Si jjf! % £ $0: %; >
SECOND YEAR CHITIXA, ALASKA, TlttSDAY, AUGUST 20, 1012. NO. 45.
ALASKA HOME RULE MEASURE PASSED
WASHINGTON, Aug. 19.—Alaska is now almost certain]
to have a Territorial assembly. After the Senate and House
conferees came to an agreement on Saturday, there was no ]
question as to the passage of the measure giving Alaska home,
rule. While the Senate conferees receded on their intention to;
have but one body of the Legislature, they were insistent upon ,
the retention of the clause authorizing the appointment of a
railroad commission. Some of the House members wished to!
cut this out, and the final agreement was in the nature of a 1
compromise by giving both the Senate and House the particular
features that they were standing out for.
As an evidence of the good faith of the Senate conferees,
when an opening occurred late Saturday to bring the bill up for
action, it was reported and put on its final passage, with the
result that it was carried by practically a unanimous vote. The
friends of the bill felt that the only danger in its becoming a
law lie in the fact that it might get sidetracked in the Senate
during these last and busy days. It is expected that late this
afternoon an opportunity will be presented to report on the!
bill in the House, when it will undoubtedly be passed by an]
overwhelming vote. Friends of Alaska declare that they have!
assurances from President Taft that he will approve the bill]
wdien it is submitted to him. They consider that a great victory
has been achieved by reason of the incorporation and adoption
of the clause with reference to the appointment of a railroad
commission, which was an administration measure.
The amended bill as accepted by the conferees and which
will become a law is practically the same as the bill that origin- J
ally passed the Senate, with the addition that the provision for
a Senate was incorporated. The meat of the measure is sum
marized in the following paragraphs:
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY ACT
The capital shall Ik* at Juneau.
Shall be the official designation. The Territory of Alaska.
The executive and judicial departments shall continue as at present.
The Legislature shall have the right to modify the qualifications of
electors by extending the elective franchise to women.
The Legislature may by general act permit the organization of cor
porations or associations for manufacturing, mineral, agricultural, and i
other industrial pursuits, the construction and operation of railroads,
irrigation ditches, etc., whose chief business shall be in Alarka.
MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE
Xo employe of the United States shall be a member of the Legislature.
Members shall be paid $15 per day and mileage to and from their
home, at 15 cents per mile.
A member of the Legislature shall have resided in his particular
division two years prior to his election.
The Legislature shall consist of a Senate of 8 members, two from each
judicial division, and to serve a term of four years; and a House of 10
members, four from each judicial division, and to serve a term of two
yeai-s.
There shall be a “president of the Senate," and a “speaker of the
House of Representatives," with a chief clerk, an assistant clerk, an en
rolling clerk, an engrossing clerk, a sergeant-at-arms, a doorkeeper, a
messenger and a watchman for each body.
ELECTIONS AND SESSIONS OF LEGISLATURE
No lottery or the sale of lottery tickets shall be allowed.
The Legislature shall convene on the first Monday in March, 1013,
and every two years thereafter.
Elections shall be held under the same law that now governs the
election of a delegate to Congress.
The first election for members shall be on the Tuesday next after the
first Monday in November, 1012, and every two years thereafter.
Regular sessions shall be limited to sixty days. Special sessions may
be called by the Governor or President, but not to exceed a session of
fifteen days.
After 1012 the election of delegate to Congress shall he held on the
Tuesday next after the first Monday in Xovember, 1014, and every second
year thereafter.
REGULATIONS TO REMAIN WITH CONGRESS
The Legislature shall pass no laws interfering with the primary dis
posal of the soil.
The Legislature or any municipality shall not interfere with the
acts of Congress to prevent and punish gambling.
Spiritous or intoxicating liquors shall not be manufactured or sold
only under such regulations as Congress shall prescribe.
Xo exclusive or special privileges shall be granted to associations or
individuals without the affirmative approval of Congress.
Xo laws passed by the Legislature providing for a county form of
government shall have any effect until it shall be submitted to and air
proved by Congress.
Xo divorces shall be granted by the Legislature, nor shall they be
granted by the courts unless the applicant has been a resident of the
territory for two years.
Authority of Legislature shall not extend to the customs, internal
revenue, postal or other general laws, or to the game, fish and fur-seal
laws, and laws relating to fur-bearing animals, or to the taxes on business
and trade, or to maintenance of roads, schools, and insane persons.
