The daily morning Alaskan., 1902-04-23
WHAT sKAawAv WANTS.

Sk1EWaN tS udNink uVuoiS WI" S~~~' fund warrant holders who want Interest. She Is In debt for municipal government and bowling for territorial govemment.- Juneau Dispatch.
 Skagwav Is not ln debt, either for the expenses of the municipality or the schools. The running expens,s of the schools have fallen back by common eonseat of school trustees and teachers for a period of two menths. On July there will be enough money to pay for all the educational pur- poses the community can desire for the en- suing year. The school board has more over built the most commodlous and thoroughly equipped school house north oi Puget sound and In this splendid building eight grades arc taught by the latest mod em methods. so that any child of any grade Is fully qualified to enter like grades in Seattle or any other American city. But the municipality of Skakwav has never subuaeted a penny from the schools for the maintenance of the municipality. Skagwav's Incorporation, Including all eS- penses, has cost since It's inception, round sum of sI,,eoo-all paid. There are enough uncollected taxes to do all the municipal improvement that Is desirable, and were tbe city to receive the portion of the license money that Is eOnhscated by the federal government, the city tax would be a very nominal affair. None of the school teachers have elamOred fer interest. but the ma,tet was merely brought before the city council as a mere question of law, to be defined by the city attorney.
 What Sklgwav wants Is the disposal of the local taxes that aie paid bv the elti- zenS for her school and munlclpl purposes. She desires to conduct her municipal af- ilirs wllhou; federal interference. She de- Sires like other American municipalities to pass ordinances under scts that will ad- init of their being enforced. She desires the very things tha, congress cannot ex- tend to her until perlhanee the reason for wanting them has long gone by.
 The people of Skagwav realize that none of these matters can be talrly ad- juStet until there Is a legislative body not too exalted and too occupied to take coz nlzanee of them. Realizi g that lt will cost the people of Alaska no more 10 live according to American usages, than lt now does In a dlSOrganlzed and extra-Am.rlcan condition. they desire the change. Skag- way, for instance. needs street improve ments. There Is money on hand that may by applied for such purposes, but there Is no law and no way of obtaining a law that will oblige the property hOlders-not owners-to lay sidewalks along thelr frontages on the streets that may be lm- proved. Breaches of municipal peace or ordinances must be tried In little federal court end the fines Imposed do not help the revenues of tn. city. And there Is no way to obtain relief except bv Introducing a bill in congress for that body may only relch it In years. And that Is no relief. All that can afford adequate relief 10 pre- sent conditions ls territorial government. And what will territorial government cost1 The federal government pays the expense of the district court and all Its officials, the expense of the legislature, the United States marshal and the county organiz- ailOnS arc paid from the fees the officers receive, just as now are the commissioners, the recorders and the deputy marshals-