R.E. ROBERTSON TESTIFIES
While the Hon. Mr. Robertson,
three times mayor of Juneau (see
his own statement in the Congress
ional Hearings) was in Washington
last winter, he appeared before the
committee on Territories in support
of the bill for the division of Alaska
drawn by himself and the other cor
poration attorney H. L. Faulkner of
Juneau.
The chairman asked him: “What
corporations are you attorney for?’’
Mr. Robertson: “I am attorney
for quite a number of corporations,
but I represent no corporation what
soever in the matter before this com
mittee.”
The Chairman: “I know you do
not, but I would like to know what
corporations you are attorney for.”
Mr. Robertson: “I canot give you
a list of all of them, Judge Curry,
but I represent, I presume, a hun
dred corporations. I represent a
mong others, Libby, McNeil & Libby,
the Astoria and Puget Sound Can
ning Co.; the Deep Sea Salmon Co.;
the Columbia River Packers’ Asso
ciation; the United States Fidelity
& Guaranty Co.; the B. M. Bahrends
Bank of Juneau; George T. Meyers
& Co.; the A. & P. Products Corpor
ation; the United States Rubber Co.;
the Goodrich Rubber Co.; and a
number of others. I think I repre
sent something like 100 cropora
tions.”
* * *
Mr. Abernethy: “This bill purports
to change the apportionment and give
southern Alaska the control of the
entire Territory, as I understand it.
for the reason that you have got a
large population, which would give
the taxing power of the legislature
into the control of the Territory
which you came here to represent, is
not that true?”
Mr. Robertson: “You must re
member Mr. Abernethy, that so far
as the majority of these corporations
are concerned, unfortunately, both
for the Territory, and as I think,
from the point of view of the cor
porations, very few of them have any
bona fide residence in Alaska. They
are not' even voters. In fact, a
large number of them, in the winter
time, in the voting time, have only a
watchman in Alaska.”
Mr. Abernethy: “Their prime in
terest there is to get what they can
and get away as soon as possible;
is not that so?”
Mr. Robertson. “Well, there is a
little-.”
* * *
Mr. Abernethy: “The vote was
on the question of a separate Ter
ritory?”
Mr. Robertson: “Yes, sir. But in
the organic act which we prepared,
Mr. Abernethy and which was sub
mitted to the town councils of the
various communities, we provided
that the first division of Alaska, if
created into a separate Territory,
should be reapportioned into legis
lative districts, and that the legisla
tive body should be represented ac
cording to population, and for that
reason I feel that I am justified in
saying that that convention, which
included representation from all the
districts in the Territory of Alaska,
is in favor of a re-apportionment
of the Legislature of Alaska.”
* * *
There is a good deal more, but
neither the city council of Ketchi
kan, nor the Representative ( ?) from
Alaska, Mr. Robertson, has published
the proposed Organic Act for the
Territory of i Southern Alaska. In
that Organic Act, however, you will
find the jokers by which the 100 or
more corporations which Mr. Robert
son represents 1 would rule Alaska.
It is there.
An old darky got up in meeting
one night and said: “Bredders an’
sisters, you know an’ I know dat I
ain’ been what I oughter been. I’s
robbed hen-rosts and stole hogs, and
tol’ lies, an’ got drunk, an’ slashed
folks with my razo’, an’ shot craps
an’ cussed an’ swore, but I thank
de Lord dere’s one thing I ain’t neb
ber done—I ain’t nebber lost mah
religion.”
♦
Will the governor keep his prize
fighter ?
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