The Alaska daily empire., 1914-03-16
ROden FayOrs Full
 Territorial Government

\ tuu lerrlIOrldl IOEIn OA SO'SAA ment in Alaska is one of the pressing demands of the hour. according to a statement of Alaska's needs made by Senator Henry Roden to Secretary ot the Interior Franklin K. Lane, at the latter's request. Senator Roden be- lives the time is here when the peo- ple of Alaska should have greater con- trol over her own affairs than is pos sible under the government as it now exists.
 Senator Roden also recommended that Congress pass (D the bill yali. dating the Alaska revenue laws; @ the Chamberlain Alaska Development Board" bill; (S) measures for the immediate opening of the coal lands; (D the largest possible appropriation for wagon roads: (5) the legislation encouraging and supporting the rein deer industry and permitting white people to engage in it; (6) bill per hitting Juneau to issue school bonds not to exceed $lOO.OOO; CD appropri- ate money for an adequate Alaska ex- hibit at the San Francisco exposition.
 Senator ROden's Statement.
 Secretary of the Interior Lane re- Quested Senator Roden to reduce to writing his ideas concerning lesisil- tion for Alaska that is of immediat1 pressing importance.
 He presented the following state menr:
 Railroad Bill Assured.
 Taking it for granted that the Alas. ka railroad bill will shortly become a law. the most pressing legislation for the Territory of Alaska is:
 "l. Speedy enactment into law of House Bill 1174O, entitled. A Bill to to cure defects in and to validate Chapters 52 and 54 of the Acts of the Legislature of the Territory of AL aska. etc. SO that the revenue meas ures now in force in the Territory may become operative.
 %. Speedy enactment into law of Senate Bill 431S, entitled, TO provide for the administration of national property and interests in the Terri tory of Alaska. and for other purposes. iChamberlain's Development Board bin.)
 "3. Speedy enactment into law of some measure providing for the i'm mediate opening up and development of the Alaskan coal fields so that ton mage may be available for shipment at the completion of the railroad
 Wants Wagon Roads.
 "4. The largest possible appropri- ation for the further construction of wagon roads and trails throughout the Territory. to serve as feeders to the railroad.
 Tn this connection respectfully refer to the Alaska Senate Joint Mem- orial No. 20, which suggests that the United States mining laws in their application to the Territory of Alas ka be amended so that it may be op- tional with any claim owner to either perform one hundred dollars worth of labor upon his claim or to pay to the recorder of the precinct in which his claim is situated. the sum of one hundred dollars, and that all moneys thus collected be expended for road and trail construction. This proposi- tion is fairly popular in Alaska for the reason that much useless labor is now performed upon mining claims in order to comply with Federal min ing laws.
 Reindeer Industry.
 "5. Encouragement and support of the reindeer industry, to be engaged in by whites. under such regulations as will fully protect the natives. At the present time the 50,OO0 reindeer in the Territory are owned by Lap flanders, missions and natives and no female reindeer can lawfully be ac. quired by white men. There appears to be no valid reason why such a state of affairs should continue. The raising of reindeer promises to be- come one of the really large indus tries of the Territory, and the best informed people concerning the situa, tion say that there is sufficient suit. able land in the Territory to support millions of reindeer and that Alaska could export annually 250,O00 tons of reindeer meat to the markets Of the United States.
 For Juneau School Building.
 "6. Immediate passage of a bill permitting the town of Juneau to is. sue it's bonds to the amount of S1O0,. 900 for the construction of a suitable schoolhouse. I respectfully refer to the Alaska Senate Memorial No. TO- which suggests the bonding of the town oAJuneau to the amount of $50. 900. Since the adoption of this mem orial, the city of Juneau has increased in population SO that an even larger schooIhouse must be constructed and equipped. In the past two years hun. dreds of people have settled in this city. attracted thence by the large de. yelopment that is going on. This sec, tion, within a few months, will consti ute the largest quartz gold mining camp in the world and the ore bodies in sight at this moment promise to give employment to several thousand miners for a hundred years.
 "7. An appropriation to enable Al aska to be officially represented at the Panama Pacific Exposition.
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