■
PRICK TKV CKVT^
GOVERNMENT TIES UP RESOURCES OF ALASKA
PLACES UNFAIR RESTRICTIONS ON COAL AND OIL LAUDS
Copies of (he latest bill for the dis
posal of the public coal and oil lands
have just been received from Wash
ington. It is Senate Bill No. 2812, and
was recently reported for passage by
the senate committee on public lands.
It offers no comfort for Alaska. On
the contrary, It shows a deliberate dis
crimination against this territory. The
bill proposes to lease the coal Hinds
1n the western states on terms some
what similar tq the Alaska coal leas
ing law, but It also offers an applicant
the right to purchase the coal land in
stead of leasing it if he so prefers.
This right to purchase coal lands is
expressly refused in Alaska. That this
was not an oversight, but was delib
erate and intentional, is proved by the
fact that the delegate from Alaska
Mr. Sulzer, appeared before the com
mittee and pleaded that Alaska be
given the same rights as are to be giv
en the western states. The bill as re
ported shows his plea was denied.
Because of its great natural diffi
culties it would seem that Alaska
might reasonably expect a little more
liberal treatment than the western
states. All it asked, however, was to
be treated the same as the rest of the
country. Kven this measure of justice
is denied.
Under the terms of this bill a man
ran buy coal lands In Colorado. Mon
tana or Washington, but Is refused
the same right in Alaska. In refer
ence to oil lands, the bill shows even
more shameless discrimination against
Alaska. Under the terms of the bill,
j section lti, a ntnn holding an existing
I location, in Wyoming for instance, and
i is preparing to develop it. has the
right to continue such do\elopment
and secure a patent for the claim. In
Alaska, under exactly similar condi
tions. an oil claimant cannot have a
patent at all, but must be content to
take a lease and pay the government
one-eighth of his output as royalty.
He is denied oven this right unless
be shall have spent at least $1,000 on
**s claim. In Wyoming he need not
itt've spent anything and may have a
patent. In Alaska he must spend $1,
100, and then get only a lease!
Moreover. In the states if he discov
ers a natural seepage of oil it Is suf
ficient to support his application for a
patent, while in Alaska, under this
remarkable bill, his discovery must
be made by a well to entitle him to a
lease. This condition applies only to
Unska. and was never written or
known in any oil law before. In ef
fect. the bill propones to protect oil
claimants in all the s*atcr nd allow
them to pei feet their titles to existing
claims, and secure patent therefor,
while in Alaska it proposes to legls
late similar claims out of existence.
There is just one patented oil claim
of 16(1 acres in all Alaska. There are
40 or 50 other locations which the par
ties have held for years and spent
thousands of dollars toward their de
velopment. Title to all these claims
will be destroyed if this bill passes.
I lie patented claim has six small wells
on it. By the terms of this bill one
may get a permit to prospert 256 '
acres of oil lands provided it lay;,
more than 20 miles from a producing,
well. If oil is discovered on it the
I rospector can have a patent for one
fourth of what he thus proves, whlh
the government retains the bthe
three-fourths. The most miserly skin
flint of a landlord in the world wouli
probably he glad to give anyone wh<
proved a piece of worthless wild lam
to be valuable at least half of It, bul
by this bill the government offeri
only one-fourth of it. But if the land
lies within ten miles of o producing
11. then the permit to prospect can
only be for (!4u acres, one quarter of it
to belong to the prospector if he dls
-vers oil.
Therefore, if there were no wells
in Alaska, a prospector could get a
oermlt to develop b’SGO acres and get
one-fourth of it for his ow n. In case
of success, hut becaose they are these
small wells he can Only get 640 acres
on a permit, and then get only one
fourth of that for ;hts own. lie is
therefore, penalized because of the
wells already drilled.
If there were no wells be could get
>40 acres for his own, hut there being
wells he can only got 160 acres.
Can you beat It!
