The daily Alaskan., 1906-11-22
PRACTICAL BENEFITS

SSO said that business men COUU HO' see a single practical benefit in terri torisl government for this district. Rsplyipg,th Daily Alaskan said;
 'sBusiness men see in selt-government the abolition of the iniquitous license tax and an opportunity for the people 10 leavy, collect and expend their taxes ss they see it. They see an oPportunl- ty so amend the school laws so that white schools csn be established in un- incorporated places where there are fewer than 20 pupils, and those removed from the control of Jackson Kelly \ Co. They see sn opportunity to amend and amplity the mining laws. They see an opportunity to correct the oe- fleets in their municipal incorporation sct, THEY SEE, IN SHORT, ALL TILE PRACTICAL BENEFITS FROM LAWS MADE BY THOSE WHO UNDERSTAND THE CONDITIONS, AND THEY SEE THEM ADMINISTERED BY MEN CHOSEN BY THEMSELVES. They see officials the servants and not the masters. They see practical government.
 The Record-Miner reproduced the foregoing, only so far ss 1t refers to the license tax, the school law, the mining laws and the incorporation act, and pronounced it as the basis of the de- mand for territorial government. Then it said;
 If the license tax bs abolished what will pay the expenses of the territorial government? Taxes on the real and personal property in territory where the largest city does not claim 10000 population?
 These are the questions thst con found the business men, not only of Juneau but of every otter community, not excepting Sksgwsy. Territorial government cannot be run without dollars, patriotism aud sentiment not withstaudiuE, and the thinking men, those who would have to foot the bills gre aghast when confronted with the proposition. The present form of gov ernment of Alaska is ideal until such tine as the territory shall have taxable property enough to stand levy that would be not only oppressive but sn actual hardship on the few
 ia trying to avoid the issue the Record-Mtner plays shrewdly. The basis of the demand for territorial gov erument is not so narrow as the tory paper preteuds. It is based upon the right of the people to manage their own affairs, It is based upon the prsc- ticability of self-government ss 1t has been demonstrated by 8 century and 8 third of American history. It is based upon the fundamental principles of American government. The things mentioned by the Daily Alaskan, speci- 6cally, were but q few of the many practical problems the local solution of which appeal to business men, and they should never be considered separately from the general propositions which are stated above in capital letters.
 AS to these being the questions that "contound the business men" of June Au, Sksgwsy and other towns, that is nonsense. The business men are not contounded. They showed that last August when they voted, like sll other classes of the population, st the ratio of three to one for self-government.
 So far ss the revenues for terri torial government are concerned that would be matter for the people them- selves. They could come from Incense tax, if the people like that method-sn equitable license tax law, which does not crowd out certain kinds of manu- featuring plants and wholesale houses giving business to Seattle and other outside places which should be kept at home, one pruned of the many defects which burden that now in force.
 But the revenues for a territorial government need not be large. A territorial government is very inex- pensive. It is government parEicu- larly devised to give pioneer peoples the right to manage their own affairs at g minimum cost. It is such gov ernment as 39OO poor immigrants in Washington territory with SD Indian war on their hands, got along with it, It is such government ss cost Wash -.--- ...-;s.,,-. lass tbap an 0N0 q vaar