The Alaska daily empire., 1917-04-07

| for the maintenance or the tlty Halt
 and $2,iOO for the Public Library, alsc
 for the Indigent account. s1.500. Un-
 less there is retrenchment in some of these items there will remain only | $21 900 with which 10 pay the bills for light. water office supplies. printing and the extension of streets, sidewalks
 sewer installments and incidentals. | Must Retrench
 | It will therefore be necessary to make
 radical retrenchment. and to practice
 the strictest economy in every detail.
 Every expenditure should be given the
 same care and attention that prudent
 men give to their personal and family 1 expenses when they are in strengthened circumstances.
 i Retrenchment can be made in the po- I lice department without lessening the l effectiveness of the force There is no
 need of policemen standing guard or pa l trolling the streets in pairs and squads. 1 Every citizen is amenable to police au- thority and may be clothed with full power to act in the suppression of crime l by the order of any peace officer. It seems to me there are more policemen 1 than necessary Public order should be maintained crime should be suppressed, and undesirables driven away, but dis | tinction should be made between crim- i inals and honest miners, prospectors and fishermen who drink too much. Such men. during their helpless con- dition, should receive police protection
 and care rather than man handling. the confscation of their money under the guise of fines. and their banshment from the town. These men who are so strong and sturdy in the mountains, on the water and underground, have not the resistant power when in town
 that is displayed by those who thrive upon their earnings. The city is more | l upon this class than upon any other. Sojourners in Juneau should be made welcome, whoever they are, and a con- stant effort should be made to induce their coming rather than to drive them away.
 Return the Fishing Fleet In this connection no effort should be spared to induce return of the fish ing fleet These craft should be exempt
 from municipal taxes, because no boat will be registered from Juneau when it can register at other ports so exempt The operation of the class of fishing vessels that visit our port anticipate for this season the greatest volume of business yet known in the industry. The construction of the float should be rushed. the needs of the fleet carefully
 studied. and the Council should at all times combine with the fishermen to advance their interests and promote their welfare. The fishing industry contributed at least a quarter Of mill lion dollars annually to the commerce of Juneau q few years ago. It should amount to twice that figure now. Water System Purchase Some time during the term of this Council the matter of the purchase of the water works may be brought be- fore it with a view of submitting to the people the question of municipal own ! ership, upon which there is a radical di- versity of opinion. Not only every
 counc cilman. but every elector should
 study all phases of this question: to the end that it be intelligenty acted upon in the Council and at the polls. Foster Fire Department The Council should continue as in the past to foster the Fire Department. and ! maintain it in the highest degree of eff | ficiency. for only through it's efforts | and equipment can the much desired reduction in fire insurance rates be ob tained. And in this connection the Fire Chief should be encouraged to
 make reports and recommendations as | often as needfui.
 The members of the Council. indiv- idually and collectively, should impress
 upon the Legislature now in session
 how crying is the present need for aid
 for the municipal schools from the Ter 1 IllOI1dl titdSuiy. ASSiSlduCt IiOiii tillS
 source will greatly simplify our diff
 cult undertakings
 Street Lighting
 A careful investigation of the ques-
 ton of street lighting should be made | It would seem that the burning of 1 lights twenty-four hours a day. both
 during the winter and summer. must be
 either loss to the city or the Light
 Company. or to both. More lights will
 be demanded in the newer additions and
 on the water front
 | The Alaska Juneau tailings, which.
 for the taking, belong to the city. should
 be conducted to and deposited beneath
 the pnaked streets to the end that in | time a solid and permanent street bed
 may replace the present expensive plank
 ew makeshifts.
 For a Better Library
 | As soon the building of the new
 school house is completed thereby af-
 fording room for the installment of the
 books of the Library in the City Hall. | an effort should be made to increase
 the usefulness of the Public Library.
 and make it a live factor in the pro-
 gress of the city. l would suggest | that it be placed within the province | of one of the committees of the coun- | cil of board of trustees, to the
 end that all, near as possible.
 all of the public documents published | by the Federal and State governments 1 of the United States and the Dominion
 and Provincial governments of Canada, l bearing upon the subject of mining and fishing be collected. The influence of
 the Library should be made to reach
 the mining and numbering camps, and
 the fishing stations and fleets An | unused Library is a useless expense,
 and a drag upon any town. but Lii | brary that is fairly complete. up-to- date
 and zealousy conducted and used will
 be of great value as an adjunct to the | schools. the mining and fishing indus
 tries and the progress of the city and | surrounding country.
 | A careful review of the City ordi- nances should be made. Some of them are useless. oppressive and obsolete, and should be repealed.
 As trustees of the city we are fac | ing a term that may try our utmost zeal and patience, and demand from us many patriotic personal sacrifices Our country is at war. We all Americans. While Alaska has, in the past. often looked to Washington for aid. now the government may look to us. When called for. if it should be. that aid must not be found wanting To the utmost of our power. prepared | by foresight and economy. in munich | pal and private life, we must be ready