* SOME REASONS WHY
' Hon. GEORGE B. GRIGSBY
SHOULD BE RE-ELECTED
TO CONGRESS
BIOGRAPHY
George' B. Grigsby rs a native of
South Dakota, where he was born in
1874. He was admitted to the bar at
the age of 21, and is a veteran of the
Planish American War, during which
he served as a First Lieutenant in the
Third United States Volunteer Caval
ry known as Grigsby’s Rough Riders.
After the war he worked as a hard
rock miner in the mines at Joplin, Mo.,
Cripple Creek, Col., and in the vicinity
of Butte until 1902, when he went to
Nome. He has been a resident of
Alaska since that time. From 1902
until 1908 he was Assistant United
States District Attorney at Nome and
from 1908 until 1910 he was United
States District Attorney for the Second
Judicial Division with headquarters at
that place. He was elected City Attor
ney of Nome in 1911 and Mayor of that
city in 1914. He was elected Attorney
■•General of Alaska at the general elec
tion in 1916 by an overwhelming plu
rality.
At a special election held Juue 3,
1919, he was elected Delegate to Con
gress from Alaska to fill the vacancy
caused by the death of the late Del
egate Charles A. Sulzer. He has made
an enviable record in all the official
positions held by him.
Mr. Grigsby is married and has four
children, Melvin, George B. Jr., Eliza
beth and Jane, all born in Nome,
Alaska.
Mr. Grigsby is a very able lawyer,
alert and capable. He is a forcqful
and agreeable public speaker, is a
good mixer, makes friends readily and
holds them. He is a man of the high
est integrity, and is a very hard and
fc.quick worker. He is endowed by na
ture and training for the work that
a Representative in Congress from
Alaska is called upon to perform.
RECORD AS ATTORNEY
GENERAL
, Won Every Suit Tried for Ter
ritory in All Courts, Includ
ing United States Supreme ,
Court, and Collected $500,000
Delinquent Taxes.
When Mr. Grigsby was sworn in as
Attorney-General of Alaska he was
^ confronted with a delinquent tax list
of $500,000 which was owing to the
Territory. He compelled the payment
of these taxes, establishing in the Su
preme Court of the United States the
* right of the Territory to their collec
tion. He personally argued three test
cases for the Territory in that court,
in all of which he won decisions, j
When he resigned the office of Attor
ney-General in 1919 to become Dele
gate in Congress from Alaska there
was less than $10,000 of delinquent
taxes djie the Territory, most of which
was uncollectable or in dispute pend
ing the termination of litigation.
In the course of his two-and-a-half
years of the incumbency of the office
of Attorney-General, Mr. Grigsby tried
cases for the Territory in the District
Courts and the United States Circuit
Court of Appeals and won every suit
so tried.
* In addition to writing opinions for
various Territorial officers and Boards
and advising them as to legal matters
1 in connection with their duties and
preparing forms for them, including
all the forms now in use in connec
tion with the Primary and General
Election, he rendered valuable assist
ance to the Legislature during the ses
sions of 1917 and 1919. He gave
many legal opinions and drafted many
bills. A very large proportion of the
laws enacted by the Legislature in
1917 and 1919 were written by Mr.
Grigsby.
RECORD IN CONGRESS
With Special Qualifications to
Represent Alaska, Mr. Grigs
by Has Accomplished More
in One Year Than Any Other
Delegate in a Whole Term.
V
> *-—■
Mr. Grigsby went to the National
capital as Alaska’s Representative in
/
Congress especially well qualified to
perform the duties required of him
there. His experience as a pioneer,
and as a long resident of Alaska, his
training as Federal, Municipal and
Territorial official, his ability as a
lawyer, his adaptability in his relations
among men, fitted him particularly to
represent the people of Alaska and to
cope with the situation at Washing
ton.
Upon his arrival at Washington as
Alaska’s Delegate to Congress, Mr.
Grigsby was confronted with a contest
Eor his seat by Judge James Wick
sham, who contended that he and not
Mr. Sulzer had been elected in 1918.
Mr. Grigsby and the platform on which
he ran challenged Judge Wickersliaw
to enter the contest at the special elec
tion and permit the people of Alaska
to decide as to which of them they
desired to represent them in Congress.
