The Alaska daily empire., 1915-06-23
HE'D WILL OPPOSE
 DIVISION

1-r e-s V NY
 -l-
 Within few days the first step will be taken by the First Division, in its legal fight for the forest re. serve money paid into the Territorial Treasurer by the government. and which Che 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 en- join Walstein G. Smith. as treasurer of Alaska. from paying over any mon ey or any part thereof, derived from the sale oi timber and uses, from the Tongass nationa, forest reserve. which is all situated within Division No 1 to any of the other divisions Of Alaska
 Echo of Legislative Fight.
 The legal steps which Southeastern Alaska will take. recalls the 'sensa- uonal battle in the House and Sem ate during the last legislative session. when the bills Co divied the money equally with the other three divisions were passed. Tn the Senate the vote was to 2. with Senators Sulzer and Tanner or the First voting in the neg ative In the House the bin passed by vote of to 2. Representatives Held. Shoup, Heckman and Britt of the First division being supported by Representative Holland of the Third, Representative Moran Of the Second and Representative 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 sounsel, " under a joint resolution passed by the legislature. to guard against any con tingency that might arise in the mat ter during his absence Mir Cobb will represent Mir Smith and the Territory of Alaska. as unit when the suit is filed. The reso- luton empowering the governor to| employ legal counsel. directed that councel be selected only when the territory was In need of legal repre- sentation X permanent attorney-gen- eral will be selected by ballot a 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. Southeastern AL aska is entitle dto the entire $6O.S24- 25 paid into the Territorial Treasury by the government on account of the Tongass Forest Reserve The ann cunt paid into the Treasury from the sale of timber in the Third division. in which the Chugach national forest is located is S7356OS. which includes S7O8.O4 interest which Southeastern Alaska claims should have been split between the Third and First divis- ions.
 In the complaint which Mir. Held will file. 1t will be pointed out that the First division pays 75 per cent of the taxes. and has the smallest area. The area Of Southeastern AL aska is estimated tc be 43,00 square miles if the inland waters are in cluded. The Second division has an area of l5S.6OO square imles and the Fourth 22S,000 spare 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. pass ed bill appointing four road super yisors. Their contention in the mat ter was that Congress intended the money should be spent in the entire territory 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 a county. under the intent of the congressional act