The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1927-03-28

LEGISL LATINE CROSS CURRENTS

After delay of almost thrc2
weeks, the Controller Bill, the first
measure to be introduced III The
Senate this session, made its ap-
pearance in the House of Represent
atives. 1t was introduced Saturday
afternoon by Representative Paul as
House Bill No. 80.
just after it's introduction. a Sen
ate concurrent resolution was passed
by the House authorizing a joint
session for next Tuesday evening
for consideration of the measure.
81 don't object to meeting and hear
ing a discussion of the merits of the
measure but | do seriously object to
having the Legislature made to spon-
sor political outbursts." declared
Representative Sheldon, who with his
colleague, Mr.. Fisher voted against
the Senate resolution.
Recalls Recent Debates
Maybe among the audience who
listened to the speakers Wednesday
night at the Senate hearing on the
Bill, there were those who were re-
minded of the meetings in the late
eighteenth century. noted in history
and epoch making in the birth of
this nation, at which eloquent, vigor-
Gus and valiant protests were voiced
against the tyranny of King George
Third. The was so much said about
the similarity of present Alaskan
conditions to those existing just be
fore the Revolutionary War, it could
not help but be So
But to oldtime members of the
Legislature, what was said Wednes-
day night must have recalled to
them happenings much more recent
than 1765 To them the pointl2ss.
psychological analysis on hereditary
sycophants by Delegate Sutherland
mus thave recalled the wordy de-
clamation of a portly senatorial fig
ure. standing before his deck doclar-
ing in all seriousness: Them is the
principles our forefathers have fit
for since time immoral" than it
did the declaration of the fiery Pat
rick Henry, "Tarquin and Caesar
had each his Brutus; Charles the
First his Cromwell; and George the
Third may profit by theia example"
Differences Arc Noted
And well might it be that the
speeches Wednesday evening brought
no memory of the noted Vrginian'S
words. The latter had no consid2ra-
tion OF politics in view. He. at least,
had an intimate knowledge of the
Act of Parliament he was denounc-
ing, while those who spoke to the
Senate admitted they had not even
read the bill they defended
They broke lances against EN-
battlcd bureaucracy (Which, it hap
pens, in this case brings to Alaska
some $10,000.000 annually but the
title (Which one speaker said he had
read) Of the bill gives no indication
that it does anything except create
another, bureau. Said the speakers,
in effect, I'VE have surrendered to
foreigners the very things which )ur
forefathers deemed so precious that
they broke away from the mother
country, declared war. fought their
own kind and kin. and at the cost
of many lives, much suffering and
a great amount of money. establish
ed those rights as the sacred herit
age of all Americans
What 1t Proposes
What were those great principles.
the precious rights, which all Alaska
legislators, and others, including
Delegate Sutherland and Mr. Roden
surrendered weakly and supinely to
the Federal government, and which
the Controller Bill seeks to regain?
1t can be told briefly. in much less
time than Mr.. Sutherland took to
warn the Legislature against the
Establishments of Juneau's Hospitality
inclined citizens. 1t is this: Seven
Alaska Legislatures, guided largely
by reasons of economy and efficiency,
keeping weather eye out against
duplication of governmental machin-
cry and mounting costs of admins
tration, have deemed it wise and
proper to impose on Governors and
Secretaries of the Territory certain
duties necessary to carry out laws
enacted by themselves as duly elect
ed representatives of the whopo peo-
pie. Acting in the capacity of SER
wants of the public they. one after
the other, have passed such laws
as were considered necessary and
wise, within the narrow limits i'm
posed ON them by the Wickersham
Organic Act, and have called upon
the chief executive of the Territory
and the man next in line under him
to look after their administration
Well might they answer their critics
in the very words used by Patrick
Henry, when his protests were hail
ed as traitorOus-"I this BE- treason
make the most of it..
No Mention Of Governors
The colonists' indictment Of Eng
lands rule, the Declaration of In
dependence. sets up some 27 specific
counts against the misrule of George
the Third. 1t is significant, since the
assertions that the Controller Bill
is designed to correct situation
such as brought about the event.
that led up to the writing and sign
ing Of the Declaration, the appoint