Judge Wickersham, fearing the re
sult of such a contest, declined to ac
cept the challenge. Notwithstanding
that Mr. Grigsby is a Democrat and
was elected on the Democratic ticket
while the House of Representatives
and the Elections Committee which
aeard the contest contained Repub
lican majorities, Mr. Grigsby has re
tained his seat in Congress, and it is
generally understood that he will
serve out his term there.
SECURES MUCH
LEGISLATION
In addition to having to conduct the
c&itest for his seat, Mr. Grigsby, as
Delegate to Congress, has been able
to secure more legislation for Alaska
in the single year Of his incumbency
than any other Alaska Delegate before
him had been able to secure in a whole
term.
The bills which Mr. Grigsby intro
duced and which were passed by both
houses of Congress and signed by the
President include the following:
(1) The Wrangell Bonding Bill, pro
viding for the issuance of bonds to
secure money for the construction and
mainetnance of schools, a water power
system and a city dock.
(2) The Ketchikan Bonding Bill,
to provide funds for the construction
of a school house.
(3) The Petersburg Bonding Bill,
to provide funds for the construction
of school houses ^and power plant.
(This bill authorized the issuance of
bonds in the amount of $75,000. After
the bill was passed the authorities of
Petersburg ascertained that the sum
provided would not be sufficient to
accomplish the purposes desired, so,
late in the session, Mr. Grigsby se
cured the passage of the second bond
ing bill.)
(4) The second Petersburg Bonding
q e f] occviTrorl in tin a nronDilino
paragraph.
(5) The 80-Rod-Strip-Bill, eliminat
ing the 80-rod strips between home
steads on navigable waters, and the
160-rod limitation of water frontage
for a single homestead. (This bill was
twice previously introduced; once by
Senator Key Pittman and once by Del
egate Charles A. Sulzer. Mr. Grigsby
secured the passage of this bill
through the Senate only after he had
gone on the floor of the Senate and
personally polled the Senators of the
Committee on Territories, and secured
the signatures in that way of the mem
bers of the committee to a report urg
ing the passage of the measure.)
In addition to this concrete record
of achievement, Mr. Grigsby devoted
a great deal of time and ability to
other matters and other bills which
affected Alaska. Among his great ac
tivities in this line, the following are
worthy of mention:
ALASKA RAILROAD
APPROPRIATION
Shortly after Mr. Grigsby took his
seat in Congress a bill was introduced
to increase the amount of the author
ization for the completion of the
Alaska Railroad by an additional $17,
000,000, to be available as required.
The bill was introduced by Represent
»
ative Charles F. Curry, Chairman of
the House Committee on Territories.
The bill was offered to Mr. Grigsby
for introduction, but he recommended
that Mr. Curry introduce it because
of the attacks on the railroad manage- j
ment by Judge Wickersham and John
E. Ballaine. Mr. Grigsby made the;
principal speech in support of the j
measure in the House, explaining the '
cause for the delay in construction—
which was largely due to the delay
in appropriations. Since Mr. Grigs
by’s speech was made on the subject
the appropriations have been made as
required, and there has been no delay
in construction.
ALASKA PROVISION IN
BILL RETURNING RAIL
ROADS TO OWNERS
When the bill providing for the re
turn of the railroads of the country
to the owners was before the House
an amendment was introduced at the
instigation of W. L. Clark, represent
ing Alaska steamship lines at Wash
ington, which would make it unlawful
for any United States carrier to partic
ipate in the transportation of passen
gers or freight from any place in the
United States, through a foreign coun
try, to another place in the United
States, at a less rate than might be
fixed by the Interstate Commerce Com
mission for an all-American route.!
Mr. Grigsby made the only speech in
the House of Representatives in oppo-;
sition to the amendment and suc
ceeded in defeating it. The amend
ment would have deprived Alaskans;
of the benefits of Canadian water and 1
rail competition.
MERCHANT MARINE BILL
Mr. Grigsby secured two amend
ments to the Merchant Marine Bill;
one continuing the-Yukon service, and
one striking out the joker in the bill
which limited the power of the Ship
ping Board to place government boats 1
on runs to Alaska to only such points
as had adequate railroad terminals.
