| Show Report of the Governor of Alaska WASHINGTON Oct 5Lyman E Knapp governor of Alaska in his annual report to I the secretary of the interior devoted considerable con-siderable space to the seal islands mid seal I ndustry The most serious difficulty in L the matter says tho governor is the i legitimate slaughter of female and young in I the open sea There is no doubt a most valuable industry and fruitful source of r national income are in danger More than a hundred marauding vessels were hoverIng hover-Ing in Behring sea during the season and large numbers of skins were taken The steamer Danube made a special trip to the northern Pacific during the latter part of June reaching Victoria on her return July 0 i last having on board nearly eighteen thousand seal skins received from some hirtytive sealing vessels which it met apparently by appointment Those de ivering their cargoes to tho Danube were all British vessels Wlre Tho governor estimates tho illegitimate ly taken seals during a small part of last season at from 50000 to 00000 Value of products of Alaska exported during the1 year 3942000 The report gives an account of the pro grass made in education al work as carried on by the government He suggests the management of the schools should bo as far as practicable local and that they should be nonpartisan and nonsectarian He favors the appointment of a territorial board of pUblcin tructon by the secretary of the interior and under conduct of the commissioner of education to havo full au thority as to government schools and the expenditure ot public moneys The governor comments upon the need of additional legislation and states m the last seven years Congress has given the territory no new laws except the townsite and land acts I is important now he thinks that tho methods of drawing juries be modified and also other regulations relative to juries and other details of government gov-ernment administration He considers the territorial form of government impracticable impracti-cable as to revenue He however makes no specific recommendations on the sub jtct The townaite law passed by the last Congress he thinks should bo supplemented supple-mented with legislation providing for municipal corporations He thinks congress con-gress should appoint a special committee to look after Alaskan legislation and Alaskan interests and that the legal and political status of the native population should ba defined by legislative enactment |
