ritorial Treasurer, and given con
trol over the Territorial revenues.,
finances and the expenditure of the
Territorial appropriations; was
made the head of the Territorial
Banking Board was authorized to
appoint and remove at pleasure
the Territorial Mine Inspector,
Board of Pharmacy, Medical Exam
ing Board, Board of Dental Examin
ers, and given almost autocratic
control over all the Territorial
boards, bureaus and officials. The
Secretary of the Territory, an ap
pointive Federal official, was created
the Territorial Registrar of Vital
Statistics, Controller of Corpora
tions, a member of the Territorial
Banking Board, etc., etc., and thus
it came about that the first legisla
ture of 1913, cast the government
of Alaska in the Federal Bureau
cratic mold and placed it complete
ly under the control of the appoint
ive Federal Governor and Secretary
The succeeding sessions of the Le
since remained.
The suceeding sessions of the Le
gislature of Alaska from 1915 to
1927 have increased the powers of
the appointive Federal Governor
and Secretary of the Territory until
these Federal officials now assume
that they have a vested right to
control the Territorial government
of Alaska. They assume it is a
sign of disloyalty to the United
States government to question their
right to control both the Federal
Bureaus and the Territorial govern
ment of Alaska. Under their in
fluenee. aided by the powers of the
combined Federal Bureaus and sup
ported by the lobbyists and attorn
eys for the great foreign corpora
tions engaged in exploiting Alaska's
fisheries, transportation and miner
al resources, an autocratic scheme
of government has been created in
Alaska, consisting of a single Fed
eral official, appointed by the Presi
dent and confirmed by the Senate
of the United States, and respons
ible for his acts as The Government
of Alaska only to Department offi
cials Washington, D. C.
THE CONTROLLER BILL
Prior to the convening of the
Eighth Session of the Legislature
which began its work on the first
Monday in March, 1927, a group of
Alaskans determined to present the
American plan of self-government
to the legislature, and work for its
adoption by these elected represent
The appointed Federal Governor
was authorized to appoint the Ter
atives of the people. It was intro
duced in the Senate by Senator
Steel of Juneau, and in the House
of Representatives by Mr. Paul of
Ketchikan.
This Bill was entitled “An Act
to reorganize the Executive Depart
ment of Alaska, creating the offic
es of Comptroller, Treasurer, At
torney General and Board of Con
trol, and defining their functions,
and to declare an emergency.”
Article I of the Act created the
office of Comptroller for the Terri
tory of Alaska, provided for his
election by the people of the Terri
tory, and provided that the legis
lature should elect the first Comp
troller by a majority vote of both
Houses, to serve until the general
election in November, 1928. Sec
tion 8 provided that the Comptrol
ler should keep an audit on all Ter
ritorial expenditures, be Registrar
of Vital Statistics, take over the
duties now imposed on the Federal
appointive Secretary, and, instead of
the Governor, appoint persons to
I he Territorial Bureaus.
Annie 11 provided tor tne election
by the people of Alaska, of the
Treasurer of Alaska, and provided
that the legislature should elect
the Treasurer to serve until thiJ>
general election in 192 8, and pro
vided, generally, that the Treas
urer should perform the services
which he now performs for the Ter
ritory, under his appointment by
the appointive Federal Governor.
Article III of the Bill provided
for the election of the Attorney
General of Alaska by the people of
the Territory, and provided that
the present incumbent should hold
his present elective position until
his successor is elected by the peo
ple in 1928; it provided that h9
should be the Attorney General for
the people of Alaska, and not con
trolled in his every move by tile
appointive Federal Governor, but
should be responsible under the
laws of the Territory only to the
people of the Territory, and per
form the general duties which he
now performs under the law.
Article IV of the Act provided
that the Comptroller, Treasurer and
Attorney General, thus elected by
the people of Alaska, shall consti
tute the Board of Control of Alas
ka, and that this board of elected
officials should discharge the vari
ous functions now devolving on lhe
various Territorial Bureaus, whose
members are appointed by the ap
pointive Federal Governor, thus
bringing into the government of
Alaska all the duties and powers of
self-government, controlled by ofli
cials of Alaska elected by the peo
ple of the Territory.
Article V. of the Act provided
that all sums of money for feo*3,
etc., paid to these elected Territor
ial officials should be paid into the
Territorial Treasury, for their re
moval from office upon conviction
of malfeasance or misfeasance in
office, and generally for their strict
control by the laws of Alaska.
BUREAUS, PRESS AND
LOBBYISTS FIGHT THE
. COMPTROLLER BII L
Printed pamphlets in support of
the Comptroller Bill were sent out
to the people of Alaska in Februar;7
before the meeting of the legisla
ture in March, asking them to sup
port this effort to establish the
foundation of self-government iu
the Territory, like those established
in the other American Territories,
and every proper effort was madi
by its supporters by direct appeal.-’,
to the legislature to adopt the Am
erican form of government and pass
this bill.
But it was openly and actively
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