The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1950-05-02
ALASKA STATEHOOD
Is The Territory Prepared for Statehood!
nv deal
BY BOB DeARMOND

mechanical arts, two normal schools,
school of mines, military insti-
tute, an insane asylum and peni-
Tertiary in addition to the terri
torial school system.
Nor was the sister territory OF Ari-
iona tagging in preparation for
statehood. She also built a univer-
sity, two normal schools, a capitol
building, territorial prison, an
asylum for the insane, and nearly
400 county schools. The 18th terri
torial legislature authorized a con-
stitutional convention in 1889 and a
constitution was framed. placed be-
fore the people and ratified by popu-
ar vote.
County government was orga-
nized, lands were surveyed, ap-
praised and taxed. Governor after
governor urged that land surveys
be increased, pointing out that it
had been found impractical to assess
and tax unsurveyed lands. At least
two of the territorial governors in
advocating immediate statehood also
advocated that all public lands
within the territory be granted to
the new state.
Alaska to Suffer
Alaska, with her inadequate pub
lie school facilities, her single
starved-to-death institute of higher
learning and without even a start
on the other institutions that will
be necessary when she becomes a
state, can only suffer by comparison
with these two earlier territories
and with other territories that have
since become states. 1t is scarcely
any wonder that Congressman and
Senators, familiar with the terri
torial histories of their own states,
have looked at our underdone po-
litical and economic development,
shaken their heads and voted mo"
on the Alaska statehood bills.
The fact is that Alaska has taken
only the first few steps along the
road that other territories followed
in earning admittance to the Union.
The people of Alaska, and especially
the political leaders. have done next
to nothing toward preparing for
statehood except to talk about it,
We are doing worse than putting
the cart before the horse; we are
asking for the horse without even
having built the cart.
Statehood - Propaganda
There is not at the present time
any reliable information on what
kind of statehood ,tec people OF
Alaska desire, or wffcs ney Believe
it should come. The referendum OF
October 8, 1916, gave no information
on these points and was useless ex-
cept for propaganda purposes.
In that refendum a total OF 6,822
Alaskans said they did not favor
statehood for Alaska. A total OF
$3.50 Alaskans said that they did
favor statehood for Alaska. The
latter group did not and could not
signify whether it wanted statehood
now or later and how it should be
served. Only handful of Alaskans
have appeared before the various
committees of Congress to tell what
kind of statehood Alaskans want
and the few who did testify were
often in disagreement.
The first necessary step in real
down-to-bedrock preparation for
statehood is another referendum to
determine what sort of statehood
the people want. Here are a few OF
the questions that should be an
swered by the people:
Is Alaska ready for statehood
now?
Should the territory be subdivided,
as almost every other territory was
subdivided, and admitted as two or
more states?
How much of an additional tax
burden are the people willing to
assume to pay the costs OF state
government-25 percent? SO per-
cent? IS percent? 100 percent?
How much Of Alaska's public
lands should be granted to the new
state-l0 percent? IS percent? SO
percent? rs percent? 100 percent?
More Questions
Should the new state take over
the National Forests, the Pribilof
Islands sealing industry and other
reserved resources?
Should the state constitution give