The Nome daily nugget., 1916-04-18

The following is the text of a
communication addressed to
Hon. J. w. Alexander, chairman
of the committee on merchant
marine and fisheries, land Hon.
W. c. Houston, chairman of thu
house committee on territories
by Delegate Wickersam relative
10 the attempt of the department
OF commerce to remove the most
'. luable of the Alaska resources
The fisheries, from the taxable as
sets of the territory AS will be
noted, the communication calls
attention to the fact that the So
called Alexander bills contem-
place not only the removal of the
fisheries from the jurisdiction oil
the Legislature but alos include
the removal of large portion OF
the fui bearing animals. 1t also
calls attention to the more vital
facts that, by its operation, the
measure will deprive the terri
tory of revenues amounting to
nearly one hundred thousand dol,
lars and will practically repeal
the Alaska school fund law, the
Alaska road fund law and the in
dipent fund law. Mr.. Wicker.
sham says:
Gentlemen: So much confus-
sion has recently occurred in the
matter of the reference of Alaska
fisheries bills that it seems neces-
airy to call your attention to ii
and to beg your cooperation and
united action upon that important
subject.
Facts in Sixty Fifth Congress.
On the first day of this con-
gress, H. r. 222, "A bill to amend
an act for the protection and reg
ulation of the fisheries of Alas
ka," was introduced by Mr.. Flood
and referred to the committee on
the territories; H. r. 753, was in
troduced by Mr.. Carlin with ex'
actly the same title as the FLOOD
bill, and substantially the same
matter, and was referred to the
committee on ways and means
II. R. 5000 was introduced by
Mr.. Wickersham, with a similar
title, and on the same subject,
and was referred to the commit
tee on the territories. On Jan
uary 20, H. R. o527, a bill to
amend section three of an act tc
create a legislative assembly II
the territory of Alaska" etc, and
to take from it power over the
fisheries of Alaska, was intro
duced by Mr.. Alexander and re-
ferred to the committee on the
territories; on January 20, II. X
os28, a bill for the protection
regulation and conservation OF
the fisheries of Alaska" was in"
troduced by Mr.. Alexander and
referred to the committee on mer-
chant marine and fisheries; and
on January 2o, H. R. 1878 "a bill
to redistribute jurisdiction OF the
secretary of commerce and the
secretary of agriculture over the
protection of fur bearing animal:
in Alaska, and for other pur-
poses," was introduced by Mr.
Alexander and referred to the
committee on the territories.
Subsequent to its introduction
and prior to this date H. R. 753,
the Carlin bill, was transferred
from the committee on ways and
means to the committee on the
territories, and now the bills
mentioned are all before the COM
mittee on the territories except
H. R. o528, the Alexander bill
The Relief Prayed For.
The delegate from Alaska begs
the chairman and members of the
committee on merchant marine
and fisheries to waive the ques-
ton of jurisdiction and to agree
that H. R. o528, the Alexander bill
may be transferred from the COM
mittee on merchant marine and
fisheries to the committee on the
territories, where the FIVE bills,
upon the same subject, are being
considered, so that full and fair
hearing nny be had and law
enacted to save the fisheries OF
Alaska from monopoly and final
extinction