In the hearings on the bill. Delegate
Bnlzer offered an amendment whirl
would permit the existing claims tc
be developed and patented, and would
not penalize a man for his patft work
Dut this right Is denied Alaska, while
it is granted to Wyoming and other
states.
The government appears to be deter
mined not to encourage the develop
ment of Alaska, but to prevent It.
For more than 20 years the people of
Alaska have sought to secure some of
the millions of -acres of Its coal land,
but the government has steadily frus
trated all attempts to do so.
This bill is the seventh time con
gress has legislated upon the subject
of Alaska coal lands, but all to do pur
pose. As an example of government
inefficiency or dishonesty. It Is pro
bably unparalleled. If the coal laws
of Alaska had been written, consid
ered and passed In a lunatic asylum,
they could not have been worse. For
twenty years the territory has been J
obliged to import all the coal and fuel
oil It uses, while its millions of acres
of coal .and oil lands lay untouched.
Sometimes cargoes of coal have been
brought to Alaska from Australia, ten
thousand miles away; sometimes from
Japan, but mostly from British Co
lumbia. only a thousand miles away.
Its oil has been all brought from Call
fornia, a distance of from 1,500 to 4.
000 miles. The consumption of oil 1>
over six hundred thousand barrels a
year. Now the California oil Helds
are being fast depleted and fuel oil
is growing scarcer and higher, while
freight rates on both oil and coal pro
mise soon to be prohibitive.
The coal leasing law forced upon
Alaska three years ago, against the
protest of Its delegate, has proved in
operative. One small tract was leased
but the parties gave it up. So the
government is now operating a coal
mina at its own expense to get coal
to operate the engines on its railroad
Other railroads continue to import
coal and oil to run their engines, and
all coal and oil for domestic uses must
also be imported, while nrnerx.iv„.
in congress pass foolish laws about
Alaska coal and oil and conservation
bureaus there pass still more foolish
regulations to nullify them.
There is a large lunatic asylum in
the vicinity of Washington, known as
St. Elizabeth. It is respectfully sug
gested to congress that if it will not
heed the delegate from Alaska nor al
low the people of Alaska through their
own legislature to make and admin
ister their own laws, that it refer the
subject of Alaska coal and oil lands
to the inmates of St. Elizabeth s luna
tic asylum for both legislation and
administration, it is very certain St.
Elizabeth would not handle the matter
any worse than it has been done, and
the subject will there at least be free
from contemptible politics. The peo
ple of Alaska may still be able to ini- '
Port their fuel and hope for some
gleam ol sanity within another twenty
years, which Is ail they can do now.
♦
The steamer Alasku should reach
here from the south before noon to
AMERICAN TRANSPORT IS SUNK BY SUB
43 Members of Crew Lost
On Big Atlantic Liner
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ * * ♦ ♦ ♦ « « ♦♦ * ♦ » ^ ^
♦ ♦
♦ (Special by Associated Press) ♦
NEW YORK, Sept. 14.—The destruction of the big ♦
^ A tlu*jti« t j i»no|...i-t A1 ;1. — L: . L i_ t — —.
♦ German submarine, has been confirmed. Forty-three ♦
♦ members of the crew were lost, and a hundred and ten *
♦ saved. ♦;
t , . * I
♦ LONDON, Sept. 14—The armed American ship Wil- ♦
♦ more was sunk by a German submarine on Wednesday. *
♦ The crew was all saved. The ship sailed from Philad >1- ♦
♦ phia in August with coal, locomotives and oil for France. *
♦ ♦
♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
IS ARMY AND NAVT NON HAS 1,074,000 MEN
WASHINGTON, Sept. 14.—The regular army, national!
guard and reserve corps army on September (i had 79,000 offi
cers and 741,000 enlisted men. The navy had 42,000 enlisted
men, 41,000 naval reserves, 14,500 naval militia, beside 5,000
coast guards, 0,500 members of the hospital corps. The total
strength of tin* army and navy at that time was 1,074,000 men.
