The Alaska daily empire., 1923-01-19
A REINSTATEMENT OF FACT.

A REINSTATEMENT OF FACT
 In an editorial referring to the suggestion fostcred by the Ketchikan Chamber of Commerce, fer di- vision of the Territory at the 141st meridian, the Cordova Times makes some amusing assertions which entirely msstate facts so widely known as to be almost common Knowledge and lays itself open to charges of either ignorance or wilful attempt to lnisead it's readers.
 Among other things the Times said
 Southeastern Alaska has always been the
 tail that wagged the dog. Dominated by in-
 terests quite totally diverse from those of
 the remainder of the Territory Southeast
 Alaska has always been infested with
 near Alaskans spending most of their time
 and money in the States and returning to
 Ketchikan and Juneau chiefly to make
 cleanup, politically, otherwise. The in-
 of the remainder of the Territory
 have not concerned it, and the continuous
 pull and haul between the two natural di-
 visions has been inimical to the welfare of
 both
 Surely person with passing knowledge of the present method of representation in the Terri torial Legislature could have made such statements. As long such monstrous system is continued rot only is it impossible for the "tail to wag the dog but the dog keep it's persistent plucking of it's tail to the great disadvantage of the latter It has been plucked continuously and with such unvary- ing success during the past decade that there is hardly wag left in it.
 Where arc the interests of Southeastern Alaska sc diverse from those of Prince William Sound the district Of which Cordova is the metropolis? In the copper mining indostry which is of the mainstays ot Ccrdoyas prosperity? Hardly, for copper mines also exist and will continue produce in South eastern Alaska for years In the fishing industry? Assuredy not, for there is hardly any kind of fish cries development present in Prince William Sound that does not have it's duplicate in Southeastern Alaska. In forestry? Again the answer must be negative, for Prince William Sound is largely the chugach National Forest and Cordoya received good many thousand dollars in Forest Road last year tat it otherwise could have obtained but for that fact What other industry has Prince William Sound of sufficient importance be called diverse from those of the Panhandle? Unless it be in oil production and refinery, it has none That business cannot as yet be said to have attained the dignity of an industry since it does pretend to do more than supply a purely local demand in a limited way II may, and The Empire sincerely hopes that it will gIow to big. major industry that will bring wealth to those who have invested their money in it and are still hard at work to achieve success: one that Will bring revenue to the Territory whetler it De constituted as is now the case divided as is suggested and approved by the Times
 Is Southeastern Alaska, the land of near Alas kans? What IS the significance of that term which is becoming popular in usage among certain Alaskan rapers? The Times apparently makes the definition eiear py saying persons spending of their time anu money Tn the States and returning to Kechikan and Juneau to make another cleanup etc Certainly thp italueHls OI the fdnnandle or Alaska within the limits of that definition This is not the sechon from which the annual Fall migrations of AiasKans tor shall say -Alaskans"9l take place nor to which the annual Spring rush is di ''c'eu ihose birds Of passage who jam the steam CTS twice each year bound from northern dis trlcts west Of the Hist meridian and return thereto Every little mining camp. fishing settlement and rail- road nag-station between Cordova and Unalaska m the south northward vast interior to north ern Seward Peninsula the Koyukuk the Cbandalar anu Eagle add their quota the droves of Algskans "ho take out during the summer months the where Wshai to keep them through the winter months on me outside Who, then are the near-A kans ana rom where do they come?
 flhally, the Times concludes it's weird argument ny saying that the interests of the remainder of tbe territory have not concerned Southeastern Alaska II "hat way has the latter failed to exhibit it's in tefest Tn the welfare of the whole Terrtoryp When Gordova wanted Federal appropriation for n cou,, mouse and jail Juneaus bsuiness men ioined in e,n porting her claims and spent their money in teecrams urging them When others were attacking tba Gov ernmcnt railroad project and appropriations for fl were hampered, again Juneau's business mon vo,, 10 the front When Seward asked for a subsidv for , steamer service in crder 10 get seryceabe vessel on the route, Juneau's business men endorsed tbe nro position and First Division members of the Iegsla helped put it through When Cordoya members os the Third Division delegation asked for s25OOO for