The Daily Alaska empire., 1938-05-07
CONGRESSIONAL EFFORT TO AID
 ALASKA

In passing the Dmond bond bill the other day and sending it to the Senate where it is now under consideration the House of Representatives appar- ently was motivated by desire to aid Alaska imme- dately by permitting the Territory to come under the benefits of the new public works program. It was guided of course by the report of the Committee on Territories which had given specific reasons why Alaska should be allowed to incur bonded indebtedness up to two million dollars if it fit.
 A copy of the report of the Territories Commit tee has just been received and a few passages from it throws light the friendly feeling toward Alaska which is now in evidence in Congress One portion of the report reads:
 "The committee is of the opinion that the pro- posed amount of authorized indebtedness is modest and will be within the ability of the Territory to meet when due and that such authorization may be of definite benefit to the people of the Territory and will enable them at their expense to under take, possibly with Federal aid, necessary public works Alaska is still frontier country and there is pressing need of roads fields and air-naviga- ton facilities as well as other types of public works for the development of the Territory The committed has view the recent message from the President Of the United States suggesting public works program which may be at least in part carried out through loans and grants to States. Territories and munich pates. At the present time by reason of limitations cf its organic as to indebtedness and by reason of the fact that the next session of the Alaska Ter rtoral Legislature will not until January 1889 the Territory of Alaska will not be able to par tepate during the year in any Federal public works program through loans made to States and Ter ritories by the Public Works Administration other
 
 is enacted. The enactment of the bill may also be helpful in enabling the Territory to aid in providing work for those of it's citizens who are unemployed and needy"
 Stressing further it's reasons for early action and pointing cut how the majority of the last Legislature had favored a similar known at HR. 2520 last year, the House committee on Territories made this point:
 The only substantial difference between H.R. 2520 and the bill under consideration that HR 2520 provided that indebtedness should be incurred unless the amount thereof had been authorized by the Alaska Legislature as well as by the board of finance. The Alaska Territorial Legislature convened for it's biennial session January H. 1887 and during that the Territorial House of Reresentatives consisting of 16 members in all approved by a vote of F to memorial recommending the passage of H-R. 2520. similar memorial was defeated in the Senate, which consists of eight members by a vote of four in favor of the memorial and three against it one member who favored the memorial being ab- sent account of illness. Since the organic of Alaska requires that a bill must be approved by majority of all of the members of both houses before it may become a law, the memorial mentioned failed of passage in the senate the vote indicated al- though four members voted in favor of the memorial and only three against it Later five members of the Senate. clear majority signed statement approving H R. 2520 Accordingly it is evident that substantial majority of the members the Legislature of Alaska really favored the enactment of similar legislation by Congress"
 The point raised by Charles West Acting Secretary of the Interior addressing the committee that he Of the opinion legislative approval should be necessary before bonds were issued: In a letter to Chairman Lex Green of the committee he said:
 Because the bonds are payable from receipts cf the Territory it believed that in this instance the power to issue bonds is almost equivalent to the power to appropriate Territorial funds and to levy taxes Therefore it appears advisable to require prior approval by the Territorial legislature of the sum which the board of finance may issue in any fiscal period would recommend that section be rewritten follows:
 No bonded indebtedness shall be incurred by the Territory of Alaska by act resolution. and also authorized by the Legislature of Alaska by act or resolution and also authorized or approved by major fly of Territorial Board of Finance. hereby esab- shed and created and to consist ex officio of the following officials of the Territory: The Governor the treasurer the auditor, the secretary the com missioner education the attorney general the high way engineer and the president of the University of Alaska Said board. a majority thereof is hereby authorized and empowered with the proceeds of the sale of the bonds herein authorized to undertake and