The Wrangell sentinel., 1944-01-07

the taking of the census in the win tier of 1939-40:
 Missouri 66,586
 Illinois 56,211 Oregon 52,288 Nevada 6,857 Wyoming 62,549 l It may be pertinent to note in this connection that when admitted to statehood Idaho had a population of S6,541 and several other terri tories had fewer than 100000 in population.
 Let's Take Nevada
 May I invite your attention par ticularly to Nevada? At the census of 1860 Nevada had a population of C,857. The Territory of Neveda was admitted to statehood on October l31, 1864. No census of the Terri tory was taken at that time. We find from the records of the Census Bureau that in 1870 the population of Nevada was 42,491, so it is req sonable to suggest that on the date of admission to statehood the pop ulation of the State of Nevada was somewhere between 6.857 and 42,- 491; but no one knows the exact figure. Indeed, it is arguable that the increased population of Nevada in 1870 over 1860 is one of the di- rect and inescapable effects of the coming of statehood
 No suggestion has been made that the people of Nevada ever regret ted their choice, and it seems cer- tain that at the present time, when Nevada has a population of 110,247. according to the 1940 census, any citizen of that state who advised that the state should go back to ter ritOrial status would be considered a fit subject for inquiry as to men tai competence. I, therefore, sug- gest that the argument against statehood for Alaska, based upon in- sufficiency of population, is not de- serving of any serious consideration.
 Finances Main Obstacle
 It seems probable that the princi- pie opposition to statehood will be based upon considerations involving public finance. It may be urged that Alaska cannot obtain, without op- pressive taxation, sufficient reven- ues to support state government, It therefore becomes necessary to consider just what additional bur dens must be assumed by Alaska with the coming of statehood
 At the present time, owing to our territorial status, the Federal Gov ernment finances a considerable part of our governmental and ad- ministratiye establishment which must be financed by Alaska when it becomes a state. Federal supported agencies which the State of Alaska must take over are primarily the Judiciary, the police system (now virtually limited to U. S. Marshals and their deputies) the care of the insane, and the conservation and protection (but not the technical or research features) of fish and of fur and game There may be 8 few others but the money involved with respect to such others would be in- significant. To furnish the eduival- ent of the services thus being sup piled Us by the Federal Government at the present time would reason ably require an expenditure by the newly created state of approximate ly $2,00O,OOO per year. The addi- tional $2,O00,000 a year of revenue which I have mentioned might not give us quite such elaborate estab- lishments as some of the Federal governmental agencies which we would take over, but am convinced that the job could be done just as we'll, if not better, than it is being done at the present time. It is all most automatic that local govern ment is more economical than long range government, and we can req sOnably expect that to be the rule in Alaska as it has been elsewhere.
 Road Money
 Upon the advent of statehood, Al aska would also probably lose the money that is now appropriated yearly for the construction and maintenance of roads and trails in the Territory but this, in my judg- ment, would be more than offset by the funds to which Alaska would become eligible in statehood from appropriations now made by Con gress for all the States and for Hawaii and Puerto Rico under the provisions of the Federal Highway Act. It is true that these funds so appropriated must be matched, but