WAR REVENUE BIEL TO BE SIGNED WITHIN ANOTHER WEEK
WASHINGTON, Sept. 14.—The conference committee on
the war revenue bill met today and it is expected the bill will go
to the president for his signature within a week.
' THREE SOCIALIST RADICALS IN NEW TRENCH CABINET
PARIS, Sept. 14.—The new Frenclf ministry, headed by
Paileve, contains three Socialist radicals, with the premier a
Socialist Republican. Ribot is secretary of foreign affairs.
SENATE EXPECTS TO PASS WAR CREDIT BILL TODAY
WASHINGTON, Sept. 14.—The senate today began the
consideration of the $11,0f)0,000,000 war credit bill, and will
probably pass it by tomorrow night. The house has already
passed the measure.
Inch hold positions acainst enemy attack
PARIS, Sept. 14.—The German attack against French po
sitions at Casemates plateau was repulsed last night.
ANOTHER AMERICAN AVIATOR ACCIDENTALLY XIEEEO
PARIS, Sept. 14.—Corporal William Henry Meeker, an
American aviator and Harvard man, was accidentally killed
when the motor of his machine stalled.
CALIFORNIA METAL WORKERS THREATEN CO ON STRIAE
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 14.—Twenty-four thousand men,
affiliated with the California Metal Trades Association, have
threatened to strike on Monday, and much government work is
involved.
WORLDs stmts
1 IE
PLAYED
_
(By United Press)
NEW YORK. 8ept. 14, — Ernie
Shore, no-hit artist of the Red Sox
who rovijitji', i/ivo his SPrvif-av la (ho
navy, added just one more to The com
trlbutions baseball is making to the
national fighting forces from Boston
Following the lead of Hank dowdy,
star catcher of the Braves, when he
enlisted in the Ohio national guard
Rabbit Maranville said he would en
ter the navy, and other members of
the National league club are said to
be ready to take the plunge.
Chick Shorten and Jack Barry are
enrolled in the navy, Shorten as a yeo
man and Barry in the reserve. Others
are contemplating the step.
Baseball is giving its ybung men
without a murmur. Leon Cadore, the
brilliant young pitcher of the Dodgers,
was examined and accepted a short !
time ago for the national army. He
only smiled and said he was ready, j
His spirit, while not typical entirely, 1
depicts the general feeling of ball!
players toward service. They have
been taking it all very seriously, and !
the younger ones have expressed a !
willingness to begin service at once.
The draft is going to be along in time
to hit the world’s series pretty hard. 1
It doesn’t seem probable that the gov-1
ernment would allow the players it
takes to reamin at their work until
the seasons are over. In fact, Ban
Johnson, president of the American
league, and John K. Tener, president
of the National league, have declared
on more than one occasion that base
ball neither expects nor wants favors
of that sort.
Among the White Sox there are cer
tain to be vacancies in the lineup if
that team goes into the series and
there probably will be even more
among the Red Sox. The Giants have
a number of young players eligible.
The world's series will be played re
gardless of what happens. Ban John
son, Gov. Tener and Garry Herrmann,
the three outstanding figures in the
national game, are convinced the pub
lis wants Its baseball the remainder
of the year, with special emphasis
on the world's series. The president’s
recent statement that he saw no rea
son for discontinuing sports of any
kind, including baseball, has given the
sport a new life, with the certainty of
n continuance even if men gone from
the game have to be brought back into
I action.
-«—:—
A plan of street lighting for Fourth
avenue has been installed by the en
gineering commission of Anchorage.
The city installed lights on C street..
They did not pay for the lights on
Fourth avenue, as they believed the
improvement would only be tempor
ary, but the city will stand good for
the juice used.
-♦
Charlie Chaplin ^t the Empress
theatre this evening in the scream fea
ture, “Behind the Screen." Introduc
tory pictures of travel..
