Iditarod pioneer., 1916-01-22
GOVERNOR STRONG'S REPORT

The report of the governor of Alaska to the secre tarv of the interior has just been received here a most comprehensive review of the activities ot the territory, and in many respects IS document ot great interest Governor Strong discusses Tn able manner the future of Alaska its industries, and most of the matters which come under his official obserVa- tion and makes many recommendations tending to the welfare of the territory There also IS appen- dix containing much useful information pertaining to Alaska The introductory paragraph of the report IS as follows
 During the past fiscal year Alaska has made substantial prog reSs in the development natural This partcu Iary noticeable the increased mining activity Of the Southeast and Southwestern divisions whose means o connumca'on by water makes readily accessible than the remoter of Northwestern Alaska and the vast Interior doan Much progress be noted in the increased attention that Is being given to the eoment of agriculture in the First Third and Fourth where many have taken home steads with a to making them productive
 Respecting labor conditions he says:
 The territorial legislature at its session passed eight hour law for all lode and placer mnes and during the past summer in the Ruby and Fairbanks mining districts labor sras resulted in some of the placer mines the employers t ce the ,yaee scale which had been paid for ten day In the Fairbanks district the difficulty was soon ad uste however and the returned to work In the Ruby dis trct the difficulty has continued without settlement An elsh generally in force in the lode mines Of the territory The scale paid placer miners in the Fairbanks and hu districts during the season por to the passage M the law was per day In the Nome district reduction of the wage followed the enforcement of the eight hour law"
  tcay stationary during the The seae of wages pad m lode mines in coastal Alaska from s to s350 per day
 In comparing the wage scales of the miners of h. terior and Northwestern Alaska with those of the quartz miners of the coast regions the governor leaves the impression that difference of from 5 .ou to $2 per day only exists The probability IS that this is not correct as the Interior miners wage scales include board It is doubtful whether the quartz miners of the coast regions receive $3 to $3 50 per day and board.
 As in former official documents, the governor re- verts to the matter of conterrlng additional powers upon the territorial legislature, but agan he tals to define what these powers so ardently desired should be- If the additional powers are so urgently needed as the governor would seem to imp ly, why not be specific? That there are matters upon which the territorial legislature Is debaned from passing Is true but it is not quite clear that either the federal government or even the people of the territory con- powers upon legislative assembly constituted IS the Alaska legislature. The governor says:
 In my opinion welfare of the territory would be materially promoted by conerrng upon territorial legislature additional powers and the recommendation in this respect ao}ed in my last report that territorial legislature should be given enlarged powers adequately meet the needs territory consequent increase population development of its natural and its industrial and commercial expansion This need of extended power for the legislature and nstent until such tune as the territory ready for statehood and the sooner granted the greater will be the benefits accrung to the people
 It noticeable that the territorial executive shows TO great enthusiasm on the subject
 The mining industry, of course, receives consider able attention from the governor, but tor some un- explained reason the Iditarod and lnnoko districts are passed up with ten-llne paragraph under the sub-headng, Ruby District