LIMIT OF TAXATION AXI) XO RONDS
Xo tax shall be imposed upon property of the United States.
The lands or property of non-residents shall not be taxed higher than
the lands or property of residents.
Neither the Territory or any municipality shall have power to create
or assume any bonded indebtedness.
Congress reserves the power for 5 years to fix and impose taxes upon
railways or railway property in Alaska.
Xo indebtedness shall be created or assumed in excess of the actual
income of the Territory or municipality.
Xo tax shall be levied for Territorial purposes in excess of t per centum
upon the assessed valuation of property therein in any one year.
Xo incorporated town or municipality shall levy any tax in excess
of 2 per centum of the assessed valuation of property within the town in
any one year.
NEW LAWS AND VETO POWER
A majority vote shall be necessary in either branch of the Legislature
to pass' an act.
After a hill has been vetoed it may become a law upon the vote of
two-thirds of the members of each l>ody.
If the Governor neither signs nor vetoes a bill within three days, it
shall beeome a law without his signature.
The Governor may veto any specific item in any bill which appropriates
money for specific purposes but shall veto other bills as a whole.
All laws passed by the Legislature shall be submitted by the President
to Congress, and if disapproved by Congress, they shall be null and of no
effect.
All bills passed by the Legislature shall be approved by the Governor
in order to be valid. After approval they shall become effective at the
expiration of 90 days.
The Governor shall, within ninety days after close of each session,
transit a printed copy of all laws and resolutions passed, to the President
and Secretary of State.
CONGRESS TO PAY THE BILLS
Congress shall annually appropriate a sum sufficient to pay the salaries
of members and authorized employes of the Legislature, the printing of
the laws and other incidental expenses: said sums to be disbursed by the
Governor under instructions of the Secretary of the Treasury.
PUBLISH LAWS APPLICABLE TO ALASKA *
The committees on Territories of the Senate and the House of
Congress are directed to jointly codify, compile and publish all the laws
of the I’nited States applicable to Alaska; and the sum of $5,000 is appro
priated for that purpose.
CREATING RAILROAD COMMISSION
A railroad commission is created, composed of four members, all
to he appointed by the President, to conduct an examination into the
transportation question of the territory, and to report their findings and
recommendations to Congress on Dec. I, 1912, or as soon thereafter as
practicable; an appropriation of $25,000 being made for the expenses
thereof.
EXPLORERS GET
BACK SAFELY
Henry William Handy returned on
the steamer yesterday from Juneau,
where he had come to from Dawson.
He accompanied Miss Dora Keene
on her trip from McCarty’s through
Scolai pass and down the White
river into Dawson. Miss Keene went
on southward, expecting to return
to her home in Philadelphia. Mr.
Handy will return in the course of a
couple of weeks to the White river
country, where he made several lo
cations and will engage in develop
ing his property. He will go in again
via McCarthy’s, at which point he
leaves the railroad and goes with a
pack horse.
-o—o—o
The Overland Hotel caters to the
discriminating tarveler.
Washington, D. C., August 20, 1912.
The Chitina Leader,
Chitina, Alaska.
Senate and house conferees report restoring Alaskan senate approved
by both houses of congress. Home Rule bill thus corrected passed both
houses unanimously, and sent to President for approval. He will approve
it. I shall start home tomorrow.
James Wickersham,
5:00 p. m. Delegate from Alaska.
DEFECTIVE PUPILS
TO BE ELECTRIFIED
NEW YORK, Aug. 20.—The New
York Board of Education is expected
to authorize a trial this fall of a
Swedish scheme for electrifying a
school room and thereby producing
exarordinary results from the- pupils.
The experiment, which has met with
some success in Stockholm, will be
tried on a room with a class of do-,
fectlve pupils. The cost for a year’s
trial will be less than $10,000. The
electrifieator consists of a series of
wires in the walls charged with high
frequency currents. The plan will be
to have two class roms as nearly
alike as possible, one electrified and
the other not.
-o—u—o
The Chitina Pharmacy carries a
complete line of drugs.
Increased sum or copper ore
With the gradual increase in the price of copper it is
gratifying to know that the production from Prince William
sound is also on the increase. Louis Lavenseller, who is repre
sentative in this section of Alaska for the Tacoma Smelter
Company, takes a very encouraging view of the probable output
from the properties around the sound. Then the development
at the various properties in the interior country, tributary to
the Copper River & Northwestern railway will, in the course
of a year or two very materially increase the output of South
western Alaska.
