The evening times., 1899-12-05

dition as calls for more ample facilities fol
locel self government and more numerous
conveniences o. civil and judicial admin,
istration. Settlements have grown up IN
various places, constituting in point Of
population and business cities of thousands
CT inhabitants. yet there is no provision
of law under which municipality can be
organized or maintained.
In some localities the inhabitants have
met together and voluntarily formed mu-
nicipal organization for the purpose OF
local government. adopting the form OF a
municipal constitution and charter. under
which said officials have been appointed; I;
and oa,inances creating and regulating a
police korce. a fire department. depart
ment Of health. and making provision Tor
the care of the insane and INDECENT poor
and sick and for public schools. have been
passed. These proceedings and the ordi-
nances passed by such municipalities are
without statutory authority and have no
sanction. except as they are maintained by
the popular sentiment of the community.
There is an entire absence OF authority
to provide the ordinary instruments OF To-
cal police control and administration, the
population consisting OF the usual percent
age of lawless adven;urers OF the class that
always flock to new fields of enterprise or
discovery, and under circumstances which
require more than ordinary provision for
the maintenance Of peace, good order, and
lawful conduct
The whole vast area of Alaska comprises
but one judicial district with Cne Judge,
one marshal, and one district attorney, yet
the civil and criminal business has more
than doubled within the past year, ana is
many times greater both in volume and
Importance than it was in 1884. Tne du-
ties of the judge require him to travel
thousands of miles to discharge his judi
cial duties at the various places designated
for that purpose. The Territory should be
divided into at least two districts, and an
additional judge, district attorney, mar
shall and other appropriate officers be pro-
vided.
Inadequate Government.
There is practically 10 organized form
of government in the Territory There
is no authority, except in Congress. to
mass any law, no matter how local or
trivial and the difficulty of conveying to
the Congress an adequate conception and
understanding Of the various needs OF the
people in the different communities is
easily understood. ! see no reason why
more complete form of Territorial organi-
;ation should not be provided. Following
he precedent established in the year 1905,
when a temporary government was pro-
,
then known under the name OF Louisiana,
il seems tome that it would be advan-
tageous to confer greater executive power
upon the Governor and to establish, as
was done in the case of the Territory of
Louisiana, legislative council having
power to adopt ordinances which shall eN-
tend to all the rightful subjects OF local
legislation, such ordinances not TO take
effect until reported TO and approved by
in
is not in session then by the President.
In this manner a system Of laws providing
for the incorporation and government of
towns and cities having certain popula-
tion. giving them the power to establish
and maintain a system of education to be
locally supported. and ordinances provid-
ing for police, sanitary, and other such
purposes, could be speedily provided. l
believe a provision of this kind would be
satisfactory TO the people of the Territory.
1t is probable that the area is too vast
and the population too scattered and tran
STORY to make it wise at the present time
to provide for an elective legislative body,
but the conditions calling for local self
government will undoubtedly very soon
exist, and will be facilitated by the meas
ures which l have recommended.
recommend that legislation to the same
end be had with reference 10 the govern
ment of Porto Rico. The time is ripe for
the adoption Of temporary form OF gov
ernment for this island; and many sug-
gestions made with reference to Alaska
are applicable also to Porto Rico
The system of civil Jurisprudence now
adopted by the people of this island Is
described By competent lawyers who are
familiar with il, as thoroughly modern
and scientific, SO far as it relates to mat
ters of internal business. trade, produc-
tion. and social and private right in gen.
IF S1a
erned under charters which probably re-
quire very little or no change. So that
with relation to matters of local concern
and private right. it is not probable that
much, if any. legislation is desirable; but
with reference to public administration
and the relations Of the island to the Fed
eral Government. there are many matters
which are of pressing urgency. The same
necessity exists for legislation on the part
OF Congress to establish Federal courts
and Federal jurisdiction in the island as
has been previously pointed out by me
with reference to Hawaii. Besides the !
administration of justice, there are the |
subjects of the public lands; the control |
and Improvement of rivers and harbors; |
the control Of the waters or streams not |
navisable. which. under the Spanish law.
belonged to the Crown of Spain, and have |
by the treaty of cession passed to the |
United States; the immigration of people !
from foreign countries; the importation |
of contract labor: the imposition and col
lection of internal revenue; the applica-
tion of the navigation laws; the regula-
uon OF the current money; the establish
ment of postotiices and postrcads: the
regulation of tariff rates on merchandise
imported from the island into the United |
States; the establishment of ports of entry
and delivery; the regulation of patents and |
copyrights; these, with various other SUBJ
1ects which rest entirely within the power
of the Congress, call for careful consiiera-
tion and immediate action
Porto Rican Trade,
1t must be borne in mind that since the
cession Porto Rico has been denied the
principal markets she had long enjoyed
and our tariffs have been continued against
her products as when she was under Span
ish sovereignty. The markets of Spain are
closed TO her products except upon terms
TO which the commerce of all nations is
subjected. The island of Cuba, which used
10 buy her cattle and tobacco without GUS
toms duties, now imposes the same duties
upon these products as from any other
country entering her ports. She has, there
fore lost her free intercourse with Spain
and Cuba without any compensating ben
efts in this market. Her coffee was little
known and not in use by our people, and
therefore there was no demand here for
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