Iditarod pioneer., 1916-03-18
THE WELFARE OF ALASKA

No who has the welfare of Alaska heart vii! oppose the extension the territory of any additional power which the people prepared exercise says the Juneau Empire And entirely agree with the But is the Empire any
 er advocate of full territorial government statehood pre- pared that the people of Alaska prepared exercise additional powers? Extension of powers also Of obligations I the territory of Alaska prepared take of the hands of the United States government the machinery for the maineanre of law and order the stretches of Interior Alaska an he administration Of justice there contemplated by the den and that be owe1 county governments and ucc ary? If so, where the from? At the present time the federal government great per forming the functions which, under other conditions would attach to state territorial government The people of Interior Alaska least rafecty conted that this should the present until the population reaches proportions sufficient suct burdens Are the handful of people who nhabit th territory ppared administer the laws and make life and property safer than they without era machinery provided? Does any who "has the wei fare of Alaska heart believe that the of it's and of those who hereafter will be better of by extending governmental powers the territorial govern consitued With the example of the past two years before would imagine not.
 Stripped of all buncombe plain facts are that territory nearly six hundred thousand miles and containing popu Iation estimated by the his last report A 0Oo white supposed to be demanding that be made sovereign state failing that that be all the powers peroga lives of statehood without the obligations by statehood In other words territory than large largest state in the Union be turned over better or worse to population larger than that of the city New Britain say It mus also be remembered that there large percentage of foegnbcrn residents of Alaska have no nten ton of remaining permanently becoming ind caed by the fact that the last election congressional dele but 10000 Approximately cast these including male and female voters,
 Except fer the strip of territory dewater population is widely scattered and of Interior Alaska practically isolated from the capital anything like representative impossible with present and prospective municaon Under such circumstances how having
 he welfare of Alaska heart without grave the extension of governmental the limited number of who able participate ntelgeny the affairs of the territory? As for the demand for extended does
 from? Outside of few newspapers would be safe that the question seldom boached The territory of Alaska empowered frame laws for the government of its people, and outside f few restrictions made by the vasness of the territory and the population has to all and purposes goyernmen And these restrictions scarcely than those imposed other territories of the United States Wisely used these be made to until such time the population big enough and permanent enough to justify statehood.
 If ignorance and demagoguery have been displayed in the discussion of this question: surely by the crbbers who at tempt show that the residents of Alaska the victims of presson and Why drop such and point out that probability the people of Alaska enjoying the greatest of self government of any similar number of people earth2