(This was the joker inserted in the1
bill by W. L. Clark.) Grigsby ap-!
peared before the Conference Commit
tee and secured these two - amend
ments,
ROAD APPROPRIATIONS
j
When the House Committee cut I
down the estimate of the Road Com
mission from $425,000 to $150,000, Mr.
Grigsby induced the Adjutant General
to wire for Gen. W. P. Richardson,
then stationed at Atlanta, Georgia. He
— I
took Gen. Richardson to the Senate
Committee on Military Affairs and
after exhaustive hearings the Senate
Committee raised the appropriation to
the original amount of $425,000. The
Conference Committee finally allowed
$350,000, which was an increase of
$200,000. It was this increase which
prevented the Road Commission’s pro
gram in the North from being a failure
this summer.
WIRELESS STATIONS
i
Mr. Grigsby induced the War De
partment to purchase private wireless
stations at Brooks, Iditarod and Mc
Grath, which were about to be shut
dowm, because making no money for
the private owmers, although profit
able to the Government as feeders to
its telegraph lines which got most of
the tolls in the division of the receipts.
This purchase was twice turned down
by the War Department on the alleged
ground cf no military necessity, but
after weeks of effort Mr. Grigsby suc
ceeded in removing this objection, and
the stations were purchased and are
being operated.
OIL LEASING BILL
The first regulations promulgated
for Alaska under the Oil Leasing Bill
passed by the last Congress, were pro
hibitive of development by reason of
the large royalties charged. .By bring
ing influence to bear upon the Secre
tary of the Interior, Mr. Grigsby twice
succeeded in reducing the royalty
charges, and got a. final adjustment
whereby no royalty whatever is
charged for the first five years, and
after that a very liberally graded roy
alty according to production.
TRANSPORTATION BILL
Mr. Grigsby introduced in the
House of Representatives the trans
portation bill prepared by the Alaska
Territorial Shipping Board which led
to the renewed interest of the Fed
eral Government in Alaska transpor
tation matters and resulted in the ap
pointment of the Interdepartmental
Commission, which has been investi
gating Alaskan matters, and the first
visit of Secretary of the Interior
John BaBrton Payne to Alaska. All
the indications are that great good
will come to Alaska from this com
mission and the visit of the Cabinet
officer.
PUBLIC BUILDINGS
Mr. Grigsby introduced bills for
additional appropriations for a pub
lic building at Juneau, courthouse,
jail and post office at-, Cordova, and
also for a public building at Fair
banks. The Public Buildings Com
mittee, however, reported against
the construction of any new build
ings anywhere in the United States,
and not a single appropriation of
this kind was passed by Congress.
Mr. Grigsby then introduced a bill
to make the funds theretofore ap
propriated for the Cordova court
house, jail and post office available
for a court house and jail, dispens
ing with the, post office, and secured
a favorable cofnmittee report on the
same. The bill is assured of pas
sage next session. The Supervising
Architect is now, or was recently,
at work on the plans for the con
struction of the Juneau public
building so that the same may be
built by units, on the expectation
that the Grigsby bill for an addi
tional appropriation of $650,000
will pass the next session.
RIVERS AND HARBORS
Mr. Grigsby introduced a bill pro
viding $2,500,000 for the dredging
of Dry Straits, and $50,000 for a
breakwater at Wrangell for the pro
tection of the small vessels. The
Rivers and Harbors Committees,
however also reported against a
harbor improvement project either
in Alaska or elsewhere in the United
States. But when the bill appropri
ating $18,000,000 for the maintenance
of projects already under construc
tion and for surveys for newr projects
came up, Mr. Grigsby secured two
items in this bill, one for the survey
of Wrangell Narrows, for the purpose
of determining the relative advantage
of widening and deepening Wrangell
Narrows or dredging Dry Straits,
which recently was surveyed, and
the other for the survey of the
breakwater at Wrangell. He also pro
cured from this rivers and harbors
money enough to repair and complete
the Nome Harbor improvement pro
ject. The Delegate was materially as
sisted in this work by the Nome
Chamber of Commerce of Nome, which
was represented by George B. Scho
field.
