The Alaska daily empire., 1920-11-18

At that time the total revenues of Washington Ter ritory something like $1OO,OOO year, and the tax rate was about mills the dollar for Ter ritoria purposes and less than per cen in most of the Counties for Territorial and County purposes.
 There is no why the County Governments in full Territorial form of government could not be simpler in their character than the County governments in Washington Territory were.
 One of the great differences between a system where the people have local government as they could have under full Territorial form of govern ment and the system have in Alaska would be that far gerater percentage of the money paid would be spent in the sections that paid the taxes.
 At the present time Alaska Judicial Divisions that have less population than the town of Ketchian are getting practically much of the taxes paid for Ter rtorial purposes and through the First Division National Forests the whole of the First Division. The Empire believes it is too great load to put on the coastal sections of Alaska to compel them to carry the burden government in the whole Territory and that the larger part of the public revenues should be expended through county governments. We would have representation in the Legislature from various sections of the Territory in proportion to population
 Another great difference would be that under a full Territorial form of government we would have County Sheriffs, Recorders minor officers, etc. to the people of Alaska, rather than officials selected at Washington, to administer our local laws.
 We glad that Delegate Elect Sutherland said Ketchikan that he avors full Territorial form of government In his Anchorage speech he took diff ferent stand. We believe he will discover if he the American plan of government, that it will not be difficultto get it.
 It is nonsense to say that Congress would not give Alaska a full Territorial form of government. Congress has given that form of government to Hawaii and Porto Rico, and it given to prac- tcay all of the present States in the days before they were States. It was given them at much earlier of their development than that in which Alaska is Three years ago it practically the unanimously, though unoffically expressed opin- ion of the House Committee on Territories that Alaska ought to have full Territorial form of gov ernment. It favored by both President Taft and President Wilson, and by Gov. Clark, Gov. Strong and Gov. Riggs. Congress would not take the ques- ton up three years ago because members of the House Committee Territories said they had not time to hold hearings and work the details of full Territorial form of government bill on account of the
 The fact is the Development Board Bill and a full Territorial form of government should be considered at the time
 However, The Empire is not in favor of permit ting either proposition interfere with the other and if it shall be decided to take up the Development Board proposition first, The Empire very much hopes
 that it may be pressed successful conclusion.
 And it is nonsense to say that the election in Alaska turned the question self-government for
 the Territory. The election in Alaska the direct result of conditions which made the whole country go overwhelmingly Republican The people felt the Republican tidal coming. The feeling that the time hand for a change was in the air Then everybody who had a grouch complaint, the capi- taiist who had had his way, the radical leader who had not been permitted to capture the industries for his class, many Of the cannerymen the one hand, the trap fighters the other. those who had grievances and those who thought they had all against the Democrats. In Alaska MT. Suther- land had further advantage in the fact that there were no Socialist Labor Party ticket in the field and hundreds of Socialists voted the straight Re- publican ticket By possible combination of cir eumstances can the verdict be construed against full Territorial form of government. The people Of Alaska American and have gone on record for self-Sovernment too often to say they have turned their backs on il this time.