The Alaska daily empire., 1923-04-06
THE ALDRICH BILL AGAIN.


 The attempt of Senator Aldrich to commit former Governor Riggs and The Empire to his bill which would deprive the Governor of practically all the executive authority that he has, insofar Territorial matters concerned is absurd is the profession that his bill is a theme rule measure
 Governor Riggs, recognizing a sentiment among members of the Legislature to strip the Gov Of the Territory of authority and to create offices and provide for their selection in a manner that would divide responsibility submitted in letter Representative 0. D. Cochran, measure that would meet the seeming desire to emasculate the Governors office and do il in scientific manner and fix definite responsibility far that would be possible under the Organic Act MT. Cochran had proposed legislation that woud make the Territorial Treasurer Mining Inspector and Commissioner of Education elective well the Attorney-General end members of the Territorial Road Commission. He had introduced bill for the election of Terri whom proposed to give good deal of the authority that is now vested in the Governor and good deal of tho work that is required of the Ter ritorial Secretary's office. The Legislature had pro posed many devices for the selection of commissions etc, even going so far to have of them ccted by the Legislature. Governor Riggs had op posed all this legislation because it created horde Of officials who not responsible to any definite head bound to cooperate with each other. His iea vas that it be better for the Territory select single person and give him power to ap- point all the subordinates and to make him respon- slbe for the government
  was printed in The Empire May 12, 1921, The Elm piIe on May IA 1921, sad
 If the people of Alaska really desire to
 deprive the Governor of the powers that the
 Organic Act conferred upon himf when it
 designated him tho Chief Executive of
 the Territory it should be done in the
 suggested by Governor Riggs in his open letter to Representative O. D. Cochran.
 Governor Riggs proposition has the merit
 of undivided responsibility as far that is
 possible under the Organic Act.
 
 While The Empire believes it would be
 better to legslate in accordance with the
 intent of the Organic Act and continue the
 Governor the Chief Executive officer of
 the Territory, if the people desire to make
 the separation of Territorial and Federal
 matters complete possible it would be
 better to do it along the lines suggested by
 Governor Riggs than by making the various
 subordinate boards and technical and min
 isterial officers elective by direct vote, and
 thus make each division of the executive
 branch of the government independent of
 each of the other divisions.
 The Empire believes today it believed two years and Governor Riggs believed that the Territory should proceed the Organic Act intends that it proceed, and all the ether Territories pro ceeded during than century American his tory The Organic Act makes the Governor the Chief Executive. The Empire believes he should be the Chief Executive in fact well name believes that all the subordinate officers should be responsible to him just he is responsible to the Federal Government and the Territorial Legislature for the execution of the laws. Behind that is more than a century of American experience and there is no apparent reason for confusion making change now.
 Further than that Senator Aldrchs bill does not ctand for responsible executive government ornor Riggs suggestion did It would divide author ity. IL would make the Territorial Treasurer and AttorneyGeneral elective by the people and there fore, not responsible the Chief Executive their acts. And then would put these officials, who are net responsible to the Chief Executive on a Board of Control with him. That would division of responsibility something that has been the bane of State and Territorial government in the United States and something that enlightened thought is trying to escape New York State is about to escape it. The latest advices that this is of Gov ornor Smiths proposals that will with the ap- proval of the Republican House of Representatives of that State.
 There should be concentration authority in Alaska rather than a diffusion The office of At torney General should be filled by appointment, and the appointee responsible to the Governor should have been that way from the beginning.
 If single person be made responsible for all the executive branch of the National with its 110,000,00O people three nd a half million square miles person should be burned with similar responsibilities in the Territorial Government of Alaska Senator A1drich calls his a home rule bill. It is such thing. There is connection | between home rule and the personnel of the public