The Cordova daily times., 1921-11-02
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER }, 1921
COST OF TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT

Opponents of scf-govemment i'll Alaska sometimes contend that full territorial form of government would be too costly, that Alaska has not yet enough producing resources toI support it, etc. The history of territorial gov crnmrntS in the United States does not justify the contention The fact is. generally speak ing, territorial government need not cost more than the people want 1t to cost. To ill m~tlatr the territory of Washington was or-I 9aniZcd in 1853. Tn" population enumerated by the territory in ISj5 was 3,9OO. The de- vclopcd resources of the territory were less than those of the City of Juneau. There were countries that were organized and maintained County governments in the territory for more than forty years before they had acquired 1000 in habitmts. There were counties or @anizcd and doing business that did not hHyr| 200 inhabitants until long after their organi- cation, and these counties had no or little debt and the rate of taxation was always Iow
 The writer has one county in Washington territory in mind that was organized hy the first territorial legislature Scveay years after its organization the Federal census of 1860 showed the county with a population of 149. In 1870, ten years later, the Federal cen Sus gave the county population of 31+ It had grown to 639 in 1SS0 Its assessed valu- ation in 1880 had not yet reached $2OO,OOO. Yet the county was on a cash basis most ot this time, and when the territory of Washing ton became a state in 1889, there was no out standing debt more than six months of age. The taxes in that county for county and ter ritorial purposes had never reached two per- cent, of the assessed valuation during terri tOrial days.
 Federal census returns show that Washington
 I l . . had population of II ,594 in 1860, of 23,955 in 1870, and 75,116 in 1880. In 1879 the as scssed valuation of the entire territory was $22OOO,00O The territorial revenues were produced by tax of 3 miles on the dollar and 10 per cent of the revenues from liquor licenS- "s. which average from $150 to $300 a yearI each retail deaIer-the terrtory's share being from $l5 to $30 from each of the dealers
 The conditions of Washington territory was about the same as that of all other territories. Arizona at the first census after her organi- ZatiOn had population of 5000; ArkmsasI had 1000; Illinois 12,000; Indiana 5000; Mis- eissippi 9,OO0 Missouri; 19,OOO Montana 2O.-I 00O; Michigan 4,000; Minnesota 6OOO; Nevada G,000 Dakota 4.00O Nebraska 2S0OO: UtahI 11OOO; Oregon 13,OOO; Wisconsin 3OOOO; Wi oming 5000; Idaho 14,000.
 Alaska is incomparabIv better prepared than. was Washing territory to govern herself She has more people, better transportation factiI- itcs, better mail service, the means of cou-| mmication by telegraph and cable and far greater and wider propcrity; she produces billions where Washington territory and othcr| territories produced thousands in the first year of their history
 In addition to their inferior positions Wash in@ton and other territories had to defend themselves against the hostile Indians An' Indian war thrust upon Washington ter rtory in 1855-popuation 3,9O0-and she kept territorial troops in the field for two years until the war was brought to a successful con cusion and there was real fighting and a con siderable death toll
 The Alaska Organic Act does not permit the territorial legislature to organize countiesI