I
FISHERIES
Mr. Grigsby introduced a bill for
the Territortial control of the fisheries
in lieu of the Alexander bill, which
had been introduced a short time pre
viously. The Merchant Marine and
Fisheries Committee decided to hold
no hearing on either bill until the next
session, as hearings would involve im
mense labor and the Committee was
busy with the Merchant Marine bill.
He also introduced a bill for the
abolition of commercial fishing on
the Yukon, at the request of the
population along the Yukon and Tan
ana rivers, and as a result of the hear
ings on that bill the Committee rec
ommended immediate investigation by
the Bureau of Fisheries. This inves
tigation is now being conducted. The
fate of the bill will depend largely
upon their report.
It might be added right here that
while Mr. Grigsby favors Territorial
control over the fisheries and be
lieves he will succeed in securing it,
if he should fail, it will be his pur
pose to introduce and urge the pas
sage of the very best fisheries bill
that it will be possible to obtain,
providing for closed seasons, the pre
vention of stream fishing, limiting the
length of leads to traps, increasing
the distance from the mouths of
streams at which fishing may he car
ried on by traps or otherwise, in
creasing the distance between traps
and increasing penalties for illegal
fishing. Mr. Grigsby says he does not i
represent either the cannerymen or
independent fishermen, and will op
pose any bill that is not absolutely fair
to eactn He declares the interests
of the Territory and the preservation
of the fisheries of paramount interest.
ASSESSMENT WORK
Mr. Grigsby prevented tl\e sus
pension of annual labor on mining
claims in Alaska for the year 1920,
after - consulting every mining com
munity in Alaska, and ascertaining
that a large majority was against
further suspension. He made an ex
haustive statement on this measure
before the committee, taking the pos
ition that instead of benefiting the
Territory, development would be re
tarded by the further suspension of
assessment work. Mr. Grigsby con
sulted all organized commercial and
labor bodies before acting on this
measure. Both working men and busi
ness men were opposed to further
suspension.
SITKA BILL
Mr. Grigsby introduced a bill for
vacating five acres of the naval re
serve at Sitka, for the purpose of
donating the same to the town of
Sitka as a site for the construction
of a municipal hospital. This bill is
assured of passage next session.
SKAGWAY bill
He introduced a bill appropriating
$100,000 for the purpose of construc
ting a dike on the Skagway river to
prevent the water of said river from
overflowing the town of Skagway. For
the reasons stated as to river and har
bor improvements, hearings on this
bill could not be had during the past
session.
SURVEYOR GENERAL
Defeated the abolition of the office
of Surveyor General in Alaska by a
vigorous speech on floor of the House.
DEVELOPMENT BOARD
Mr. Grigsby has actively support
ed the Alaska Development Board
bill, designed to consolidate all Fed
eral activities concerning the adminis
tration of the natural resources of
Alaska and place them in the hands of
one resident board instead of having
them distributed, as now, among doz
ens of bureaus, boards, commissions
and other agencies. The great pur
pose is to make the administrator’
of Alaska's resources responsive to
the needs of the Territory and to do
away with the confusion and delays
of red tape processes now obtaining.
This bill was introduced by Chairman
Curry of the House Committee on
Territories at the request of Mr.
Grigsby, who, as in the case with the
railroad appropriation bill, decided
that it might facilitate its passage to
have Mr. Curry be sponsor for it.
The dozens of bureaus having charge
of Federal activities in Alaska have
been called upon by Chairman Curry
for full reports of their activities for
the purpose of the hearings which will
be held immediately upon the opening
of the next session. Mr. Grigsby has
had several conferences with Mr.
Curry with respect to securing the
speedy passage of this bill. He se
cured a plank m the Democratic plat
form endorsing this bill, so that the
Democratic party and the Republican
chairman of the Territories Committee
are pledged to same. It will undoubt
edly pass and will result in unlocking
the resources of Alaska. Mr. Grigsby
is already preparing himself to lead
the fight in support of this measure
on the floor of the House.
--
SOLDIERS AND SAILORS
- ✓
Mr. Grigsby expedited the dis
charge from the service of many
soldiers and sailors enlisted from
Alaska; and also attended to the
forwarding of allottments and allow
ances to wives and dependents where
by reason of the congestion in the de
partments delays were frequent.
