opposed by persons who did not
know that the present old age
pension act was known to be
onconstitotoinal because it dis
criminated against Indians as a
race. This provision of Thomas
Jenson’s was adopted (and safe
guards the policy of the Territory
to take care of its aged persons.
The particular clause of Mr.
Paul’s bill Which cured the defect
of H. R# Shepard’s bill of 1923
reads as follows;
“If the funds provided by the
Legislature shall be exhausted, the
Territorial Treasurer shall issue
warrants to the beneficiary' in pllace
of drafts^ which warrants shall be
an obligation ,of the Territory
of Alaska, payable out of the
funds of the Territory as soon
as made available by an act of
the Legislature.”
HOUSE BILL 24
ANTI-CORRUPTION or BRIBERY
BILL
On March 18th, or thereabouts,
it was the general talk of the
members of the House that Ben
Grier was trying to land the rich
plum of school tax collector
in the Third Division, and that
he would be a goo-d dog ,of
Governor Bone’s^ jump thru the
hoop, lie down, play dead, bark
or anything else, if only this
job were given him. We are put
ting the case not to strongly when
we say that from his actions alone,
it was believed that he had indeed
landed the plum. He would go
up to Treasurer Smith’s office,
paw over the tax records, talk
to Mr. Smith, tell him “it should
be done this way or that way”,
“Why wasn’t this done” and gener
ally made himself a nuisance.
That was the reason for the
introduction of the above bill by
William L. Paul Mr. Paul did
not dream for one moment that
any person would object to the
bill. In this he was mistaken.
The bill was short, and is printed
herewith so that the people could
judge for themselves what was
the matter with Ben Grier and
several ohers. The bill provided;
“No member of the legislature
of Alaska, during the time for
which he was elected, shall be
eligible for appointment or se
lection to any office or position
for which the salary or remuner
ation is paid out of funds belong
ing to the Territory.”
We believe that the foregoing
is the acid test and reveals the
self-interest of the members of
the last legislature. William D.
Grant of Wrangell, Andy Nylen of
Solomon^ William L. Paul of Ket
chikan were the only three men
who voted for the bill. Ben Grier
was violently opposed to the bill,
perhaps dreaming of the $3000
which he expected to make were
he to get “that job” that has
caused the downfall of other leg
islators in time past. H. H. Ross
of Fairbanks voted against the
the bill because he said sometimes
he has to bury a pauper at the
expense of the territory and should
he receive tre job. re would not
in good conscience handle the job.
We have never been able to make
up our minds as to whether Ross
was “spoofing-” for in real earnest.
Once in a while Ross would get
real picayunish and we suspect
this was ' one of those times.
Each candidate for public office
should be compelled to make his
support of such a bill a promise
before the election.
In the debate on the bill, we
remember Joseph Murray argued
that such a bill was an insult
to the “present legislature” and
questioned the p^ire band noble
motives that actuated each member
present. Perhaps Murray, of Me
Carthy fame, w*a.s right an a
strict pfarHiamentary ,'sense. But
as a matter of fact, the “hidden”
motive was 'usually the strongest
motive in causing members vote
one way or the other. Ben Grier
voted against the bill because he
was after »a fat jrlb. Richard
Sundquist said that such a bill
might deprive him or some other
members of a job of Road Fore
man for a summer. Almost every
man 'present was afraid of that
bill because each man could easily
imagine himself the recipient of
some fat territorial job. “But’’
argued Paul, “Even so, each man
should by passing this bill, put
himself in a position that when
a person is elected to the Legisla
ture, he at once puts himself in
such a position that no job can
be offered to him. In that way
the people will know he
will not use ris office, as men in
past legislatures have dose to get
himself a fat job.”
The bill was lost.
SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS
OF CAMPS OF ALASKA
NATIVE BROTHERHOOD
Kake Camp No. 10— Meets 8
p. m. Mondays.
Juneau Camp No. 2— Meets 8
p. m. Mondays.
Hoonah Camp No. 12— Meets 8
p. m. Mondays. Wm. Shakley,
Chairman; David Charles, Secretary.
Hydaburg Camp— No. 6—■
Meets Monday 8 p. m.
Haines Camp No. 5— Meets 8
p. m. Mondays.
Douglas Camp No. ‘3— Meets 8
p. in. Mondays.
Angoon Camp No. 7— Meets 8
p. m. Mondays.
Ketchikan Camp No. 14— Meets
8 P- m. Mondays. William Andrews,
Chairman; George Haldane, Secre
tary.
Saxman Camp No. 15— Meets
8 P. M. Mondays. Joe Johnson,
Chairman; George McKay, Secre*
tary.
Yakutat Camp No. 13— Meets
8 p. m. Mondays.
Klawock Camp No. 9— Meets 8
p. m. Mondays.
Wrangell Camp, No. 4— Meets
8 P. M. Mondays. Frank Desmond,
Chairman; William Lewis, Secre
tary.
Klukwan Camp, No. 8— Meets
8 p. m. Mondays.
Kasaan Camp No. 11— Meets
8 p. m. Mondays. William Irvine,
Chaii man; Wells Jones, Secretary.
The Sitka A. N. B. basket ball
team had a very successful tour
through, the upper end of the
division recently. They met their
Waterloo, however, at Haines when
the Haines Brotherhood team beat
by a score of 27 to 25.
Where did you get all those
(scratches on your face?”
“A lady barber was shaving me
when a mouse ran across the
floor.”