The Chitina leader., 1915-07-06
HE|D To OPPOSE
DIVISION Of
FOREST FUND

Within a few days the first step
will be taken by the First Division, in
its legal fight for the forest reserve
money paid into the Territorial Treas.
ury by the government, and which the
Territorial Legislature voted to divide
evenly among the four divisions.
John G. Held, member of the House,
will file suit next week on behalf of
the six members OF the legislature
from the First Division and "the peo-
pie of Southeastern Alaska" to enjoin
Walstein G. Smith, as treasurer of
Alaska, from paying over any money,
or any part thereof, derived from the
sale of timber and uses from the
Tongass national forest reserve, which
is all situated in Division No. /, to
any of the other divisions of Alaska.
Echo of Legislative Fight
The legal steps which Southeastern
Alaska will take, recalls the sensa-
tional battle in the House and Senatei
during the last legislative session.
when the bills to divide the money
equally with the other three divisions
we're passed. In the Senate the vote
was to 2, with Senators Sulzer apd
Tanner of the First voting in the neg.
alive. In the House the bill passed by
a vote of to 7, Representatives Held.
Shoup, Hickman and Britt of the First
Division being supported by Represen.
tative Holland Of the Third, Represen-
attive Moran of the Second and Repre-
sentative Burns of the Fourth.
Cobb Is Legal Counsel"
Before he left last week for his
trip through Alaska, Governor J. F.
A. Strong designated John H. Cobb of
Juneau, as Territorial legal counsel"
under joint resolution passed by the
legislature, to guard against any con-
tingency that might arise in the mat
ter during his absence. Mr.. Cobb
will represent Mr.. Smith and the Ter
ritory, as unit, when the suit is filed.
The resolution empowering the gov
ernor to employ legal counsel, d.
rected that counsel be selected only
when the territory was in need of
legal representation. A permanent at
torney general will be selected by
ballot year from November, under
the provisions of an act which passed
both bodies of the legislature.
What "First" Claims
According to the claims of the
First Division legislators, Southeast
ern Alaska is entitled to the entire
$60,324.25 paid into the Territorial
Treasury by the government, on ac-
count of the Tongass Forest reserve.
The amount paid into the treasury
from the sale of timber in the Third
division, in which the Chugach ma
tional forest is located is $7,35608,
which includes $4,000 interest which
Southeastern Alaska claims should
have been split between the Third and
First divisions.
In the complaint which Mr.. Held
will file, it will be pointed out that
the First Division pays rs per cent
of the taxes, and has the smallest
area. The area of Southeastern
Alaska is estimated to be $4,000
square miles if the inland waters are
included. The Second division has
an area of 15S,6O0 square miles and
the Fourth 22S,OOO square miles.
The men in the legislature who
voted to take the money from South
eastern Alaska, and spend it on roads
and trails in all four divisions, passed
a bill appointing four road supervis-
ors. Their contention in the matter
was that Congress intended the money
should be spent in the entire terri
tory. In the congressional act the
word county" was used, and the point
was raised that the Territory, and not
the division, was the same as
county under the intent of the con-
gressional act.-Juneau Empire.
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