SAYS REAPPORTIONMENT
NEEDED FOR ALASKA
(By Forest J. Hunt in Alaska
Fishing News)
Our attention is called to the late
political interest and action of Igloo
No. 16, Pioneers of Alaska, in reso
luting against action of the U. S.
Congress U> permit citizens of Alas
ka to vote their approval or disap
proval of changing our legislature
fr *m a dual to a single body.
The pertinent question to me is
WHY, or by what right does the
Pioneer Igloo, or any other body of
citizens of the Territory try to pre
vent voters from expressing approval
or disapproval of any proposed change
of government?
One of our greatest statesmen em
phasized the fact that this is “A gov- •
ernment of the people, by the people
and for the people"! Now, how are
we to have a government of the
people if they are denied an expres
sion? I noticed that among the rea
sons assigned were that the reappor
tionment of representation in the
Legislature would arouse' ill-feeling
and prejudice throughout the Terr.
t ry. To this I will" state that there
is nothing more needed for fairness,
under our present system than a new
a pporiionment.
When this Territory was granted a
Territorial government, the appor
tionment was made on the basis of
\ j pulation then distributed and the
four divisions were nearly as equal as
cou’d be made, but while the more
northern port:on of A'aska has lost
population with the working out of
the mines, the coastal and southerly
portion has increased until the First
T i is:on is casting about half the en
tire vote of the Territorv—almost
'.fro—while the Second Division with
zbout POO votes has the same power
as we have in the legislature. Thus
far our delegates have not had the
courage to undertake to correct this
injustice.
The pr’ncipai arrument against a
single house legislature seems to be
the necessity of the second body to
check against the other, which I
think a fanciful objection. The fact
is that legislation is delayed unneces
sarily by the present system. With
our present system we have three
houses besides the governor to take
an active part in framing our laws.
When the legislature convenes, the
Senate and lower House each, is duly
organlzed and the members sworn in
as representatives of the people: in.
addition to this the member; of the
Third house begin to assemble. This
consists of representatives of special
interests, who come pledged and paid
by their masters, to serve them faith
fully. regardless of the public wel
fare.
This Third House consists of wily
lawyers usually with a free hand to
resort to every available method to
kill or nullify all legislation detri
mental to their interests and their
tricks are many and without scruple.
We will here outline the course of
an important bill which is first intro
duced in either house. Upon the in
troduction the title is read and it is
referred to a com mi tee. The lobbyist
interested in defeating it at once gets
in touch with the chairman of the
committee and undertakes to get very
friendly with him and his associates,
inviting them to lunch, with many
drinks and any additional favors to
gain his end. If the lobbyist fails iii
the House where the measure is in
troduced, he follows it to the next
House, never tiring in his efforts to
hill or cripple the bill to an extent
to make it ineffective. Lobbyist?
study the legislative members and
soon learn whom to work and how.
There should be a law against lob
bying in- person. Ail remonstrances
or desired changes in bills before the
legislature should be submitted in
writing, for study by the m rmbers
before the final vote. This wou'd ob
viate much trickery and tend toward
better legislation. Now as to the
change to a single house. I have long
admired Senator George Norris of
Nebraska, for his honesty and sin
cerity. I think that every reform of
fered by him was carefully and hon
estly studied before presentation, and
I. just a short time ago, read a tri
bute to him and to Nebraska’s first
one-house legislature where n it was
stated that thousands of dollars were
saved and legislation was speeded up
to a satisfactory degree. I can see
that much committee work would be
eliminated, which adds to cost and
cpens the way for the lobbyist,
which would thereby be made more,
difficult. .
Almost always an important bill
introduced from one house to the
other, is amended in one or more
ways, after which it is returned to
where it originated for further ac
tion, here if hot accepted or amended,
a conference committee is appointed,
which will meet with a like commit
tee from the other House. If the/ do
not agree (which is usually the case)
a report is made and another com
mittee on free conference, with power
to amend, is appointed which delays
action. After action at this commit-;
tee the hill must be voted, upon by.
both houses, meaning, perhaps, the
final reje.tion of the measure, after
all this ju piling.
Any bill passed by the legislature
must be approved by the Governor
and I think the one-house legislature
is a eomirg reform. I do not think
it is necessary to hive bills go to a
second house for days or weeks oi
delay, and further time for trickery
and Juggling after having been tlior
onghly examined and debated. I
think it better and safer, and cer
tainly more speedy and less expen
sive to lave them transjr'tted dir-zt
to the Governor for final action..
As to the apprehension of creating
discord and sectional animosity by re*
adjustment of representation in the
legislature, this is absolutely essential
to some degree of fairness, whether
any other change is made or not.
Of one thing 1 am thoroughly con
-ir>i eJ. viz., that the voters of Alaski
have the inalienable right to express
their choice on all such matters. No
citizen or body of clt iens has a right
to deny them this privilege.
The €4 iy Newspaper and Job
Printing establish! ort in the Ktuko
wim area. Subscribe NOW.
STATEMENT OF THE OWNER
SHIP, MANAGEMENT. CIRCU
LATION. ETC.. REQUIRED BY.
THE ACT OF CONGRESS OF
AUGUST 24. 1912.