»
(By United Press)
W vSHINGTON. Sept. 14 — Have
you wondered what (hose little bars
American arniy ot'fKfS.means on an
Evidently some of you do, because
hundreds of letters asking about them
are pouring into the war department
from all over the country every day
Here 1h the answer: The strips, each
1 3-if inches long, are symbols stand
ing for the badges and medals the man
is entitled to wear if he wants to
weight himself down. Theie are ten
of these insignia recognized by the
war department, two medals of honor,
one a certificate of merit, and the
other badges showing the wearer took
part in one of Uncle Sam’s historic
military campaigns. The congression
al medal of honor consists of white
stars on a field of light blue, it is
awarded only by congress and is the
most coveted of all. It represents gal
lantry in action. The certificate of
merit badge is two red, white and blue
bands separated by a thin hand of
white, the blue being outermost. This
honor is conferred by the president.
The Philippines congressional medal
has a blue band in the center flanke 1
by stripes of red, white and blue, the
blue being outermost. It is worn by
men who stayed in the depart
ment service after the Spanish-Araeri
can war to put down the Philippine in
surrection. The Civil war badge Is
equal sized ba‘nds of blue and gray.
Indian wars: Bright red with white.
Philippine campaign: Blue band in
center flanked by narrower bunds of
red, blue edges. Cuban occupation:
Blue in center flanked by narrow yel
low stripes, then broader red stripes
and blue borders. Cuban pacification
Broad olive drab center flanked by
three narrow stripes of red, white and
blue, the rod outermost. Chinese cam
paign on the march to Peking: Broad
band of yellow with narrow borders of
blue. Ribbons for gallantry in action
are worn farthest to the left, followed
by campaign ribbons in chronological
order.
-«
SOLDIERS PREFER HAND
SHAKE TO BEING KISSED
(By United Press)
AMERICAN FIELD HEADQUAR
TERS. Sept. 14.—American soldiers
will have to stand for whiskey kisses,
tinged with a trace of cognac. — or the
French pollu will have to learn to
shake hands if there is to-be any uni
form kind of greeting over here in
France.
The poilu kisses His comrade, some
times on both cheeks, to show his ad
miration. The American trooper some
how prefers the old hand clasp with
a firm pump handle movement.
A war reporter who has been kissed
by a whiskered French soldier, allows
til At he would rather shake hands ir
ho meets many more.
-—-♦
Furnished cabius. See Dooley.
E
PERFECTED
(By United Press)
WITH THE FRENCH ARMIES
Sept. 13. — The French artillery bar
rage tire now has been perfected to
that the GefirnaiJsT In hmer trf'Kwp'tft
communication with their lines back
of the barrage, have been forced to
adopt the expedient of enclosing their
messages In a grenade or a shell and
tiling it through the barrage.
In the early part of the war. the Ger
mans used the system of running baca
field telephones from the advancing
troops. When these lines were con
stantly cut by shell fire, efforts were
made to run the lines underground.
But here again the French high ex
plosive shells were developed to a de
gree where the lines could not be con
veniently buried at a depth beyond
their reach.
Wireless telegraphy has since been
tried by the Germans, together with
low flying aeroplanes, while the use
of individual soldiers who endeavored
to run back through a barrage with
messages are likewise to prove both
too costly from the point of view of
human life and of uncertainty as to
the eventual arrival of the message.
Germany’s new system of endeavor
ing to shoot back her communications
with trench mortars and trench can
non has only recently been hit upon. |
The grenades or shells in which the
j messages are enclosed are referred to
: in the German orders as nachrichton
I geschosse" or “projectiles for mes
sages.”
. The “melde-wurfgranaten,” or “mes
sage carrying bombs" are fired from '
the 1916 model of mechanical trench
grenade thrower. This his a range of
about 600 yards, and is counted upon
for maintaining communication be- j
tween the first line and the command
ers of battulions and regiments, who
under the German system, always re
main at the rear of the advancing and
fighting troops.
