The Nome nugget., 1903-02-04
TALKS or
 ALASKA Col. Melvin Grigsby To
 the Point. nl INTO NlENAH HEEsC
WANTS NEW LAWS
And the District Given a Terri. tOrial GOyernment... Other
 Interviews.

Col. MelNln GflSSDI, nlted Stdlc> district attorney for the second judicial division of Alaska, Judge Wlckersham and J. w. Ivey, former collector of GUS toms, for the district, were in Seattle last fall and each was interviewed b! the Seattle newspapers concerning Alaska. In an interview Col. Gri.sby said:
 "I sincerely believe that Ala ka ought to have territorial form of gov ernment. l have spent season there and have learned much of the needs Of the country. Besides l have had c&- perieuce with territories. l was born in the territory of Wisconsin, when it included the present states tf Wiscon- sin, Minnesota. Iowa and the two Da- kotas.
 II see that Judge Wickersham thinks that Alaska ought to be divided into two districts. do not agree with him The old way of establishing territories has proven good enoush h and 1t is late to try new scheme. When Wisconsin was fit to become a state that territory was carved out and admitted. Then Minnesota was treated likewise. and so it was with Iowa and later with the two Dakotas. Eventually Alaska can be divided up this way. but first let it become a territory.
 "The present form of government l. not sufficient for large population. IL wants territorial form and that right 'off.
 ''In the summer months Nome has nc government, yet it pays immense taxes to the government. Then again a ter ritorial form will not increase the expenses of the people. All the sal sried officers will be paid by the United States and all the territory will have to take care of will be the local ex. penses. They will have the power oi taxation and there will te plenty o money to meet all such expenses.
 "Ths present code is all very wei for beginner. but the trouble is yol cannot change it from time to time q: needed. Congress takes time to act Then another trouble is that men sen to Washington can't agree on changes The money of the country will under 8 territorial form of government, stay there and not be carted out to the government of the United States.
 eff there is not something done te give this form of government at once it will soon be that the Nome court: will be swamped and litigation will be practically stopped. There is grear development of mines under the hv draulic system and many of them have ten or d dozen claimants. Their case! will get into the courts, and with tht petty offender cases now tried there nothing can be done. Under the bil such as is asked, Nome will be able tc punish her own offenders of the lsv and relieve the district court of thu work.
 II have been petitioned to do all can at Washington to have telritoriu. bill passed, and have promised I will
 Everything is running smoothly il my office. Since I have been up thel have been received splendidly and al my relations are pleasant.
 My opinion of the Nome country i 'that the present development of ofminin. property might be compared to a hel that had scratched over a quarter sec tion of land for one summer. It is wonderfully rich country, and wine. the time comes that goods can b; transported into the interior al a req sOnable cost the truth of this statemen will be seen. They want wagon road and railroads in the Nome district The latter can be built cheaply. costins not more than $5OOO mile and can b, made to pay. This will be part o the development under territoria laws"
 Judge Wickersham delivered an ad