastern Alaska.
Mr. Reed explained that on ac
count of herring being the princi
pal food of other and more valu
able food fish the destruction of
the herring industry would auto
matically bring an end to the
salmon industry in southeastern
Alaska, because the salmon will
not get where there are no herring
to feed upon.
No one present took issue with
Mr. Reed, nor did anyone seem to
r gard him as an over zealous
rdarmist. On the other hand a
l umber of those present let it be
known that they believed Mr.
Reed’s words of warning; were
timely and deserving- of the most
serious consideration.
. After . an informal discussion of
the matter Chairman Benjamin
stated that the time was too limit
ed to formulate any difinite plan
of action at that meeting. He
stated that this question \youId Bp
referred to the home industries
committee with the request that
they g’ive the matter prompt at
tention and report back to the club
with commendations as to what
action they deemed expedient to be
taken by the club.—Wrangell Sen
tinel.
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