The Alaska citizen., 1910-10-17
WHY HOME RULE IS NEEDED.

WHY HOME RULE IS NEEDED.
 There k us, one sane argument that can be advanced in advocacy Of territorial government for Alaska al this time but il is one which is all-suficient l. is that the long range system of govern. meHt a, Washington is inadequate because of the lack on the part of the law makers there of an intel Iigeut idea of the needs of this country. and their negligence to SO amend federal statutes a- to fir conditions existing in Alaska. If the Congress would enact into laws the suggestions made To it by he accredited representative of rhe country who presumably, voices rhe wishes of the majority Of the people about the only good req son for assuming the added ex pense ot local home rule would be taken away from is most ardent supporters But Congress has for so long persisted in ueglecting to do this. and in allowing misitting laws to apply here. that hope has been abandoned and Home Rue has become the slogan of he great ma jority of Alaskans.
 And when the laws which most yjrally affect the country are ana lyzod, and the glaring defects not ed if Is moi To be wondered al that Alaskans have come to the conclusion that if they are ever to have 1aws which fiji their ease they will have To make them themselves in their own legislature
 Our mining laws are simply skeleton. merely the general min ing laws of the United States. which invariably in other territories have been so shaped and nodded as 10 ii; local conditions Although it has been represented to Congress many times it. the past four years that the association claim and the power of attorney are retardug the devel- opment of the country rather than aiding il there has been no move on the part of the legislators to abolish them
 The laws applying to the enor- nous fishing industry on the coast are a joke; at which, however only the packers trust officials have the heart 10 laugh. Contributing prac- tically nothing 10 the betterment or support Of the country the trust is allowed to loot Alaskan waters of many millions of dollars worth of fish every year, employing, in their piracy, none but the lowest type of coole labor This condition has also been graphically explained to the congressman. but no efficient steps have been taken to remedy it.
 So far as our coal is concerned it might. for all the present good it is 10 Alaskans, be non-existent.
 
 used up all the natural resources they once owned and have now to go further aield for their lumber and coal, it is considered by the conservationists to be the part of wisdom to prevent the pioneers Of the West and the North from using their most valuable commodities . It is not on record that when these same Eastern states had resources of their own they made any strong pleas to the government to come and help them conserve them, nor was it argued then that the gov. ernment should have control of all the timber minerals and water DOW. CT sites Ill the pushing of the frontier to the westward it has. un- | til few years back, been consid- | cred only just to treat the pioneer | with the consideration due to his | enterprise and a wide latitude was accorded him in his construction 1 of the laws. At the present time. i however conditions are reversed | and the Alaskan pioneer is hedged | around with laws akin to the Blue laws of New England
 Our liquor law is a fair sample | Of the erudite manner in which | these rules for Alaskans' guidance are drawn, and it. also, would have | become a joke were it not honored | more in the breach than in the ob- | servance. As it stands today, | while full liberty is accorded to | the individual to go and buy be- | tween four and five gallons of li- | quor in one parcel at a saloon, he is compelled, if he is to use it, to drink it all on the premises. Should | he want to take a bottle of beer, | or wine, or whisky, home with him he is liable to arrest The only | way in which he can remain with in the law. and have liquor in his !