Valdez daily prospector., 1912-01-16

ter than the members of congress
 understand them, and would
 therefore enact more suitable
 laws; (3) that local legisla-
 ture would devote to territorial
 improvements large tax monies
 which at present are covered in-
 ln the United States treasury and
 which Cit is aSSrrtrd) exceed the
 amount of the federal appropria-
 ions for Alaska. The advocates lof a legislature either deny the truth or question the suflicirncy or d number of statements set forth in opposition, among which are the following: CD That the population is sn small, SO lack ing in homngenrity,a ,and tu SD large an extent unstable, as to render thc proposed new government inn practicable; @ that the total amount of taxable property is too small to bear the expense of the new government, including the cost of necessary public works; (3) that, under the proposed change, the territory would lose more uss material benefits than it would gain.
 That the members of a terri tbrial legislature would have a better understanding of local needs than has been shown by the national congress, and also that their time would be devoted to the consideration of these things as the time uf the congress is not and cannot br, is obvious, and this fact is almost exclusively rcspon- siblc for the attitude of those who are both sincere and thoughtful in their advocacy. .Of d change in the form of government. There are those who arc sincere but very poorly informed who employ the statement that large tax monies are now covered into the natiOn- al treasury and withheld from use in Alaska which would brcOma available for local use if d terri tOrial legislature were in control Of the licenses and taxes. < brief statement will correct this mis- apprehension, but it will at the same time lend some support to the adverse proposition that the territory is not yet able to bear the expenses of local government and of public works. The tax and license monies of every dcscrip- tion collected in Alaska, exclusive 'Of customs and internal revenue receipts. which are usually not devoted iO the expenses of local governments, and exclusive of municipal real rStatc taxes which are under control of city councils, Incorporated towns was. covered int" tn" treasury, for use in building roads and amounted in Inc last fiscal year lo S39S. I35.- ii. Of lhiS amount $i66.25i. .98 was or will be turned over tO the tr"aSurrrS of the several incOr- pnrated towns, for the partial support of the municipal gOvcrn- mrnls. The balance. comprising monies collected outside of in .corporalcd towns, was covered in In the Alaska fund" in the Unit ed Siairs treasury, for use in building roads and trails and maintaining schools in the ter ril0ry. The congress has made direct appropriations for Alas ka for the next fiscal year (not including salaries or expenses of officers, the expenses of the ad- minisiratiOn of justice, the main tenance of prisons and jails, or certain general appropriations which are applicable in part to this territory amounting to $799,243.27--that is, S40i,iO8.i3 more than the total revenues of Alaska, exclusive of customs and internal revenues. The items of direct and specific appropriations included in the gross amount as given above are, aids to naviga- ton, care of insane, suppression of the liquor traffic among the natives, protection of game, edu- cation of natives, propagation of reindeer, construction of roads and trails, protection of the fisheries, land surveys, and tele- graph system. A few other ap- propriations arc omitted because