Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-12-10

very small beginning Its products have
grown until they are steady and ma
teriai contribution to the wealth Of the
nation. Owing to the immensely of
Alaska and its location I'm the far
north IL Is difficult matter to pro-
vide many things essential to its
growth and to the happiness and com,
fort of its people by private enterprise
| alone. 1t should therefore receive rea-
sonabie aid from the government The
government has already done excellent
work for Alaska In laying cables and
building telegraph lines. This work
has been done In the most economical
and efficient way by the signal corps
of the army
In some respects it has outgrown it's
present laws, while in others those
laws have been found to be inadequate.
In order TO obtain information upon
which | could rely l caused an official
of the department Of justice, In whose
Judgment | have confidence, to visit
Alaska during the past summer for
the purpose of ascertaining how gov
eminent is administered there and
what legislation is actually needed at
present. statement of the conditions
found to exist, together with some rec.
concentrations and the reasons there
for in which l strongly concur, will be
found in the annual report of the attor-
ney general In some instances l feel
that the legislation suggested is so i'm
peratively needed that | am moved
briefly to emphasize the attorney gener-
ais proposals
Under the code of Alaska as II now
stands many purely administrative
powers and duties including by far
the most important, devolve upon the
district judges or upon the clerks of
the district court acting under the di-
rection Of the judges. while the GOV
ernor. upon whom these powers and
duties should logically fall, has moth
Ing specific to do except to make an
nual reports. issue Thanksgiving lay
prociamations and appoint Indian po-
licemen and notaries public. | believe
1t essential to good government In
Alaska and therefore recommend that
the congress divest the district judges
and the clerks of their courts of the
administrative or executive functions
that they now exercise and cast them
upon the governor. This would not be
an innovation. 1t would simply con
form the government OF Alaska to
fundamental principles. making the
governorShip a real instead of a mere
ly nominal o5ice and leaving the Judges
free to give their entire attention to
their judicial duties and at the same
time removing them from great deal
of the strife that now embarrasses the
judicial Office in Alaska
I also recommend that the salaries
OF the district judges and district at
torneys in Alaska be increased so as
to make them equal to those received
by corresponding officers in the United
States, after deducting the difference
In the cost OF living; that the district
attorneys should be prohibited from
engaging in private practice; that Unit
Ell States commissioners be appointed
by the governor Of the territory instead
or by the district judges. and that N
liked salary be provided for them TO
take the place " tne siisvredi.e.i "fse
system" which should be abolished I'm
all Offices; that mounted constabu-
larry be created to police the territory
outside the limits of Incorporated
towns "A vast section now wholly
without police protection-and that
some provision be made to at least
lessen the oppressive delays and costs
that now attend the prosecution of an
peals from tue district court OF Alaska.
There should be a division of the ex-
listing judicial districts and an increase
In the number OF judges.
Alaska should have q delegate in the
congress. Where possible the congress
should aid in the construction of need
houses should be provided. In my
Judgment, Ii is especially important to
aid In such manner us seems just and
feasible in the construction of n trunk
line OF railway to connect the gulf of
Alaska with the Yukon river through
American territory. This would be
most beneficial to the development of
the resources OF the territory and to
the comfort and welfare OF It's people.
Salmon hatcheries should be estab-
lished in many different streams, so as
to secure the preservation of this valu-
able food fish. Salmon fisheries and
canneries should be prohibited on GER
tain of the rivers where the mass of
those Indians dwell who live almost
exclusively on fish.
The Alaskan natives are kindly, In.
telligent, anxious TO learn and willing
to work. Those who have come under
tie influence of civilization. even for a
limited period, have proved their capa-
bility OF becoming self supporting, self
respecting citizens ana ask only for
the .'''St enforcement OF Inv md into,
N~cnt instruction and supervision. Otl-
ers. LIVING in more remote rcgionS.
primitive, simple hunters and usher
folk, who know only the life of the
woods and the waters are daily being
confronted with twentieth century civ
iiiZation with all its complexities.
Their country is being overrun by
strangers, the game slaughtered and
driven away. the streams depleted of
fish and hitherto unknown and fatal
diseases brought to them, all OF which
combine to produce n state OF abject
poverty and want which must result
tn 1.Afr. Two H..