The Mena weekly star., 1910-02-17
FIGHT ALASKA BILL GAN HOLD HIS OWN
SENATORS OPPOSE GOVERNING THE TERRITORY BY PREsI-
 DENTAL APPOINTMENT.
AN ADMINISTRATION MEASURE
The Opposition Believes That the BII Places Too Much Power in tft Hands of Appointive officlals-Alas kans Want Legislature.

Washington, Feb. Predetermined opposition to the bill providing Alaska with territoril government made it's self manifest in the senate. From the speeches made when the measure came up for amendment on second reading and from statements made aft erwards it seems safe to predict that only in very much amended form will the bill be permitted final pass age. if indeed the proposed legislation be not defeated In its entirety.
 The bill proposes to give the terri tory a governor, secretary and treas. urer. attorney general and commis. sioner of the interior and of mines, al so executive counsel of eight, all tc be appointed by the president who are given pretty extensive authority in dealing not only with the laws govern. ing the people, but also with the work of interior development in the way oi mining, railroads, water power, agri. culture and otner enterprises
 The bill passed out of committee op territories despite vigorous opposition on the part of Wickersham, congres, sional delegate from Alaska, who is here with the authority of a large number of his people to advocate the establishment of an elective legislatur for the territory. Several amendments were made in committee but the mair features of the measure were preserv ed Warning of opposition was giver the other day when Senator Beveridge of Indiana chairman of the committed on trritories, reported 1t out of com up the storm burst.
 Those senators who showed ur prominently in opposition to the bill were Clark of Wyoming, Crawford ol South Dakota, Frazier of Tennessee Clay of Georgia and Borah of Id ho Senator Clay, first wanted to know i it was proposed to take the endre c)n trol of public lands in Alaska away from the department of the Interior and give 1t to the commissioner of tht interior provided for the bill.
 "rm told there Is coal enough 1T AihEhd tO buppty thtS SOuleAy tOi -V' years and I think we ought to be care -ful in giving away authority" sait the Georgian senator. He also object ed to the clause allowing the appoint ment of an army officer to the com missionership, saying:
 q object on principal to giving tht military the right to make laws"
 Senator Crawford inquired whence the demand came for such Legislation as that proposed He said he hat read the testimony taken before tho special congressional sub-committe. sent out to Alaska in 1902 and alst that taken before the senate commit tee on territories recently when th' present bill was under discussion.
 q find no demand whatever for sucl legislation" said Senator Crawford "The people up there have Jaws, codes everything. We are asked to giv' tremendous power to appointive legis lative council"
 Senator Beveridge. replying to these criticisms, said that the commission form of government had been special ly advocated by President Taft in { recent speech at Seattle and that un aer the presidents direction the pres ent measure had been drawn.