The Ketchikan miner., 1907-08-17
THE TRUTH ABOUT IT.

THE TRUTH ABOUT IT.
 About that million dollars year for Alaska, Another broad statement on the part of Alasl1a's executive fgurehead, unaccompanied by any thing in the form and substance of an itemized bill of particulars. Let us
 inquire little into about how much that assertion amounts to, in the light of the actual truth and as having any relation to the question of self-govern- ment. If Mr. Hoggatt is disposed to be entirely frank and truthful he must admit that the sum total ot appropriations for Alaska consists of the items appropriated to cover the expenses of the bastard government set over the district-salaries ot officials, care and- maintenance of the insane and persons convicted of crime, construction of wagon roads and trails, extension of cable and land telegraph lies, and for aids to navigation. Of these items, the only ones that would necessarily devolve upon the people under a terri torial organization would be the care and maintenance of insane and. in part, of the criminal class. The salaries of federal officials, and the expenses of the courts, except in cases involving violation of the criminal laws enacted by the general govern ment, as would also the expenses of the legislature itself, including per diem and mileage of members, would be paid by the federal government As now the expenses of the court in civic cases, whether arising under territor- ial or federal law, would be paid by litigants, while it is equally true that the compensation of the |. $. com missioner pooh bahs now comes out of the pockets of the people. Then on the other hand, the appropriation for telegraphs cannot properly he con sidered an appropriation from the treasury in view of the fact that it is limited to the earnings of the lines themselves. first had and received. Had there not been earnings sufficient to defray the cost of the last tW5 eX- tensions already in the treasury, Mr Hoggatt, if he does not actually know, at least has good and sufficient reason +A loi 4hA n inf,c would not have been made. The road appropriation of $200, GOO is tn erefore, the only item that can properly be charged as being for the exclusive benefit of Alaska. The sums appropriated for lighthouses and aids to navigation are only such IS have been usual, in much more gem erous measure. for all the maratime states and territories, made not for their sole benefit but for general pub lie good.
 It therefore follows, that with the single exception of the appropriation of wagon roads and trails, there would be no decrease in the amount of appropriations for Alaska as result of territorial organization, assuming, of course, that the rule which obtained in the treatment of all other organized territories should be, as might naturally be expected, extended to Alaska. In the other territories, hundreds of thousands of acres of the public lands. worth in some instances millions of dollars, have been appropriated for the building of wagon roads, while the appropriation of lands for school and various other purposes have been made the source of large annual income to most of them. Like appropriations for Alaska are naturally to be expected as soon as she is provided with government under which they can be accepted and made available for public purposes.
 Expressing the expression of.opinion which prompts itself to utterance con corning the degenerate standard of Americanism which seems to regard as many and as large gratis as possible on the national treasury as the acme of good for Alaska, The Miner will con tent itself with the suggestion that, having regard to the question of dol lars and cents alone, Alaska has much, very much, to gain and abso- lutely nothing to lose as the result of popular home government.
 SHADOW WITHOUT SUBSTANCE