The daily Nome industrial worker., 1916-05-24

This matter will rot be allowed tc go by default. The Nome Mine Workers Union has rightly under taken to see that the presumption to evade and violate these laws shall be brought to the attention of the proper authorities outside ot this district. That's a step in the right direction, and if labor legisia tion is going to be nullity and to be allowed to become a nullity, am the persons responsible for the en- corcement of the law in this com munity can afford time for all kinds of eXtraleous occupations ether than the discharge o3 their duties, as far as territorial laws are concerned, it is high time that the workers in this and other sections of the territory realized it,
 As stated the trouble mainly is that the authorities here are re- sponsible in no way to the Alaska people. They need not care cOnti- mental about the peope's will or the peoples laws They do not. Terrl- torial laws have been issued and made mandatory by the legislature upon officials. and have beeA ignor- ed with contempt. The eight hour dGy law is another case. That is persistently, yiciousiy and notorl- ously evaded. Not q step is mace tC enforce it. In the first place it is labor law, concerns those with least economic power, affects those least able to mako an influential complaint to headquarters And in the second place is a territorial law and about the affairs 0i this territory there is no geascn to feel any concern.
 The Roman consul sent into q far distant dependency of the Roman empire to rule a lot of har3arians could not feel less sympathy foi the people locally than havo some of the officials that are sent as satraps to rule Alaska. The consu's were responsible to the people anu the senate and the emperor of Rome and not to the people whom they were called to administer. Com plaints did not matter
 It is especially unfortunate that such view should obtain in much of Alaska ofIiciGldOm. Because mainly the comparison is not cor rect. The people of Al2ska have still the means of enforcing their will and it has been directly given them by Congress.
 The urgent need is for territorial officials who will be responsible to the people and elected by them and who will now have not non-divid- ed responsibility with all of l. owing Washington, but all of il owing tho people of the Territory. When such a condition prevails the will of the people, as embodied in laws, labor or otherwise, will re- ceive as much if not more attention that unimportant fractions of the Code which are only partially en- forced at best.
 Then the authorities will have something more in the way of in- , terest in the discharge of their du- ties towards the people of the ter ritory than perfunctory perform ance thereof and the careful hus- banding of non decreased salary
 The government certainly sets but little return for the expenses of it's administration. Costly in the extreme and jobs for sinecurists. the funds vested therein could we'll be put to better use But that is so lengthy a subject and so important in itself that it would be in vain to attempt to enter upon it in the space at our disposal It will be- sides keep for another time.
 The main thing is just now the failure to enforce the eight hour law