The Wrangell sentinel. (Wrangell, Alaska) 1909-current, 1939-03-31
REINDEER VITAL RESOURCE
TO ESKIMOs. SAYS DIIOE1
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Continued From Page One)
more than 50 per head should be
paid for the deer As finally enact
ed in 1897. minor amendments were
made in the legislation. including
removal of the So per head price
limitation. but in general it follow
ed the text and purpose of the orig
inal bill he sponsored.
In 1888 when an appropriation for
the purchase was under consideration
of the House Committee on Appro-
priations, the Committee rejected it
on the ground that additional inves-
tigation should be made to deter
mine the economic desirability of
making the purchase.
A special committee, the members
of which were appointed jointly by
the chairman of the house commit
tee ON Appropriation and the chair
man of the Senate Committee on
Appropriations, was officially desig-
mated and went to Alaska to make
the necessary study of the matter
The special joint committee unani-
mously reported in favor of the pur-
chase of the deer and equipment for
the natives.
When the House Committee an
Appropriation reported the Interior
Department appropriation bill to the
House on March S, it contained The
item providing $820,0O0 for pur-
chase of reindeer and necessary
equipment. and S25O.000 for new
construction and maintenance OF
buildings, corrals, fences and other
facilities. Provision was in the bill
that not exceeding 81 per head shall
be paid for reindeer purchased from
nonnative owners. "
When the reindeer item was
reached in the bill by the House on
March Is, objection was raised
against it on the point of order"
that it contained legislation. Al
though Legislation" is often con-
tanned in appropriation bills which
are enacted. House rules make the
appropriation item subject to can
collation. if objection is made on
that point Probably through mad
Yertence, twelve words of authori-
cation as to the method by which
tn Secretary of the Interior could
make the purchase were fncorpor-
ated in the item by the Committee
when writing the bill and the re-
sulting phrase was sufficient to be
defined as legislation The entire
item was stricken from the bill on
this account when the point of or
der was raised
On March Ii when the bill was
open for amendments, Representa-
tive Johnson of Oklahoma, offered
the Terminus the twelve words
of Iegislation"-f insertion as
an amendment. Debate that followed
ON the proposed amendment was
spirited. Both sides emphasized the
desire for Government economy as
the motivating factor in defense of
the stands taken.
Representative Colmer of Mississ-
lppi opposing the item said, "This
is purely a Santa Claus proposition"
And referring to the proposed pur-
chase as being for the purpose of
buying an Improbable enterprise
from white owners, he continued,
"They came down here to Washing
ton to get the government to pull
their chestnuts out of the fire..
Supporting the amendment Rep
resentatiye Schrugham of Nevada,
cracked back, THE object of the APP
preparation is not, as has been claim
ed in some quarters, to take care of
somebody who failed IN business. 3"
= = 1.-THE point at issue is wheth-
er or not the Government is morally
obligated to do something to pre-
serve these reindeer for the benefit
of the Eskimo population. They are
the source of livelihood for a COIL
siderable part of the native people
of Alaska"
He argued that besides being an
econoily 10 MAKE the natives sell
supporting, the purchase was neces-
sary to protect the considerable in
yestment the Government already
has in the reindeer.
Representative Hobbs of Alabama,
opponent of the measure, put m
self on record as opposing airy in
itial expense. at this time for the
natives to acquire deer.
Admitting that "The Eskimos are