The San Francisco call., 1898-01-09

| cation from Sitka to the westward, a 1 distance of some 1900 miles. This in- | cludes the important places Of Yaku- l.tat, Kodiak, Karluk and Unalaska. to | say nothing about the Cooks Inlet country, including Sunrise City and other growing towns of that section. Of course everybody knows that there is no reliable communication with the great Yukon country for more than i seven months of the year. Thus even
 biennial session of a legislative body IS physical impossibility unless at tended by enormous expense.
 While Alaska has unbounded natur- al wealth, the development of her re- sources has not as yet reached the point where taxation, sufficient to sus-
 tain territorial form of government, would be other than an oppressive bur
 den, which would retard investments or capital and enterprises already es- tablished
 Now, what form of government if any shall we have under these con- ditions? I would propose that Alaska
 be divided into three judicial districts, the first to comprise Southeastern Alas
 ka, extending from Sitka south to Marys Island; the second, Western Alaska, extending from Sitka west
 ward to Unalaska, including the Aleu- tlan Islands: the third, the great Yu- kon Valley, from the British line to St. nilOlldCl, WlIn lIle regular feQeral or ncerS In each district. There also should
 be delegate in Congress to represent Alaska's needs. l am not prepared to advance anything as to how this dele gate should be chosen or paid A com
 mission composed of five men, who are ] acquainted with the real needs and conditions of Alaska should be ap- pointed by the President to submit a code of laws for the approval os Con-
 gress.''
 The question, What form of gov
 ernment should be granted to Alaska, and what amendments or changes should be made in the laws under
 which our affairs have been admins tered since the organization of the dis l trict in 1884 is one to which I have given some thought said United States Commissioner John Ostrander 1 of Juneau. My mind has been more ! particularly directed to the law as it i affects the office and duties of United States commissioners, however, as be- ] ing Of more immediate interest and | importance to myself. Upon the gen. 1 eral question, l am opposed to a ter ! rltor1al form of government for Alaska l We have not the population to support | it, and our population is scattered l over such an extent of country that
 several territories would nave to be or i ganized to afford substantial relief l While l believe we have one of the richest mineral districts in the world, | IL is now comparatively an undevel- l oped country, and will require a great amount of capital to open up its re- 1 sources.
 Self government will bring taxes | and uncertainties of legislation always l attending the organization of new ter rltorles-two things that capital is or l dinarily afraid of. The fact that we 1 nave now no taxes to pay is great l lnducement to capital. If, in addition i to this, Congress will give us a code | of laws suitable to our condition, I pre- | dict that we will have no difficulty in | nnding men and money to help us in l developing the country
 | We should be given a representa- | tive in Congress who could have a | voice in shaping legislation affecting
 our interests; but, if with such a rep l resentative we have also to have a ! local government, legislature etc. we
 had much better do without the
 former The suggestion that a com 1 mission to draft a code of laws for the
 district be appointed is, think, a good one. Such commission should consist
 or at least five members-residents of AIaSka-So that all interests could
 have a representative upon the com
 mission. It should meet in Alaska. where evils to be corrected and condi- tions to be met and provided for would
 be ever present. We should have a
 code of laws covering every possible | subject and interest in Alaska-a c,de in itself sufficient for all our needs past, present and future being consid- | cred as far as possible
 It would consume too much time and 1 space to detail the many incongruities 1 or our present laws. and in what they 1 are inapplicable and insufficient. We 1 leave that for the commission to con- slider.
 II might state, for example. and as an instance, that there is now con- fined in our local jail an insane man. There IS no way of disposing of him,
 except to trump up some charge and confine him in jail, at Sitka. thereon. | No provision is made for such cases.
 Before leaving this question. I i might suggest that any code of laws i for Alaska should make provision for ! the incorporation of municipalities. I believe in local self-government so lar as possible when compatible with ! surrounding conditions and interests | and see no reason why such com l mun1ties as Juneau should not be en- powered to adopt municipal rules and
 regulations. The output of gold from ! Alaska IS having very beneficial ef-
 rect Tn alleviating the conditions ! brought about by the hard times of i the last few years. It seems impossi- ble that Congress will continue to neg | lect us in the future as in the past ] We have a right to expect better things, and, now that we are becoming
 better known, will probably get them" Albert D. Elliot, Secretary for ] Alaska and Clerk of the United States
 District Court said: There will be much proposed legislation at this ses- sion of Congress. The question will be, not how many bills will be intro ] duced, but what can we obtain in the
 way of beneficial legislation. I think
 the general land laws of the United States should be extended over this
 territory, and additional Land Offices
 established for the convenience of the people. There should be one at Circle
 City, or in that section of the country i There should be a Commission an- pointed by the President of the United | States to draft a proper code of laws
 for Alaska. The Oregon code, which
 now governs us, is rather obsolete. and united for present conditions The Commission should probably be five in
 number. the majority being from this territory and we'll versed with the
 needs of the country. Congress should