The Cordova daily times., 1917-01-06
1 LEGISLATURE |S TOO LIMITED
 IN CONTROL

In his annual report to the secretary
 of the interior, Governor J. F. A Strong discusses the Alaska legisla
 ture, Alaska Pioneers Home and sev
 eral other interesting subjects. h | commenting on the territorial legis
 lature, Governor Strong says the Alas, | ka legislature was created by an act Of congress approved August IA. 1912
 and the first session was held in March, 1913. The legislature meets biennially and the next session will convene on the first Monday in March, | 1917. The legislature is vested with limited power. In fact, the limita- lions are such as to make it's legisla- l tive powers paTtake more of shadow than of substance. While congress extended to the legislature the author. l ity to alter, amend. modify and re- peal laws in force in Alaska" such l authority naturally does not extend | to the customs, internal revenue, the I t' ''''Niy NA7pcoAtioii ol liC bbtl, DDSLdl ], or other general laws of the United States; but such purely local or terri | torial matters as the game and fish, and laws relating to fur bearing ami malls of the United States, applicable l to Alaska or ts the laws of the Uni ted States providing for taxes on busi- l ness and trade, or to the establish ment and maintenance of schools. are under the exclusive control of con gress Further, the territory Is pro- hibited from creating any bonded in debtedness, and so are the muniCipali- ties; the territory may not levy for territorial purposes tax in excess of one per cent in any one year, upon the assessed valuation of the property therein. Municipalities are limited to two per cent per annum. The above are some of the limitations that should be removed and the powers Of the legislature extended so as to provide Alaska with the full form Of territor- ial government" which was granted to every territory by congress. Alaska excepted. In his message to congress. in December. 1913. President Wilson recommended that the full form of l territorial government be so extend. ed, but no affirmative action in this respect has been taken, although bills with that object in view have been in troduced in congress.
 An enlargement of the powers ot the legislature should be welcomed by congress. If the Alaska legislature were permitted to legislate upon all matters bearing an intimate relation to the territory, and therefore. not general. cOngres would be relieved of legislation covering matters purely Of local concern. It is to be presumed therefore, that the legislation thus enacted would be better adapted to the | immediate needs of the territory. If | Alaska Is to receive the full measure of progress and growth to which it Is fairly entitled by reason of its com manding preeminence in the matter of great natural resources, a liberal extension of local self government is | imperative. AS at present constituted congress and the territorial legislature
 can not cooperate in a satisfactory
 manner, and conflict at times will be Inevitable. It is not asked that con Egress waive it's right to control those ksubjects of legislation that are na ktiOnal and not local in their scope land arguments should not be neces Esary in support of the territory's right Ito control all its local affairs. If the Hun form of territorial government
 were accorded to Alaska no doubt the Legislature would make mistakes; this lis to be expected of any legislative nbody but the mistakes would be those hof the direct representatives of the Hpeople of Alaska, and those mistakes swould be remedied in time.
 
 This statement is made in the full
 belief that the people of Alaska may
 be fully trusted with the government
 If themselves. It is hoped and ex
 pected that Alaska will one day be
 come a state. or perhaps several
 states may be carved out of the terri
 tory as at present constituted. But in
 my opinion the time for statehood has
 not arrived, and until such time as
 Alaska is ready to assume privileges
 and responsibilities of statehood, there ., 5eems to me to be no valid reason why
 the fullest possible measure of local
 autonomy should not be granted to the
 people who are developing a great
 country under conditions that are far
 from satisfactory and sometimes well
 nigh intOlerable. Added to the wan;
 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. Bureau
 crack is as insistent as 1t Is pernl