The Alaska daily empire., 1916-12-16
MORE CONTROL SHOULD GO TO
 LEGISLATURE
(cOntinued from Page 1.)

time as Alaska is ready to assume privileges, and responsibilities of Statehood. there seems to me to be no valid reason why the fullest pos sible measure of local autonomy should not be granted to the people who are developing great country under conditions that are far from satisfactory and sometimes well nigh intolerable Added to the want of greater autonomy for the Territory Is the bureaucratic control from and by Washington. This should be min imized as far as possible in the in- terests of progress, development, and more efficient government. Blu reaucracy Is as insistent as 1t is pernicious m form and practice. In it's essence it is restrictive rather than constructive, and its methods, as a rule. are prohibitiye of that kind of progress which is so essen- tial to the development of new country far removed from the seat of National Government.
 Alaska Pioneers' Home
 A home for aged prospectors and others who have spent their years in Alaska and become incapacitated from physical labor, and dependent, was established in August 1913, by act of the Territorial Legislature. The home is located at Sitka, and is supported by the Territory. to- gether with appropriations made by the judges of the several judicial di- visions of Alaska from any surplus that may be left each quarter in the Federal indigent fund for the support of inmates from the respec- tive judicial divisions. The manage ment and control of the home are vested in a board of trustees, con sisting of the governor of the Ter ritory and two citizens appointed by him. The number of inmates of the home on the 1st of September, 1916, was 62, as compared with 47 on Sep tember l of the previous year The home is located at Sitka, the build ings formerly occupied by the Unit ed States Marine Corps, having been transferred to the Territory for this purpose in 1912. The buildings, which have not been occupied for some years. have been repaired and paint ed, and during the present year an addition was made to the main build ing in order to furnish the accom- modations necessary for the increas- ed number of inmates. While pri- marily this institution was merely intended as a home for the aged and dependent, 1t has been found neces- sary to add to it hospital facilities, as a considerable number of the in- mates are either entirely helpless or partially so, and many of them suffer from chronic diseases.
 The Territorial Legislature in 1913 also made an appropriation for the construction of a home for aged pros pectOrs and for soldiers and sailors of the United States army and navy at some point in Interior Alaska. but no action has as yet been taken as Go the selection of a site, although a number of places drought to be desirable for such a home have been The Legislature of 1915 the appropriate nof 1913, but as the home located at Sitka seems to meet the present needs, no further action has been taken to- ward the construction of the pro posed institution in the Interior.
 Mail Service
 Probably the mail service in a country of such magnificent distanc- es as in Alaska. in it's sparsely set .roJ -soto ,rd 1ac1- of tho uacacco r.v facilities to provide adequate service. except in coastal Alaska. never can be wholly satis- factory. The post offices in many sections of the Territory are widely separated, and many of the mail routes are long and. isolated and can not be covered by the usual means of transportation. In the h. .erior of Alaska. for the most part, mails are carried during the winter season by dog teams. and the routes cover thousands of miles. At that. mails are delivered with a prompt ness that might hardly be expected when all the conditions are taken nto consideration; and the criticism hat is heard coming from the peo- )le is largely due to the amount of nail carried each trip rather than he irregularity of the service. The mount of mail carried to Interior points during the winter is limited, md consequently there are heavy at the points of ship nent 10 the interior. These accu- necessary. under the eX- sting conditions of weight limita- ions. must be held until the open ng of navigation in the spring, and when the delayed mail reaches its destinations it is many months old and therefore often of no value to the recip- ents An increase in the amount l ,f mail carried each trip is desir- lble. While first class mail is usu- | lily delivered according to schedule, | and other mail is very | left behind until such | inc as it can be handled, which of- | en is not until the water navigator | s open. Arrangements should also | e made with all steamers plying etween Seattle and Nome during he open season of navigation to arry all mail that is offered. During |