Douglas Island news., 1912-01-17

just system of tgxation of more 'thar S450000 per annum over and above the present revenues, even if a tax of ? pe, cent be levied upon the gross outpuE of all mines, as some persons have suggested. Under a terpitori& form of goyeroment, this dncrease6 revenue would presumably be offset te the extent of S250,e0e of appropria- tions which the national Congress now gives, furthermore by at 4eeet Sl50.O0b of the amount which the federal go7. ernment now pays for maintenance 0 penitentiary and jails; and perhaps even oVerbalance by the withdrawal os other appropriations, already men toned, amou'ing to S224,090 Accord. dng to this estimate of { lances, there fore, the possible gain under teRriteria government would be S450,000 a year and the possible loss S624, 900. Whether the form of government be changed or not the S75,000 or Sl00,000 of additlina fish taxes ought to be collected.
 In the foregoing remarks HeiatWe ts taxes and appropriations, all Of that which may be regarded as unfaEorable to local government and lndependeut treasury i5 based on the assumption that Alaska, under the local govern. meut would be treated by the UpIte& States just as the other tenrit0rles have been treated. That is, it hes >been a5- sumed that if local government ls authorized it will be with the lde.i that Alaska is able to take care of itself aud does not need any more financial sup port from the national government than the other regularly organized ter ritories have received--which Is com paratively little. Ln any event, apprehend thet the people ot Alaske do not wish to have the forn of local territorial government without the substance; that local legislature Wlth powers less ample than those of other territorial legislatures, or d local gov erpment the expenses of which should
 be paid in part by federal approprla- tions, are not desired.
 Even if the matter of general feast
 bility be not questioned, the subject M change,in the form of government H one of much gravity and surrounded by so many conditions not generally ! well understood, that itls to be hoped no action will be taken until the Goa" gress shall have received report on personal visit of it's own members to the territory. It is unfortunate that the joint committee appointed last wln- ter was unable, by reason of the extra ordinary session, to visit Alaska thR year. The people of the territory have had much cause for complaint, fre- quently heard, that many of the meas ures heretofore enacted for Alaska ar9
 poorly adapted by reason of lack of full information at the time of their passage; and the territory has suffered
 because, except by the enactment Gf the civil and criminal codes, thece has never been any effort to create sy5. tematic and carefully related body u laws. It is highly important that the mistakes be not made of pass!ng se momemtous measure as territorial government law withoutfullknowledge whether such measure is ,expedieE and uecesssry-and if it is expedleiH and necessary, without careful InVes
 tigation as to what the exact scope anE nature of it's provisions should be- Such an investigation and knowled8e can best be had by a committee dt Senators and Congressman in Alaska; and on this latter proposition Il think the. advocates and the opponents of full territorial: form of govern@ent are in accord.