The Cordova daily times., 1920-10-14

cratic states. The law making school attendance compulsory has been adopted by twenty-siX Republican states but by only eight Democratic states. The law prohibiting the em- ployment of children at night has been adopted by twenty-seven Re- v publican states but by only fifteen Democratic states. And so down the line
 Tn order to protect childhood in tha ultra Democratic states the fed eriS government stepped in and to the extent of it's power prohibited child labor throughout the nation. When that law passed the house only two Republicans voted against it, while forty-four Democrats voted against it.
 The next great measure that is distinctly the expression of the spirit of the times is the nineteenth amendment to the constitution-the amendment which gives women the right to vote in every state. When that amendment was first proposed to a Democratic congress some years ago it was voted down.
 As soon as the present Republican congress convened the amendment was again proposed and promptly adopted, 91 per cent of the Republl- cans voting for it and only 59 per cent of the Democrats supported it.
 This amendment has been ratified by the necessary thirt-six states. Of these twenty-seven are Republicans. six are Democratic and three are mixed. Seven Democratic states have rejected the amendment. while no Republican state has done so.
 This is fair test of the progress sive spirit with which each party is permeated.
 "The present congress, which is Re publican congress since 1919-has en- acted a vast amount of progressive legislation but we have time to con- slider only those which concern Alas ka directly
 During the latter part of the RoOse welt administration some of the most valuable land in Alaska was with drawn from private appropriation. This was avowedly done because our landlaws had become anticipated and and inadequate to protect the public and serve the development of the country. The measure was intended to be temporary, and to serve until new and modern legislation could be had, Roosevelt failed in the short time at his disposal to secure such legislation. By the time Taft took office the undertaking was at it's height and public sentiment on Alas ka had become so inflamed that it was impossible to enact a sane and sensible law. In the middle of the Taft administration in 1910 Democratic senate and a Democratic house were elected That ended all progressive measures. Our prayers for relief were in vain But no sooner had a Republican congress taken it's seat in 1919 than things commenced to move. That congress has only served half of it's time, but it has given us a law throwing the oil lands open to exploration, and inside of an other year scores of drills will be pounding away along this coast Ex- perience may develop weaknesses in tEis law, but they can be cured.
 'The water powers have been re- leased and as result the first pulp will be shipped from Alaska before the end of the year
 "A general coal land law was passed for the country. Alaska was excluded From the benefits of that measure for the reason that congress thought our coal land law was all right, and we had no one in Washington to tell them anything to the contrary. But congress was ready and willing to treat us right. It is up to us to send representative who can tell them our traubles.
 "A law repeating the eighty-rod re. serve was also passed But this lew is seriously defective and in many instances is not the fault of congress, but of our representative there who | proposed the measure without any adequate understanding of our land laws. xsMany of these reserves have been settled on bona fide settlers who | have expended large sums of money in permanent improvements with the ing the war law was passed giving |