The Daily Alaska empire., 1941-07-10


 neau, and all of the members of both House and Senate of the Third Division except two reside in the City of Anchorage. In the Second Division, all members of the both houses reside in Nome, and in the Fourth Division all members of the Legislature except one reside in Fairbanks.
 Arguments in Favor
 "The self-evident simplici- ty and justice in fundamental principle of the bill are the best arguments in its favor It is scarce ly necessary to urge upon any man or woman who believes in the soundness of the essential princi- ples Of our government that repre- sentation in the Legislature should be apportioned in accordance with population I think all will con- cede that this is one of the basic principles of government in de- mocracy, the principle that the ma jority shall have the legislative and executive power, subject to consti- tuticnal restrictions, and not the minority. No one can really justify minority rule in Alaska. and yet that is precisely what we have al the present time. I can imagine circumstances where it might be considered proper to modify the rule for. the adequate protection oi an agricultural population as against an urban population, but even in such cases there is grave doubt as to whether such a modi- fication is valid in principle oi practice. In Alaska, we have nc condition to warrant any deviation from the principle that the peo- pie should be represented in the Legislature, and not mere naked land or rivers or lakes or moun- tains or wild animals such as bears and caribou. There are no large cities in Alaska. This bill attempts to put into practice in Alaska the principle to which have referred that citizens and not. bare tun- dra, or great wealth, or enormous economic power and influence should be represented in the Legis- lature.
 Self Government
 The citizens of Alaska are ardently desirous for the largest possible measure of self-govern- ment. government does not mean and has never meant govern ment by minority. To the extent that we have government by min- ority in Alaska, to that same ex- tent are we deprived of the ful measure of self-goyernment which we can rightly enjoy under terri torial status. What is being sought in this bill is a real representative government, government which represents the people of the Ter ritory. That is all that is asked for, and that is what we have g right to demand.
 Fair Proportionate
 ..... If proportionate represen- tation in the Alaska Legislature il to be had at all, I suggest that no fairer method of accomplishing that purpose can be conceived than the one embraced in this bill. Here it is sought to make the Alaska Legislature, reflect as truly as is possible. the will of the citizens oi the Territory. There is no other practicable way to accomplish pro- portionate representation in the Legislature. The use of the returns of each decennial census for real location in accordance with ,popula- tion of representation in the Ter ritorial Legislature will serve te keep the Legislature always respon. sive to the will of the people. It is obviously impossible to make any more frequent reapportionments ol to base those reapportionments or any other ground. Neither the Fed. eral Government nor the Territor, ial Government would care to take census in Alaska every two years or four or every five years. As s matter of necessity, we must rely upon the national decennial census and then follow the returns of each census for legislative representa- tion as soon as possible after the results of the census are available
 Resistance to this bill is simply and starkly resistance and opposi- tion to the principle of proportion ate representation. No disguise, nc plea for procrastination and delay can make anything else of it."
 Davis at Opening
 Capt. Davis opened his statement by saying: Mr. Chairman. my name is James V. Davis. My resi- dence is Juneau, Alaska. I am ap- bearing this morning on behalf of the Juneau, Alaska, Chamber Of Commerce, and also 1T, my own in terest as citizen of Alaska, and