The Wrangell sentinel., 1946-02-22
THROUGH THE SENTINEL PERISCOPE

Territorial Legislature. which meets in extraordinary session be- ginning March 1. will have a very busy 30 days if it acts upon even portion of the legislation which as been suggested in addition 10 the major items such as health. veterans legislation and the pro- posed highway act. Union groups are preparing to ask the law makers for legislation dealing with labor; the anti liquor people are going to demand a referendum on Territorial control of liquor. the non-medical practitioners are gO- ing to ask for legislation in their behalf and there will be many others Whether the special ses- sion will deal with such proposals remains to be seen Time and what the salons decide to do in con nection with the health program veterans and the highway act pro bably will bC the deciding factors
 The health program is quite a
 
 posed by the Board of Health. first group 10 petition for a spec ial session It means some revision of the law passed by the last reg ular session which. among other things, failed to carry penalty and savings clause It proposes meeting the tuberculosis problem hv- H-f -fy4o f-f. disqualification At the present time every hospital in Alaska is carry ing it's peak load of TB cases and no further facilities are available Outside Meanwhile. the health has a backlog of patients it does not know what to do with as there is no place to put them. Handling of mental cases. vocational rehabil- itatiOn and other matters will come up under the health pro- gram
 The pressure will be on for ade- quate veteran legislation. The vets are coming home almost daily They are finding out for one thing that they cant make loans in AL aska under the CT bill of rights. Alaska banks ask eight per cent interest The CT bill provides for four The boys who fought and won the war have many other pro hlems some of which at least. the Legislature vill be asked to help solve.
 The proposed motor vehicle act is causing considerable discussion and doubtless will at the session. Most critics are confusing the is- sue by attacking the bill which was introduced al the last session but not acted upon, assuming the legislators will take up the same measure at the March special ses- sion The chances are that the bill which will come up at the special will be nowhere near as compli- cated or lengthy as the one pro- posed at the regular session. One of its major features probably will be extension of the highway pat rol. With both the Alaska Highway from the States and the Haines Cutoff promising to be open after the first of April enlarging the patrol to handle the anticipated influx of motorists will he a No. ! pressing problem.
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 There's been an erroneous i'm pression for years in the Territory that a special session could deal only with matters outlined in the Governors call. Attorney General Rivers. who has gone into the mai ter at some length. has held that in the absence of an express pro- vision in the Organic Act to that effect. the Legislature can take up such matters as it chooses. Some states limit the functions Of their special sessions. but this is done by provision in their state consti- a tutions. Therefore. unless the Leg isl4ture decides to limit itself. al nest any gubiect can come before the lawmakers.
 The big question mark as this + written is who will be the new Secretary of Interior?" Since Har- old Ickes resigned last week the names of a score or more of pos sibles have been mentioned in the rews. Late reports seem to give the inside track to William O.
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