The Alaska daily empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1912-1926, 1923-12-12
ORGANIC ACT SUGGESTED WILL Be
APPROVED With few CHANGES, is
INDICATED BY OTHER DELEGATES

The proposed Organic Act for the
Territory of South Alaska, prepared
by the committee of the convention
which convened at Juneau December
Is and which is now in recess, has
been submitted to the delegates who
have returned to their homes and
by most of them to the respective
City Councils. Wrangell suggested
a minor amendment relative to the
payment of United States Commits
siOners salaries instead of fees, and
Ketchikan will suggest a few changes.
all Of minor Importance, according to
a telegram received by r. n. Rob
ertson. chairman of the convention
and of the committee which prepared
the Organic Act, from J. c. Barber
one of the Ketchikan delegates. When
all suggestions are In thers will
probably be another meeting of the
delegates who are in Juneau.
The proposed Organic Act estab-
fishes the Territory of South Alaska
to comprise all that part Of the
present Territory of Alaska lying
east of the 141st degree of longitude
west of the Greenwich meridian
it established the Juneau Land dis
trict and the South Alaska Customs
District, the boundaries OF all of
which are made co-extensive with
the boundaries of South Alaska. The
capital of the Territory, the land
office and headquarters OF the Gus
toms District are located at Juneau
The Territory of South Alaska Is
to have Delegate to Congress. A
Territorial organization similar to
that which the Territory OF Alaska
now has is provided. A separate
set of officers is provided for South
Alaska. The court system is re-
tanned as 1t is now in the First
Division except that the Judge, Clerk.
District Attorney and Marshal shall
be for the Territory of South AL.
aska instead of for the First Ju-
dicial Division OF the Territory as
now. Their duties shall be the same
as now and the court headquarters
are fixed at Juneau. The Circuit
Court OF Appeals lis made the court
of appeals for the Territory.
INC Legislature
A Territorial Legislature is crea,a,,
to be apportioned among Legislative
districts and based on population.
The Legislative districts, which may
be changed by the Territorial Leg
islature, shall be identical with the
present seven Recording Precincts
of Hyder, Ketchikan. Petersburg,
Wrangell, Juneau. Sitka and Skag
way Each of these districts shall
have one Senator for each $500
white inhabitants or fraction thereof
and one Representative for each 1900
or fraction thereof, but each district
shall have at least one Senator and
one Representative. It Is provided
that under no circumstances shall
there be more than thirteen Senators
and twenty-one Representatives.
The 1920 census Of white popula-
zion is fixed as the basis Of appor-
tionment for the first legislature
and thereafter. in non-census years,
the votes cast at the last preceding
election shall be used as the basis.
It provides that half OF the Sena-
tors chasen at the first election shall
serve for two years and the other
half for four years. the selection to
be made by lot. and thereafter all
Senators shall be chosen for four
year terms except where one Is
elerted to fill a vacancy.
The Legislative sessions are to
begin the second Monday in January
and are limited to sixty days unless
called into extra session for not to
exceed fifteen days.
The proposed Act defines the
CONTINUED ON Page Fiye.l