The second class used, the "loichte
nachrlchtenmlne" or "message carry
ing shells” are to be fired from the |
“mlnenwerier," or trench mortar for
firing torpedoes. These have a range
of about 1300 yards and with them the
Germans hope to keep up their com
munications through the French bar
rage fires between the battalion and
regimental commanders in the rear
of the advancing troops and the artil
lery, brigade and divisional headquar
ters still farther to the rear. Ac
cording to the German orders that
have been found the distribution of
these message carrying grenades and
shells to the troops on the western
front began about June 1.
-^
O'. V. Pring, expert piano tuner and
repairer, will be here September 30,
to tune and adjust the Empress the
utre piano, and will be glad to attend
to any outside work. tf
Early tomorrow morning the Ad
miral Evans will be here from Seattle.
Korniloff Troops Say
They Were Deceived
PKTRnORAI), Sept. 14.—It is officially announce,! that
Koinilott has not as vot surrender,-,I, hut is prepare,1 to <lo so
as he ,s completely powerless. Twelve companies of Korniloff
tioops have offered to surrender, saying thev had been
rmmnTTAnr*WfTT: r*. /vrrmrrrrr? tmptM-M
*•> . has not actually surrender, d, tin, capital and
country is recovering from his attempt to launch a revolution
and a new process of reconstruction is under way. The hope is
expressed that the new cabinet will show greater vigor and de
cision should friction again arise between the Socialists and
Constitutional Democrats in the cabinet.
I hi HOG RAD, Sept. 14. After having been received by
Kerensky and informed of tin- fate awaiting him, General Kor
nihdf, commander of the Korniloff troops sent against I’etro
grad, Korniloff returned to his lodging and shot himself, but
not fatally. Kruimoft s own Cossacks arrested him immedi
ately after he attempted to take his life.
WASHING r<)N, sept. 14. A plan for adjourning congress
without senate action on the soldiers’ and sailors insurance
bill was disarranged by an authoritative announcement that
President Wilson would insist that the mesaure become a law
before congress quits. There is a strong sentiment in the sen
ate for closing up affairs and letting the bill wait for the De
cember session. 1 he pr, sident is absent on a yatching trip.
GERMANS THWARTED IN EFFORTS SINK OWN SHIPS
MONTEY I DEO, Sept. 14—1 ruguayan marines boarded all
ot tin- German ships in the harbor here, the gov, i ament having
heard of plans to sink t lie-vessels.
(By Associated Press)
SPOKANE, Sept. 14 — W. H.
Bourke, who was arrested at Juneau
last night, was a mining broker in
this city until recently. It is alleged
that Bourke agreed to turn over to
creditors large timber holdings in Ore
gon, but left town while negotiations
were pending. Members of ti)e Spo
kane stock exchange swore out grand
larceny warrants and had offered
a reward of $50tt for thformation as to
the whereabouts of Bourke.
---•
MARIPOSA SAILED LAST NIGHT.
SEATTLE, Sept. 14. — The steamer
Mariposa sailed last night with th^
following passengers for Cordova:
Mrs. K. T. King and baby, A. H.
Thomas, John Francis., E. A. Fletcher
and I. N. Utemenami.
I
SEATTLE ON
STRIKE
(By Associated Press)
SEATTLE. Sept. 14. Fifteen hun
dred wooden shipbuilders struck
against a ten hour day. A thousand
lumbermen were previously idle and ,
there will be a short age of timber
The wooden yards are tied up and
the steel yards badly crippled.
--^
LEST YOU FORGET.
There's going to be a big time in
Eagle's Hall Saturday night. One of
those Real Live dances by the RAG
TIME TRIO.
-♦
The steamer Alameda is due from
the westward at 8:.>0 o'clock tonight.
-«
Try a loaf of “Sun Maid” Raisin
i Bread, it's really fine. City Bakery.