The daily morning Alaskan., 1902-05-07
TERRITORIAL EXPENSES.

One of the stock arguments against ter htorial organization Is the alleged grslt cost of mlin,iInlng the government and the consequent taxation. ln this connee- tlon the expenses of criminal cases and other costs of government, as now main- talnsd, are referred to, and It Is added that these expenses are now borne by the United States government. This Is the line Of argument followed by Superintend- snt Macdonlld. of the TreidSell mine, To his rsceut article on the subject. Mr, Macdonald reisrre1 especially to the grea, e,s, of the Bird murder case, where the accused and the witnesses were brought from St. Michael to Juuelu. This ex penss. he says, would have fallen upon the territorv h1d there been such an Organlza- tlon. but under present. conditions lt isI borne bv the federal government. Mr. Macdonald and thoSe who use this argument. seem to forget that nltwith- standing the grelt cost Of maintaining this so called expensive government, Uncle Sam collects more than a quarter of a million dolars annually from the good peopl, Of Alaska In excess Of the amovat expended.
 The conditions which have operated to make the Bird clse expensive, could not occur if Alaska were a territory. In terrl- tories the United States provides at least four courts. SO that there would ee no necessity for taking a prisoner and wit- nssses so far from the scene of his alleged crime for trial However whatever ih' costs In this particular case, they have been paid by the government and the United States Is s,ill approximately a quarter Of a million dollars to the good on the yelr In. this tls,det wi,hou, taking customs eol- lsctiOns into account.
 To be sx1c,, the United St t-s collected from Alaska during the 6'cll ,sar ending June 90, IooI, exclusive ,f customs col lsctiOns and those sources ot revenue that apply io aIl the states and ,srTit.Ilss of the Union. ths sum Of s3ss2S7.73. The total expenditures ln Alaska during the s'ms period for all purposes were sts0,96IL6, leaving a credit Co Alaska Of s2zS.326. 57 for the year. This sum Included, in 1tdi- tlon Co the cost of the courts and the goy- eminent of Alaska, the amount expended upon public buildings, eiucation of and supplies for Indians, money tor purchase and maintenance of reindeer, coast sur vsys, surveys of the Yukon river, and all similar expenses. These hRurss are fur nished by the secretary of the treasury.
 When discussing the economic side O the question tf territorial organization it should not be forgotten tha, the United States government bears the expense of territorial legislatures, including the per dlsm and milssgs Of the members, clerks and other employees, the stationery and eos, Of publishing the laws enacted and the journals oi the houses, etc.. as well as the salaries and expenses of the governor, the secretary, thsiu ges, ths United States marshals and the costs of the courts, in % far as any crime committed sglinsi the government IS concerned, The territorial tax ln Washington territory before lts st- mission as a state, never exceeded three mills on the dollar and was usullly under that sum, and AlaSka's producing resources are many times greater than were those Of Washington terutorv, for more than C quarter Of a century after its organization. And, while the area of Washington was not SO great as that of Alaska, the means of transportation were such that the sX- psnse of government was greater thsie tha1 it will oe ln Alaska.