Valdez daily prospector., 1917-01-20
CANvAssING BOARD
 WILL MEET SOON


 JUNEAU: The Territorial Can-' wasting Board will meet shortly after the return of J. F. Pugh to Juneau next week and the date for the can vass of the returns from the Novem- Der election. In an opinion handed to Governor J. F. A. Strong by George B. Grigsby. Territorial attorney general, the latter held that the board should begin canvassing the returns within ten days after January 18th, which date is the roth day following the election.
 The opinion follows:
 December 19, 1916.
 Hon. J. F. A. Strong, Governo., Ju-
 neau, Alaska.
 Sir: Confirming the views express ed by me in our recent conversation, respecting the proper time for the meeting of the Territorial canvassinS board, for the purpose of canNassins the returns of the recent election for Delegate to Congress and members of the Territorial Legislature, l beg leave to submit the following:
 The Act of Congress of May q, 1906, providing for the election of Delegate to Congress from Alasko. fixes the date of election on the sec ond Tuesday in August. The Act further provides that the canvassing board of the Territory of Alaska shall commence canvassing returns within ten days after the third Tuesday in October in each year in which the election is held.
 By the Act of Congress of August "A, 1912, being the Organic Act for the Territory of Alaska, the date of election for Delegate to Congress was changed to the first Tuesday af- ter the first Monday in November In this Act, Congress omitted to fix definite date for the meeting of the lcanvassing board, but did provide that all of the provisions of the Act of May 2, 1906, respecting the con duct of the election, should continue to be Tn full force and effect.
 It is manifest from the above F. O. vision that Congress intended that the same length of time should inter- vene between the date of election and Gate of meeting of the canvassing board, as was provided in the former Act Computing this period with reference to the former Act, we find that the third Tuesday in October falls on the seventieth day after the second Tuesday in August, except when the latter happens to fall on the 18th or 14th of August, iu which event the third Tuesday in October falls on the 18th or 18th day of Octo- Der, or on the sixty-third day after the date of election; hence We may fairly conclude that it was the inten- Ition of Congress that the date of meeting of the canvassing board should be within ten days after the seventieth day following the date of |election, it being manifestly :mpossi- ble for the canvassing board to meet in October to canvass returns of an !o lection held in November.
 The recent election having been held on the 7th of November, the can ,assing board should commence the performance of it's duties within 10 days after the 16th day of January, next, the latter date being the seven tieth day after the date of election. Respectfully,
 GEORGE B. GRIGSBY." Governor Strong stated today that 1.-two members of the board aye at present in the city, but MT. Pugh, the third member $ still absent. He is expecting to return on one of the boats due nex. week and the first meeting of the board will be held im-
 nediately after his arrival. Az that time the board will definitely fix the date the meeting.
 Many returns from the other ul- visions are still missing. It IS i,n- possible to absolutely check to ascer- tain those missing as in many cases there is no mark on the outside of the envelope to tell where the returns that are inclosed are from. In some cases they can be recognized Dy the postmark, but in many of the '.terior camps many are mailed from inc same postoffice and several precincts will bear the same postOffice mark.
 The returns from the First ana Fourth Divisions are practically com plete, but several precincts from the Second and Third Divisions have fail ed to arrive.-Empire.