The Alaska daily empire., 1921-10-06
ACTION ON NEW
 BILL DEFERRED
 BY ASSOCIATION
Resolution Opposing Passage Referred to Special Com-
 mittee for Report.

Following considera ble discussion by the Juneau Commercial Associa ton of the Alaska bill introduced in Congress by Senator Harry s. New several weeks ago., resolution in troduced by H. l.. Faulkner opposing the enactment of the measure into law was referred to a special commit tee of three members with instruc lar meeting on October 20. The com mittee was appointed by President Allen Shattuck following the meeting md is composed of R. F. Robertson chairman; Henry Roden and M. s Whittier
 MT Faulkner as chairman of the Legislative Committee opened the discussion of the measure He Promised his remarks by crediting Secretary Fall and the administration generally with genuinely desiring tc 10 something constructive for Al aska Criticism of the Secretary for the New bill is not called for at this time" he declared. "I believe that he desires to see a more liberal pol icy instituted" he added. He be lieved that the Secretary would ap preciate an expression of opinion by Alaskans on the measure under dis cussion and asserted that he was of he opinion that the Secretary would be against it when all the facts were presented ta him.
 Bone Advocates Measure ~.
 Governor Scott C. Bone urged that the association take no precipitate the associatiO intake no precipitate stand against the bill, which he char,
 cterzed as step in the simplifica- ion of Federal governing activities n Alaska As Governor. he said, he s standing for centralization of bu- eau authority in Alaska instead of in Washington. He is convinced, he declared. that the administration is determined to get behind Alaska in big business way, otherwise he would not have accepted the Cover. norship.
 Analyses the Measure
 MT Faulkner, before beginning his discussion read a copy of the meas ure which provides for the transfer of the Alaska Road Commission, the Forest Service in Alaska, control of natives on the Pribiloff Islands and Federal Power Commission in the Territory to the Department of In. 'erior. It also gives the Secretary of the Interior authority to establish a government steamship line to coast ports of the Government Railroad al 'otment of vessels being discretion ny with the President.
 q think Governor Bone is not in favor of the esta ablshment of a gov ,rnment shipping line in the Terri 'ory and also Secretary Fall" de- Jared MT. Faulkner. He declared hat the passage of the bill, however, would prevent private companies rom being able to improve their service as these companies would never know what the future con- tained He argued that while Secre- tary Fall might not want government steamer service established he might be succeeded by someone who did i, that naturally there is no perman lncy about the Secretary's office and no one could tell what another Sec retary might do.
 Would Lead to Confusion
 Most of his argument was devoted to a protest against the proposal to transfer. the Forest Service in the Territory to the Department of In teriOr. He declared that such a change would embarrass the Alaska Gastineau Company in it's paper mil project for Thane Both MT. Thane and MT. Jackling, he asserted. were opposed to the proposal to make the satisfied with the negotiations con ducted with the Forestry Bureau Int bureau is large one and has facili ties such as laboratories and expert. to handle technical questions arising n the establishment of new in uuStTy Sucu as that OI the mdnuIaC ture of paper in Alaska. The estab lishment of separate district ir Alaska, he said. had clothed the bu reau officials in the Territory witt authority to handle questions whicf i heretofore had been of necessity re ferred to Portland and Washington He argued that such conditions would not exist under the Department o Interior which has neither the ia cilities nor experts possessed by tn Department of Agriculture. Tn change. he declared. would not il any way simplify matters, but lead t confusion. 4r
 Must Be Improvement
 i Gov. Bone, in supporting tn measure, declared that there mus be a change in the present syster of Federal administration in th Territory. An newspaper conducte |