MISCELLANEOUS
Mr. Grigsby has devoted a great
deal of time to efforts to secure im
proved mail service for Alaska and
to prevent further demobilization.
He has opposed the reduction of al
lowances for clerk hire in many post
offices, the reduction of the Gastineau
Channel mail service, secured a rec
ommendation for a twice a week ser
vice to Hyder, and aided in many
ways in that branch of the Govern
ment service.
He has found time to attend to
every one of the innumerable calls
made upon him by constitutents who
needed help at Washington, and has
gone before practically all the De
partments, Bureaus, Commissions, and
other governmental agencies at the
National capital in that work.
SECURED PLANKS FOR
ALASKA IN DEMOCRATIC
NATIONAL PLATFORM
After Congress adjourned Delegate
Grigsby went to the Democratic Na
tional Conventioj at San Francisco,
where he, at his own request, was
placed on the platform committee, in
order that he might pledged the Dem
ocratic Party to further Alaskan leg
islation. There he succeeded in se
curing the insertion of seven Alaskan
planks, which were adopted just as
Mr. Grigsby had written them. These
Alaska planks are as follows:
“We commend the Democratic Ad
ministration for ihe inauguration of
a new policy as to Alaska; as evi
denced by the construction of the
Alaskan railroad and opening of the
coal and oil fields of Alaska.
“We declare for modification of
the existing coal land leasing law to
promote development, without dis
turbing features intended to prevent
monopoly.
“We declare for such changes in the
policy of forestry control as will per
mit immediate initiation of a great
pulp paper industry.
“We declare for relieving the Ter
ritory from the evils of long distance
government by arbitrary and inter
locking bureaucratic regulations, and
to that end we urge the speedy pas
sage of a law, containing the essential
features of tl^e Lane-Curry bill now
pending, cor-ordinating and consoli
dating all Feeral control of natural
resources under one department, to
be administered by a non-partisan
board permanently resident in the
Territory.
“We declare for the fullest meas
ure of Territorial self-government
with a view to ultimate statehood,
with jurisdiction over all matters
not of purely Federal nature, includ
ing fisheries and game preserves, and
for the intelligent administration of
Federal control. We believe all of
ficials appointed should be qualified
by previous bona fide residence in
the Territory.
“We declare for a comprehensive
system of road construction with in
creased appropriations and full exten
sion of the Federal Road Aid Act to
Alaska.
“We declare for extension to Alas
ka of the Federal Farm Loan Act."
It will be noted that these planks
commit the Democratic Party of the
Nation to the Territorial control of the
fisheries of Alaska, which Mr. Grigs
by believes will be attained.
CONCLUSION
Mr. Grigsby has made this remark
able record in congress notwithstand
ing that he has had a contest for his
seat on hand. He was served with
notice of the contest immediately
after he arrived in Washington. To
meet the contest he had to secure
testimony covering the facts of the
1918 election, to prepare an exhaus
tive answer to Wickersham’s allega
tions, to make a trip to Alaska and
examine witnesses, to write a several
hundred page brief, and prepare for
an argument before the committee
TV >1A V' A *- vv<*iv**»v»vv.* * v ' • w —
each side. That Mr. Grigsby has done
this work successfully is the convic
tion of all those who followed the
case.
The people are urgently requested
to take Alaska into account when
considering the question of -whom
they will support to represent theqi
in congress. The welfare of thd
Territory and not partisan, factional
or sectional politics, should control
the electors in making their choice.
Personal friendships, likes and dis
likes, grouches and animosities should
all give way at this time when there
is so much to be done for the land
j in which we live. It is submitted
that Mr. Grigsby has proved by his
works that he is the man above all
|others who should represent Alaska
in Congress during the next two
years. He has not only earned a re
election on his record, but he has
'got matters started that the good of
all demand that he should finish. He
has the confidence of both parties in
the Senate and House of Representa
tives at Washington, and he has
friends among those of all parties
which will enable him to accomplish
more for Alaska than it would be pos
sible for any other aspirant for the
office to secure. He has proved that
it is not necessary for an honest, able,
hard working, faithful and under
standing Delegate in Congress to be
a member of the majority party to
get results at Washington.
« — (Advt.)