.oad Commission Surveyors
Arrive From Cleary City
The road commission survey party
[which left Cleary City in July, arrived
in Rampart last Wednesday night via
Gunnison, Quail and Hunter creek. The
party consists of Surveyor Brown, A1
Bartlett, Dan Courtney and Paul Zieg
ler. They were twenty days making
the trip. Henry Wagner found the out
fit, as he says, lost in the Gunnison
country and out of provisions. He fed
them and guided them over the divides
into Rampart.
The trip was made for reconnaissance
surveys for a wagon road from Chena
to Rampart. Such a road over the
route followed by this party could only
be travelled in flying machines.
Nelson Road Law Makes
Competitive Bids Obligatory
I
A Ramparter, versed in the Nelson
road law, states that it is obligatory on
the road commission to advertise for
bids for the construction of roads and
trails requiring an expenditure of $5000
or over. The law provides that when
there is reason to believe that a com
bination exists between bidders, then
shall the commission construct the road
hiring the necessary men and equip
ment.
The law provides that before any
thing can be done a complete survey in
detail must be made together with a
complete map and specifications. All
are then filed with ihe secretary of
war and bids called for as above.
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VOTE FOR THOMAS CALE
PLATFORM ADOPTED BY THE TANANA MINERS’ ASSOCIATION
We, the miners of the Tanana valley,
in convention duly assembled, realizing
the transcendent importance of the
trust committed' to our hands by the
passage of the recent act of congress,
releasing us from the tutelage imposed
upon us since the adoption of the Or
ganic Act of 1884, and investing the in
telligent and sturdy argonauts and pio
neers resident in this productive com
monwealth with the God-given heritage*
\of home rule, suggest and recommend
the adoption of the following platform
of principles to actuate and guide our
representative in congress:
Believing the mining interests of Al
I aska at this time as paramount to all
i others, we favor the election of an ex
ponent of this industry in whose intelli
gence and qualigcations the electors
j shall have implicit confidence.
1. Resolved, We favor the establish
ment of a territorial form of govern
I ment at the earliest possible date,
i 2. We favor such changes in the pre
sent mining laws as more clearly meet
the requirements and conditions at
Xpresent existing in Alaska, the most
/important of which are—
I a. By amendment of the power of
/ attorney act as it applies to the staking
of mineral ground.
b. By provision requiring a specific
amount of work to be performed on
claims before a legal record can be
obtained.
c. By the abolishment of the associ
ation claim.
d. By a more specific definition of
what constitutes a discovery of mineral
as applicable particularly to placer
mining ground.
3. We favor such legislation as shall
protect and maintain the fishing indus
try.
4. We favor the extension of the
present cable and telegraph system to
all populated districts of Alaska, and
the building of a public wagon road
from some point on the Yukon river to
the coast.
5. We favor the reduction of the
present rate of taxation on railroads.
6. We favor the establishment of
lighthouses and such other safeguards
as are necessary for the protection of
coastwise shipping.
7. We favor the further extension of
the public school system, and a just
and equitable distribution of funds pro
vided therefor.
Announcement
With this issue the editor of the
Forum retires from the newspaper
field. The plant with which this paper
is printed has been leased by us to otner
parties, and the Forum is sent to the
newspaper graveyard with the con
sciousness on our part that its mission
is performed. The editor has promis
ing mining interests that demand his
attention, and these interests will give
more satisfactory returns for labor ex
pended than will the newspaper field in
Rampart for many years to come.
The miners of this district bave ever
been loyal supporters of this paper and
to them particularly we express our ap
preciation and thanks. The editor has
made some strong friends during his
six years' service on the pioneer paper
of interior Alaska. He has also made
some enemies, but since they were
made in a good cause, he has no re
grets. The Forum found the miners a
chaotic mass, disorganized and work
ing under great disadvantages: it leaves
thoroly organized and united on one of
their own men for the delegateship. If
the miners' candidate be seated as the
representative from Alaska, the editor
will indeed feel that the labors of the
past six years have not been in vain.
r
Thomas Cale
For Delegate
FOR LONG TERM
The
Miners’
Candidate
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