Douglas Island news., 1912-01-17

organized terrltOrlal S0Vefnmeut, Alaska being treated like the other ter ritories, will cease to make appropria- tions for roads, the amount of which4n addition to the monies of the "Alaska Fund" have averaged Sl91, ,666 per an mum for the last six years; for the pro lection of game (Si,500 per annum, partly offset by about S3,500 collected from hunting and shipping licensesI; for the care of insane (S50,000 per an- numG and for perhaps one or two other objects which are now being pro vided for by the Congress, including care of territorial prisoners. (Ihe other territories care for their OWE prisoners; and the expense of Alaska jail aud peniten'iary prisoners is now about S200,0o0 per annum.) On the other hand, although some of those who oppose an organized territoria! government do so on the ground that the population and the taxable prop erty are too small, it is certain that the product of the fisheries should be taxed from Sz5,00@ to Sl00,000 more each year than they are taxed at present Assuming the larger figure to be the correct amount, the license and tax monies from all present sources with the new fish taxes added would aggregate about S500,0Oe, on the basis of the collections for the fiscal year 1911. If it be assumed that the objects to which the tax and license monies are applied at present ought to be and would be supported to the same ex- tent under the uew government, there Il Io tn 1nTNtn new objects. If, however, the national legislature should withhold from Alaska certain present appropriations which are withheld where full territor- ial government prevails, this additional S1O0,O00 would be more than offset by the amount of funds now being appro- priated specifically for roads, protec- ton of game, and care of insane funds which aggregate on the average about S250,000. Unless other new sources of revenues be found, it seems possible if not probable, therefore, that Alaska under local government would have annually less money available for public uses by at least S160,000-and if fair amount be added for the support of a territorial prison aud jail, by at least S300,000-than is afforded under the present form of government.
 Two other possibilities, however, in connection with the financial side of the question are to be considered. A territorial Legislature being installed aud separate territorial treasury be- ing established, if the national govern. meut. should decide to leave the care and education of the native people to the local government, the present ap- propriations for schools, reindeer, sup. pression of liquor traffic and relief of destitution and medical relief would either have to.5e abandoned or supplied by the territorial treasury. These ap. propriations now amopnt to S2A,OUO per annum. The other of the two pos abilities alluded to is that of taxing one other large source. of revenue, namely, the mines of the territory provided it is deemed good policy to tax the mines further at this stage of territorial development. 4uartG mines which operate stamp mills are taxed already to some extent, the proceeds being covered into the Alaska Fund bat tax of from-l per cent to 7 pes cent upon the gross oatput of all miner throughout the territory would yield from $E60oo to S350,009 year. This estimate is based, of course, approEi- mately upon the present production of metals.
 The Arizona territorial government has for some years, | beiVe, levied taxes upon assessed valuation of mines. In examining the tax lists of that and other territories, however, one Is struck with the number of sources of revenue which exist in these territories which either do not existat ell in Alaska CT are so small as to render them unpro- ductive of large tax returns. 2 eur. sorry examination of the sources of public revenue in Alaska fails to promise .raUrnosmnder anything like "a