The Alaska daily empire., 1915-02-11
Eavor. Ier.-Lor-a- een.roI.

j government for Alaska The com mitteo was considering a bill extend iug Che authority of lbe Department i of Commerce over fur and same anl mais for Alaska.
 Talks "Full Territorial Form of Gov
 erument."
 The printed report of the hearingl before the ways and means sub-com ! mitteea contains the following, appear ing Just after the political statement given above
 tWickersham speaking) :-I wan to call your attention to his (President Wilson's) message of December 9, 191; ! at page 9, in speaking of the Alaskan railway bill which he very greatly ap 1 proved and strongly supported. ana which particularly appealed to us-'
 The Chairman-And which passed
 MT. Wickersham.-And passed witt your assistance and with the assist anco of the Republcians and Progress lres also. He (Peresident Wilson, said
 The people Of Alaska should
 be given full Territorial form of
 government
 'I have had g great deal of doubt about just what this means
 The People of Alaska Should
 Be Given the Full Territorial
 Ua-r.r., ..r le,rra,... r.,r.,.a
 Standing alone it does not mean as much to me as it does if it stands i in connection with what he said un. der the Alaska railway bnl And it has been taken as Q text by the peao- pie Of Alaska and they have support- ed Mr. Wilson very strongly and very largely on account of that little text. We have Q fuli Territorial form Of gov. ernment In Alaska now. We have n Governor appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the Senate, as woll as all the other Territories have had We have a leg islature elected by tho people, with the usual Limitations and powers glv- en them. and we have the same sys- tenn of courts as the othe. Territories haze had MT. Wilson knew ali Of that when he made that statement. and we in Alaska have concluded un, animously by that statement that Mir. Wilson meant it was desirable that wider range of power be given to the people Of Alaska in building up and developing that country It is a great country and 1t has immense re-. sources of all kinds in 1t, and we have a strong, healthy vigorous yirile peo. pie up there trying to develop it and do something with lt. But when We got the Alaska Legislature, under the organic act giging that legislature au-I thority We found so many blocks and checks in 1t that we were discouraged and under this statement of President Wilson's we felt that we were going to get some of those blocks and cheeks removed and enable tho people up there not only to develop the country but to develop the popular government Of the people, by the people. and for the people Gov. Strong Knew What Full Terrltor-
 iai Form of Government Meant.
 Continuing. Delegate Wickersham said;
 eNow on the other matter, aboutI tho Territorial Legislature. the Gov ernor say5
 The powers conferred upon the Territorial Legislature by the or. ganic act passed by Congress and approved August 24. 1912. are ex.
 remely limited and in view of the growing importance of this Territory. and its industrial and commercial development, both of | which give promise of great ex- pansion in the future, the powers ! of the Legislature should be en. larged This industrial and con. mercial expansion has already be- sun along substantial and perma- nent lines geiy because of the wise and liberal policy which this administration has adopted toward this Territory; and tho relef that this policy assuros from Che hith. erto almost intolereble conditions that harrassed the Territory and prevented the development of its many natural resources. Alaska, therefore, should loo given a fui Territorial form Of government euai in all respects to that which is enjoyed by the other Territor2 les of the Republic and under which they rose to the dignity Of statehood. Under enlarged pow CTS no additional expense to the Federal government would loo en- tailed. and matters which proper iy belong 10 tho legislative func. tions Of the local legislature could be dealt with ln way suited to the needs and requirements Of Che Territory
 That Is in direct line with the sug. ,estion of the President, only itis a qualification Of it And it points out hat this Territory needs the wide ange Of powers in all matters and specaliy in matters of this kind up. n iis legislative control over its lo. al matters as Alaska has been--no 'erritory in the world