Of The Kusko Times, published week
ly at, Taktna, Alaska, for November!
5, 1937. )
Territory of Ala=ka,
Fourth Judicial Division.
Befrre me. a Notary Pub ic In and
for the Territory and Division afore
personally ar pea red T. R. Me—
Roberts, who, having been duly sworn
according to law, deposes and says
that he is the co-publisher, edit'T and
business manager end co-own:-: of
The Kusko Times, ard hat the fol
■ lowing is, to the best of h:s kno’vl
r*dge and belief, a true statement of
the ownership, r nr.agement (and if
a daily paper, the circulation), of the
aforesaid publication for the date
shown in the above caption, r quire 1
by tie Act of Au~ st 24, 1912. em
bodied in section 411, Postal L ws
and Regulations, printed on the re
verse of this form, to wit:
1. That the rarr.es and the addres- :
=es of the publisher, editor, manag
ing editor, and business manager
; are:
Publishers, T. R. Me Roberts ard
Alaska E. Egan, editor, T. R. McRob
erts, managing editor, Alaska E. j
1 Egan, business manager, T. R. Mc-i
■ Roberts, both of Tak tna, Alaska.
2. That the owner is: (If owned
i by a corporation, its name and ad
! dress must fce stated and also imme
diately thereunder the names and ad
dresses of stockholders- owning or
bolding one per cent or more of to- ’
•otal amount of sto k. If not owned'
by a corporation, the names and ad
re ?se= of the individual owners must
be given. If owned by a firm com-,;
pany. or other unin-orporated con-j
cem, its name and address, a? well as
tho=e of each' individual member,
must be given.) T. R. McRoberts and'
Alaska E. Egan, both of Takotna,
Alaska
3. That the known bondholders,
mortgagees, and 'the -security hold
ers ow-'nrr or holding’ 1 per cent or
more of total amount, of bonds, mor‘- j
gages, or other securities are: (If'
there are none, so stpte.) Nona.
4. That the two paragraphs next
above, giving the names of the own
ers. stockholders, and security ho’d
ers. if ary. eontrin not only the list
of stockholders, if any, contain not
only the list of stoefcho'de>-s and se
curity holders as they appear upon
the books of the company but also, in
cases where the stoc'-tolder or se
eurity holder appears ‘‘’a the books
of the company as trustee or in anv^
other fiduciary relation, the name of
the person or corporation for whom
such trustee is acting, is sven; also
that the said two paragraphs corta n
statements embracing affiant’s full
knowledge and belief as to the cir-;
cumstarees and conditions under!
which the stockholders and securtiy
holders who do not appear upon the*
books of the company as trustees,,
hold stock and securities in a capac'-,
ty other than that of a bona fide
-tmer: r.nd his fffiant has no reason!
to believe that any ether person, as
sociation, or cornorstmn has any :n
rerest direct or indirect in the said
stock, bonds, or o+her securities than
as so stated by him.
5. That the average number of!
each ;s=ue of this publication sold or
distributed, through the mails or
otherwise, to paid subscribers during
the six months preceding the date
shown above is . . . (This informa
tion is required from daily publi-a
lions only.)
T. R. McROBERTS.
Co-publisher, editor and business
manager.
Sworn-to and subscribed before me
this 5th day of November, 1937.
(Seal) FRANK J. GUSKEY
iffy commission expires October 7,
The only Newspaper and Job
Printing establishment in the Kesko
PwiM area. Sobocribe NOW.
NOTICE OF HEARING FINAL AC
COl'NT AND REPORT AND PE
TITION FCR DISCH ARGE
In the Probate Court for the Terri
trvy of Alaska. Fourth Division,
Mt. McKinley Precinct
In the Matter of the Estate of F. C.
H. Spencer. Deceased.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that
J. J. Chisholm, the administrator of
the estate of F. C. H. Spencer, de
ceased, has this day filed in this!
Court and matter his Final Account.
Report and Petition for Discharge,
and that the Court has designated
Saturday, the 27th day of Novem
ber. 1937, at the hour of 2 o’clock in
the afternoon of said day as the time
and office of the U. S. Commissioner
and Ex-Officio Probate Judge for the
Mt. McKinley Precinct, Fourth Divi
sion, Territory of Alaska, as the
place, when and where said report,
account and petition will be heard;
and all persons interested in said es
tate are hereby required to file their
objections to the said report rf any
they have, in writing, on or before
said day in the Court, and to appear
—————11 mm , i
DuRand’s Cafe
Good Clean Food.
Everybody Welcome.
FLAT. ALASKA
■
at the time and place aforesaid and
preern: their objecions.
Dated at McGrath, Alaska this1
25th day of September, 1937.
W. J. WIDMAN
Probate Jud^re;
Date of First Publication, October 15, i
1937.
Date or la>t Publication, November
5, 1937.
-- !T±.L.\mSL.lM_
Frank J. Guskey
NOTARY PUBLIC •
Takotr.a, Alaska.
C. M. WINANS
(Successor To A. W. Berry)
MEDFRA, ALASKA
GEAR'LL fcOSHJWDISE - RAW FURS
We Carry A Good Stock of
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Mrs. Charlie O’Halloran - Prop.
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