The Alaska daily empire., 1913-03-03
Code Revision.

OSNS ''~''S'~'''
 Among those subjects of needed leg slation which are within the scope of your powers, not few are such as will require the amendment of various provisions found in the civil and crim- inal codes of Alaska. These codes, en- acted more than a decade ago, have afforded during that period the prin- cipal means of civil administration and judicial action in this Territory. But the codes were not based on the best models, and they were somewhat has, tily prepared without q full knowledge of the needs of the district. However, these needs have changed rapidly with the early development of the country. The experience particularly of Terri torial civil officers and of our courts of justice, as we'll as of lawyers who have been active in professional practice, has suggested strongly the need of many amendments to both codes. But such amendments should not be made piecemeal, and the whole task is a large work, requiring much painstak- ing effort thorough knowledge Of the principles of law and equity, and mature discussion and deliberation eX- tending over considerable period.
 Among the statutory provisions for the government of this Territory are many imperfect enactments, more or less unsuited to the purposes for which they were intended and often conflicting or ambiguous in their terms. This incoherent and highly un. satisfactory body of law should not be made worse by abortive and unthor ough efforts at code revision. It is not to be expected that this large and i'm portant task could be completed by the Assembly within the sixty days of it's present session, even if other matters of legislation should receive no atten. iton at all. As the work could not be completed, it ought not to be begun; for it is a work requiring consecutive effort. and should be performed at once and as whole
 I recommend that the whole subject of code revision be assigned to a com. mission of from three to five mem bers, who should be instructed to re. port all needed amendments to the civil and criminal codes for ratification either by the next legislature, or by the present legislature if an eXtraor. dinary session should be convened for that purpose.
 Hoping that the disposition of this subject will be made by you as sug gested, recommend that at the pres ent session no acts be passed amend atory of the codes, with the single ex ception of an act to revise the list Of trade and occupation licences.
 Needs of National Legislation and ot
 Administrative Reforms.
 It is as unnecessary as it IS irrele want for me to discuss at length in this message those great needs of our Ter ritory which require national legisla tion. They are not only familiarly known to you to such an extent as to enable you to present intelligent and forceful memorials to the national leg islature but the proper executive off cers have already performed their du. ty by presenting them to the Congress, which alone possesses the power to grant remedial action. I venture to suggest only in this connection that, in any petitions or memorials which you may address to the Congress on those prime necessities of railway construc- tion and better land laws, you give primary expression to the demand for prompt affirmative action on the gen. eral subject, and only secondary dis