vention steamer, did everything
in his power to make things
convenient for the several dele
gates, be it ordered by the 18th
annual convention of the Alaska
Native Brotherhood at Yakutat,
this 14th day of November 1931,
that this petition of thanks be
adopted and presented to the
managers of the Pacific Steam
ship Company and also a copy be
sent to Purser Harris of the Ad
miral Evans, as an appreciation
of their courtesies.
Frank G. Johnson
President Grand Camp,
Alaska Native Brotherhood
Attest: Walter Soboleff,
Secretary
Republican Feud Portends Defeat at Next Election
-x
A controversy over payment of
primary and secondary claims
against the Territory reached a
head in Juneau when the Ap
peals Board reversed Auditor
Cole’s decision regarding eleven
claims.
Mr. Cole pointed out to the last
legislature that there was going
to be a shortage of funds to
meet the obligations of the Ter
ritory and his financial state
ment did not agree with the
statement of the Treasurer at
that time. Nor did their budgets
come anywhere near tallying.
The present trouble being due
to the failure of the last legis
lature to pass an adequate
revenue bill in connection with
the appropriation bill, with ap
propriations by the last legisla
ture exceeding revenue by a
large sum. Despite the first hand
information of the Auditor’s
office, the Board of Appeals,
Attorney General John Rust
gard, Treasurer Walstein G.
Smith and Governor George A.
Parks, have overruled Auditor
Cole and ordered payment of
claims which he had adjudged
to be secondary claims.
One of the amounts under
contention is an obligation of
Highway Engineer William Hes
se, member of the Territorial
Board of Road Commissioners,
for services partially rendered
in the Tanana and Unalakleet.
for maintaining and repairing a
telephone line. The work will not
be complete until next year but
regardless of the law in this
the incpmpleted work is
ordered paid. Another claim
disallowed was that of a contract
to deliver school children by car.
Objection was raised by Mr. Cole
to the fact that the amount of
the bill exceeded the approved
bid. Mr. Cole asserted that the
bill was not disallowed but that
he had returned the vouchers to
the Commissioner of Education
with the notation that “the al
lowance per day noted on the
voucher is not the amount set
forth under Mr. Johnson’s signa
ture in the original bid.”
The Board concluded that
“neither the Auditor nor this
Board has any authority to re -
view the action of the School
Board in letting contract for
transportation. * * * We consi
der it beyond the pgwer of the
Auditor’s office to sit in review
on any decision within the pro
per function delegated to other
officials or boards.” The claim
should be paid.
In the matter of bill of Grov
er Winn, $150 for services fol
lowing the last legislature, the
Board ruled that “inasmuch as
the Legislature insists upon ac
cepting the decision rendered by
the District Court, the only rea
sonable course for the admin
istrative officers to follow is to
leave it to private taxpayers to
again test the question in court.”
Warrants in the sum of 057,
000 issued early in October have
been withdrawn and payment
refused in order that there
might be “plenty of funds” on
hand. Other curtailments have
been necessary, It is said that
the matter of cutting pioneer’s
pensions to $10 per month may
to necessary in order to make
the funds cover other primary
bills—which include cost of gov
ernment operation aside from
legal debts contracted for by
the legislature—such as road
work, etc. According to the Audi
tor’s office there is a b o u t
$?00,090 on hand with practical -
ly no incoming revenue until
March 1st when the salmon
packers will be paying their
taxes for the year. In the mean
time money must be expended
and unless a differential is made
between primary and secondary
bills, the shortage will become
more acute.
Becomes Feud in Republican
Ranks
The decision of the Board of
Appeals is the culmination of a
feud which has existed in the
Territorial offices for a long
time. Mr. Cole was removed
from the Road Commission be
cause he insisted that it meet its
obligations without prej udice;
later an attempt was made to
oust him from office by abolish
ing the Auditor’s office. Now the
Board of Appeals reverses his
decisions and hangs him out on
the political limb in the expec
tation that the reversals will
dron him into obscurity. Which
action is tending to disrupt the
Republican ranks to the point
that they will be unable to elec:
a single candidate at the pri
mary election unless they are
able to straighten out the poll