The Alaska daily empire., 1923-05-04
FAVOR SELF-GOVERNMENT

The recent annual convention or lhe floheels s eka held at Nenana took strong ground Ill Ia full Territorial form of government Tor A1d resolutions on that subject, which were wrll F. C. Austin of Ketchkan, J. M. Cunningham J.H. Rcmig and unanimously adopted cove e range, and were as follows:
 Whereas: Ii is of common knowledge that one or more committees of both the Sendte and House of Representatives are planning 10 visit Alaska for the purpose of gaining frf.-hand information from the people Of Alaska 10 aid them in the consideration Of such legislation as Alaska needs to solve her problems; and
 Whereas: Tine Grand 1gloo, Pioneers of Alaska are in annual convention assembled at Nenana, Alaska this 29th day of March, 1923, we deem it right and proper and in fact the duty of this Grand lgloo, Pioneers of Alaska to render such assistance as lies within it's power by presenting to the FIX ocutive and Legislative branches of our Gov ernment, either by resolution or memorial euch knowledge and facts as seem to them germain to the question, and
 Whereas: The Grand Igloo, Pioneers of Alaska, are a representative body of citizens of Alaska, representing thirty subordinate Ielcos scattered throughout Alaska, from Portland Canal on the international bound ary line to Wiseman in the Arctic, com prising membership of between five and six
  aska prior to the year 1901 Cor else they would not be eligible to membership under our laws) and who are the people who are very largely responsible through their heroic and untiring efforts fer the change from q wilderness to present stage of progress and development; who have endured the hardrhips, blazed the trails faced the blz- zards, the snow and ice and all the rigors Of this northern cline of the interior of Alaska, ever self-reliant, ever hopeful of bet ter things tc come, ever confident of build ing for themselves and their descendants home, and for the nation and succeeding generations a great commonwealth. It is membership drawn originally from nearly every state in the Union-American citizen ship at Its best, men and women who are producing more per capita from the natural resources of Alaska even though handicapped as they have been by lack of transporta- tion and other disadvantages usual in open ing up wild and untamed country-as wit ness the fact that the people of Alaska have shipped 10 the States in the last four years products of the value of more than $313,- 0OO,000 II means export equal to S5,- TOO for each resident of the Territory male and female, young and old, white and native. II means $10,000 per capita for each white person and $30,000 for every vote cast in the Territory. This record challenges the world for an equal production by equal number of people. And is further evidence of Alaska's future greatness and the character and bound courage and resourccfulness of the present inhabitants of this Territory.
 Now, with such a showing as this what is that matter with Alaska? What is the complaint of Alaskans? Why has she for several years decreased in population? Why gre her many industries languishing? Why are people discontented and discouraged? The answer is simple. No people who have been born and have grown up under Demo- cratia or representative form of government can ever be satisfied or happy no matter what the1r environment unless they granted the same rights and powers that all ether American citizens have enjoyed
 Alaska is the first American territory organized 1iinder the jurisdiction of the united States of America in which these nights and privileges have been abridged by the Organic Act.
 In Alaska We lack the powers of self government that has been granted to every political subdivision or territory carved out of that vast domain from the Mississippi west to the Pacific Coast. The powers grant ed to our legislative branch of govern ment have beon abridged to the extent that it is almost a joke. But the other hand the powers of the bureaucratic authority and control have been extended a thousand fold Many cf them interlocking and conflicting to such an extent that even they themselves hardly know wherethey are at CT what they are doing. If q citizen files on homestead that alone seems evidence enough he must be trying 10 steal something from the Govern ment and every obstacle is thrown in his way by special agents and others to prevent nm rem acquiring title thereto. instead of encenraGemcnt and assistance as was for fnerly the policy Of the Government in the settling of the great Wet. Here in Alaska miles of red tape must be wound and un- wound before the settler can get anywhere and in most every case it takes years after hnal proof befere he can obtain title. He must chase around and get permits from