Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1913-07-19
MEASURE AFFECTS ALASKA


able bill providing for the develop
ment Of Alaskan resources along
model, if not Utopian, lines has
just been introducedEby Mills Poin-
dexter. the Progressive Senator
from Washington. Poindexter's
bill provides for the government
operation Of half the coal proper
ties of Alaska, leaving the other
half to be leased to private inter-
ests, and the transportation of this
coal to the American markets on
government railways and steamship
lines.
In the operation of the mines
and transportation facilities, the
bill provides for all the reforms for
which labor today is struggling
the minimum wage, the 8-hour day,
the prohibition of child labor, work
mems compensation and accident
insurance, proper sanitation, hous-
ing and general living and working
condition.
But the bill goes even further
and adopts a Socialistic plan of re-
turning to the workers who operate
! the mines and railroads a portion
Of the profits accruing from their
work. Pure Socialism would give
to the Alaskan miners all the pro-
fits from their work and to the
railroad and steamship men all of
the profits from theirs. The Poin-
dexter bill would divide the profits
between the workers and the pur-
chase of coal and shippers Of
freight on the railroad and steam
boats.
The bill may be visionary and
Utopian, but it is an indication of
the trend of thought today. The
growth of the WV and the con-
tinual increase Of the Socialist
vote are indications of the rising
anger Of the public against the
presentday treatment of labor.
The Poindexter bill is submitted as
model on which the captains of
American industry must reform
their methods If they would escape
the rage of the people. The ex-
ploitation Of women and children,
and the grinding down Of men
through the starvation wages,
speeding up processes, the Taylor
system and all other devices by
which employers expect to get more
and more work for the same or
less money, must cease.
The Poindexter bill is one to
arouse a good deal of speculative
thought. Suppose with our 1Oo,-
1000 population today there was
not ranscontinental railroads. Would
the government he granting vast
empires of land as bonuses to pri.
Vase railroad builders? On the
contrary would the government
even be thinking for moment of
sanctioning any private monopoly
of transportation? / believe that
if transcontinental railroad build
ing bad been left for the present
generation, the government would
build and operate the lines.
But Alaska is a great, rich en-
pire, whose distances compare v 18th
those Of the United States. Is a
private railroad monopoly. to be
thought of there? Are we going
to give away those vast resources
Of coal and other minerals to pri.
vate exploitation to the enrichment
of few ,IWhen those resources now
belong to the whole population?
Some such plan as that submit
ed by Senator Poindexter is almost
=, certain to be adopted. The bill does
not give the government monop-
oily of the coal any more than it
gives one to private interests. Half
Of the coal lands are to be leased
in the Poindexter plan. But the
leasee must duplicate in his treat
ment Of labor all of the conditions
in the government mines.