The San Francisco call., 1899-12-06
ALASKA.
Suggestions Offered for More Com
plele Form OF Territorial
Organization.
o@o%o%o%o%o~ ~o~o@o o@o%o%o3S

A necessity for immediate legislative
action exists in the territory OF Alaska.
Substantially the only law providing a
civil government for this territory is the
act OF May Il, 1894. This is meager in its
provisions and II is fitted only for the
administration Of affairs in a country
sparsey inhabited by civilized people and
unimportant in trade and production, as
was Alaska at the time this act was pass
ed. The increase in population by imml-
grafton during the past few years, conse-
quent upon the discovery Of gold, has
produced such a condition as calls for
ample facilities for local elf-government
and more numerous conveniences of civil
and judicial administration. Settlements
have grown up in various places. const'-
tuting in point Of population and business
cities of thousands OF inhabitants. yet
there IS no provision Of law under which
a municipality can be organized or main
tained.
In some localities the inhabitants have
met together and voluntarily formed a
municipal organization for the purpose
Of local government, adopting the form
Of a municipal constitution under which
paid officials have been appointed. and
ordinances creating and regulating a po-
lice force, fire department. a depart
ment of health. and making provision
for the care or the insane and INDECENT
have been passed. These proceedings and
ordinances passed by such municipality
are without statutory authority and have
no sanction, except as they are maintain
ed by the popular sentiment Of the COM
munity.
There is an entire absence OF authority
to provide the ordinary instrument Of To-
cal police control and administration, the
population consisting OF the usual per-
centage Of lawless adventures Of the
class that always flock to new fields of
enterprise or discovery. and under cir
cumstances which require more than or
dinary provision for the maintenance OF
peace. good order and lawful conduct.
The whole vast area Of Alaska COM
prises but one judicial district, with one
judge, one marshal, and one district at
torney. yet the civil and criminal business
has more than doubled within the past
year. and is many times greater both in
volume and Importance than it was in
1884 The duties of the judge require him
TO travel thousands OF miles to discharge
his judicial duties at the various places
designated for that purpose The terri
tory should be divided into at least two
districts and an additional Judge district
attorney, marshal and other appropriate
officers be provided. There Is practically
no organized form Of government in the
territory. There is no authority except
IN Congress to pass any law, no matter
how local or trivial. and the difficulty OF
conveying TO Congress an adequate
conception and understanding Of the va
rious needs OF the people in the different
communities is easily understood. / see
no reason why more complete form of
territorial organization should not be pro-
vided. Following the precedent estab-
lished in the year 1906. when a temporary
government was provided for the recently
acquired territory, then known under the
name OF Louisiana, II seems to me that II
would be advantageous TO confer greater
executive power upon the Governor and
to establish, as was done in the case of
the Territory of Louisiana, a legislative
council, having power TO adopt ordinances
which shall extend to all the rightful
subjects OF local legislation, such ordin-
ances not to take effect until reported to
and approved by Congress, II in ses-
sion, and II that body is not in session.
then by the President. In this manner
a system of laws providing for the incor-
poration and government of towns and
cities having a certain population, giving
them the power to establish and maintain
a system of education TO be locally sup
ported. and ordinances providing for po-
lice sanitary and other such purposes
should be speedily provided. I believe a
provision of this kind would be salts
factory 10 the people OF the territory. II
is probable that the area is too vast and
the population too scattered and tran
STORY TO make IL wise at the present
time TO provide for an elective legislative
body, but the conditions calling for local
self-government will undoubtedly very