The Wrangell sentinel., 1945-10-19
THROUGH THE SENTINEL PERISCOPE

The mysterious petition, conceiv- ed by nine members of the Territor- ial Senate to try and get Gov Gruening removed finally found it's way back to the national capital one copy going to the President and one to the Democratic Nation al Committee. It was signed by Senators Allen Shattuck, Norman R. Walker and Joe Green of the First division, O. D. Cochran, Tol- bert Scott and Frank Whdley of the Second, Grenold Collins and Ed Coffey of the Third and Leo Rogge of the Fourth. The letter of transmittal to the President was signed by Senator Shattuck and carried a statement that the peti- tion itself would be handed in by Nick Bez., Alaska salmon packer and a friend of the Presidents.
 From wholly reliable sources there are two reported reactions to the senatorial project. The nation al committee viewed the two page petition as 'One of those things" of which it gets dozens of examples from over the nation from political favor seekers and the President was altogether uninterested.
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 There's reported to be a growing demand for a special session of The Territorial Legislature to pro- vide funds for taking advantage of hospital and other facilities avail able from the military now with the conclusion of the war and which was first politically request ed by the Board of Health of the Territory Strongest sentiments for the extraordinary session appears to come form the Second and Third Divisions. Newspapers in the Third have been carrying stories from lawmakers and others indicating a favorable response to the health | boards request and from the Sec ond comes a report that the maj ority of the members of the Legis- lature from that Division feel that a special session should be called. Many requests have been forwarded to the Governors office from var ious groups and individuals | throughout the Territory urging | that a special call for the Legis- | lators be made.
 * * * * After reading the printed Re port of Legislative Committee of | Juneau Chamber of Commerce on H. R. 3898, a Bill to Provide for Admission of Alaska as the 18th | State" it is easier to understand | why Congressman Jed Johnson House Appropriations sub-commit- | tee, which was up here last sum- mer, decided Alaska wasn't ready | for statehood. In keeping with its traditional stand against statehood 1 the Juneau Chamber in it's report | adopted by that body unanimously | October 4, proceeds to tear H. R. | 3898, or the Bartlett bill for get ting admitted into the Union, to | pieces. This is the sort of thing, of course, the Johnson committee heard lots of on it's visit last sum- mer. There's been sizzling criticism of the published Johnson commit !, tee report by the very interests l the Juneau Chamber represents l but 1t seems ill-founded from such i sources. After all, the Juneau Chambers report on the Bartlett statehood bill and the conclusion reached by the Johnson committee that Alaska wasn't ready for state hood assay out to exactly the same answer-against statehood.
 Actually the Bartlett bill is request for an enabling act, pat termed after the one former Dele gate Dimond introduced two years ago. It would enable the Territory to have constitutional convention, draw up a program for statehood and submit it to the voters for ratification or rejection. If the voters turned it down, statehood would be out; if it was ratified the machinery would be in motion for actual statehood. It's the procedure that has been followed through the years for enabling Territories to become states. At the present time it is before Chairman Hugh Peter sons House Committee on Territor- ies. It's likely no action will be taken on it before next October when Alaskans will vote for or a. gainst the statehood issue as a re-
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