The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-12-15

Charles g. Wood. an Eastern newspaper
man who came down from Alaska on the
steamer City OF Topeka Sunday. is i'm
pressed with the necessity for change
In the method of governing Alaska
There Is no government in Alaska" said
Mr.. Wood TO Post-Iateldgeneer report
er At the Hotel Butler last night "Of
course the people combine and mutually
work Together TO make such improve
ments as are absolutely essential TO set
along. but there Is no such thing as the
enforcement OF law and order such as
we find In the states. because the laws
of Alaska are conflicting. There Is plenty
of good order. but no law.
Everything is free as far as the natu-
raj resources are concerned The timber
Is free. any one having right TO cut II
as long as he does not attempt to export
1t. So II Is with the other natural prod
ucts. There can be no taxation. of course.
as long as there is no territorial govern
ment. and for this reason those having
large property interests there are opposed
to any change while those with little or
no property are anxious for territorial
government, to force the rich TO contrib
ute more toward public improvements.
1.-THE difficulty Of enforcing law and
order Is easily understood when 1t Is re-
crime in the territory must be brought
to Juneau for trial. OF course all wit
nesses must also be brought there. The
distance is often hundreds OF miles. Moth
Ing Is allowed the witnesses but their
regular fees and mileage. although their
attendance usually necessitates their
spending the winter In Juneau before
they can return home. This Is not only
a hardship on the persons forced 10 at
hfff Dc var
government. My own idea, and l am not
alone in it. Is that the powers and duties
OF the commissioners should be enlarged
so as TO give them jurisdiction to try all
persons charged with anything less than
capital offenSe, treason or murder. The
governor counts for nothing more than
peacemaker among the Indians. and I
think the Office should be abolished and
let the whole duty of executing the laws
devolve on these commissioners and the
judge and United States attorney appoint
ed for the territory. Ii seems TO me, too.
that congress might appoint a commits
sion composed of some of its own men,
bers and some of the residents Of the
territory to adopt code of laws for the
territory. AS it is now, the Oregon code
is supposed to apply in matters not COW
cred by the acts of congress. but there
Is such q want OF understanding what
the laws are, owing to the lack OF sys-
tenn, that as I said on the start, there is
no government in Alaska.
1.-THE method OF dealing with the liquor
traffic illustrates this. Liquor is struggled
in and some is also made there from chem
icals. and the United States attorney and
customs officials are engaged in a contro-
versy as to whose duty 1t Is to make COM
plant for the prosecution of the rum
sellers. The former claims that, it being
contrary to law to bring liquor into the
territory, its presence Is evidence Of the
violation of the customs laws and there
fore that it Is the duty Of the customs off,
Gals to make complaint. On the other
hand, the customs officials say that they
are enforcing to the best of their ability
the laws relating TO their duties and that
1t is the duty of the attorney to prosecute
for violation. While referring to the liquor
traffic, might add that my own impress
sion Is that the only way to check II Is
for congress to impose license Of say
1000 a year on all dealers, or for the
court to impose a fine OF $500 every six
months when the dealers are arrested and
brought In. as they usually are. Instead
of this. the court imposes only a small
fine. that has no lettering effect.
The Public school system.
Probably that which stands most in
need of attention in Alaska now is the es-
Adjustment Of a proper system of educa-
Alu, i nave gwen question more con-
liberation than any other of public ma
Gure up there, and | have become con-
vinced that there is something radically
wrong in connection with the public
school system there. In the first place,
the mission schools are devoted to the edu-
cation of the Indians, the white children,
of course, not being sent TO these schools.
Those IN charge of the mission schools
tisclaim the disbursement OF government
aid for the support CT these schools, but
my investigation has convinced me that
large part OF the money appropriated by
the government for the public schools of
Alaska is either spent in the interest OF the
mission schools or Incorporated. Con-
gress has appropriated S30,oG a year for
the support OF the public schools there
There are twenty of these schools. The
teachers are paid $500 year EACH maxi
ing an aggregate of $1,000. This leaves
$50 900 unaccounted for, ard Il seems
strange IL ii costs that much to disburse
the $4,000 legitimately spent. ] make no
charge against any one. but it seems TO
me thar the matter should be looked into
sheldon Jackson. who is In reality the
head of the mission school system, is edu-
cational agent Of the government aud as
such has the disbursement OF the funds
for the public schools. William A. Kelly.
who Is superintendent OF the mission
schools. Is also superintendent OF the pu5-
lie schools. II seems TO me that this
should not be: that the two systems should
not be managed by the same men: that
they should be divorced as In the states.
A missionary will naturally work in the
interest OF the mission. to the detriment Of
the public schools. / can say with the Ut
most confidence In the truth OF The state
rent that more Is being done 10 educate
the Indians OF Alaska today than there IL
to educate the white children of the terri
tory. II the results were such as 10 war
rant this II would be at least excusabla,
but they are not II has been said thar
the bulk % the Indian girls educated On
the mission schools become the public
property OF white men later or in life. and