Valdez daily prospector., 1912-01-03
CONGRESSMAN SULZER AND
 ALASKA.

II iS not surprising that the first bill in congress for the prac- iical, material development of Alaska should br written and in troduc"d by William Sulzrr. the Democratic congressman from New York. Mir. SulZrr may br, as the delegate from Alaska taunt- inGly remarks. a very young man, ovcr-"nIhuSiaslic and prccipi- iouS: but he has a genius for starting things while other people are thinking about starting. It was Mr.. SulZer who wrote the first home rule bill for Alaska, and that very bill, introduced in congress four years ago, was as far ahead of the present delegates home rule bill in the degree of home rule it offered as state govern ment is ahead of a territorial form of government.
 We cOncrdr that Congressman SulZrr makes rash and sometimes foolish statements: but all Inc breaks of this kind he has ever made ar" redeemed by his un- qucstionably sincere desire to do good for Alaska Last winter when the question nf apprnpriat- ing Si0O.0OO for Alaska road building was before the house, when the entire appropriation was hnll ,ni,I fl ,,nIl,u l,n cause the delegate insisted up on half the sum heinz expended nS d trail from Seward to Idit- arOd, leaving only S50,00O for all the rest of lh" territory, Con TrcSSman SuIZrr very Srnsibly moved that the Sl00,0 ,000 item re- main as il stood, and that all ad- ditional appropriation of S50,000 be made for the ldiiarod trail; and that is the way he vote final ly went.
 During the recent ViSiI of inc delegate tn Fairbanks. the dele gate told at great length how he had fought to have the interstate commerce law declared in force in Alaska; how he had helped to carry the case from one court to another and finally to the supreme court of the United SlaicS, where inc case now rests. That the in lrrSiair commerce. law applies to Alaska. we have never doubted, but apparently doubt does exist in the minds of many persons To settle Inc question. Ihc urlr- gate went through the devious channels of In" courts. This cnurS" will lead al best [" a .jud-.'-niadr law. How much more direct and final. tn" method of COngr"$ SulZrr. W.lIn intro ducrs q bill in congress Iu declare the interstate commerce. law in fore" and effect in Alaska. Con gross. not the courts. is the place to make laws and lO decide where and how they shall br enforced.
 Congressman SulZrr'S pet scll"mr is io divide Alaska into three parts, and iO organize each part immediately into a territory with full territorial forms of gov rrnmrnl. On this point we be- Iicvc Mr.. SuIzrr iO be precipiiOuS. Alaska does al the present time fall naturally into three parts, and each part seems lC have lit tie in common with the rest ard little desire lo act together. But Inc building of single railway may make ali tn" difference in the world. Even the building of an automobile road from Fair banks to the coast will work tO unite the interior and the coast sections. However, Congressman Sulzrr has not yet tried tO induce congress iO divide Alaska, and may have come iO tn" conclusion that his plan will keep for q while. In the meantime, the fact stands out that Ing has started upon Il vigorous campaign for the dcvcl- Opnrni of Alaska while the dele gate from Alaska is still on his way to Washingion.--Fairbanks Times.
 IA Ap-