The Kennecott Mines Company are rebuilding their mill
and in three or four months their output at the Bonanza will
be largely increased. The Great Northern Development Com
pany and other properties in the vicinity of Copper Mountain
and Kuskulina will soon be ready to ship. Farther in the
interior, at the Westover and other mines sufficient work has
been done to warrant the building of trams and bi’inging out
rich ore, even before the railroad branches are built. The
present price of copper is an incentive to the various operating
companies to get ready for early shipment.
In speaking of Prince William sound output Mr. Laven
seller predicts that within sixty or ninety days the shipment
will be at least 8,000 tons per month. The Beatson mine at
Latouche is already shipping nearly one-half that amount, while
the Ellamar mine, so soon as present improvements are com
pleted, will have an output of nearly 3,000 tons. The Fidalgo
Alaska Company, owned largely by T. J. Donalioe and John Y.
Ostrander, have now 250 tons ready for shipment, which will
be sent out on the freighter Seward in a few days. On another
part of the Fidalgo island the Fidalgo Copper Company is
operating. They have ordered a tram, having completed the
lower and upper terminals, and within forty days expect to be
getting out and shipping ore. Mr. Lavenseller further states
that W. A. Dickey is shipping about 500 tons per month from
his property on Landlock bay, while in the same neighborhood
Mr Reistrom is about ready to make shipments.
Mr. Lavenseller states that there is a weii authenticated
report that the Tyee Smelting Company is about to again put
into operation its smelting plant at Ladysmith, British Colum
bia, and to send a man to Alaska to contract for ore. Two
years ago this plant was compelled to close down because the
prices charged for smelting was below the cost of doing the
work. At that time they were treating considerable of the
Alaska ore. Mr. Lavenseller does not know whether the advent
of the new company into the field will result in any change in
rates by the Tacoma Smelting Company.
M
The rushing waters of a glacier lake that is supposed to
have broken through is causing much trouble on the Copper
River & Northwestern railway between Mile 39 and Flag Point
or Mile 27. Between these two points are the Copper flats.
Early Sunday morning a great torrent of water came down
with a rush and continued to increase until evening. By that
time most of the country was under 12 feet of water and con
siderable of the railroad track was submerged. Driftwood and
logs were brought down and piled up along the railroad banks
and under the trestles, carrying out six bents of approaches.
But the water is now beginning to lower and it is expected that
the work of repair can soon be started. It is not likely to take
more than two or three days to have the track in good repair
and the ti'ains running again. The train due from Chitina
did not start Sunday morning, but is being held at that place
until it can run through to Cordova. This morning Dr. Council
was summoned to go out the line to attend Clms. Boyle, who
had been slightly injured while working in the deluged section.
(From the Cordova Daily Alaskan)
George E. Baldwin, who is one of
the oldest mining m-'n ana surveyors
to operate in the Copper rive- coun
try. returned to town last night from
a two weeks’ trip to the interior. He
will remain here until the arrival of
the next steamer, when he will go
to Valdez. In referring to his recent
trip Mr. Baldwin stated this morning
as follows:
“Actual mining, development of
properties which have passed the
stage of being prospects, preliminary
work on showings located in prior
years on which excessive transporta
tion charges have prevented any
thing more than assessment work
being done until now, with some sur
face prospecting in regions hitherto
neglected or hastily gone over, char
acterize the present condition of the
mineral industry in the territory
served by the Copper River Railway.
"Some prospecting is being done
on the Teikel and Bremner rivers
and in the neighborhood of Chitina
for gold quartz, also on Forphory
mountain at Mile 191. There a mill
is soon to be erected to treat the ore
from the Iverson property, on which
several hundred feet of work has
been done and sufficient ore blocked
out to, in tlie opinion of experienced
mining men, justify the necessary
expenditu re.
“To name all the copper properties
on which development work is being
carried on by large forces would be
tedious, but a few deserve especial
mention on account of the vigor with
which work is being prosecuted by
their owners. The Great Northern
Development Company, E. F. Gray,
manager, is the largest operator,
with his principal work on Copper
mountain. The Alaska United Copper
Exploration Company is working men
near the Kuskulina glacier and on
Porcupine creek. Their big property
is the Westover, on Boulder, near
Dan creek, where big bodies bodies
of rich ore have been found by the
driving of tunnels. The Alaska Con
solidated Copper Company are doing
extensive work on Nugget creek, in
the Kuskulina district. The Mother
Lode and Nickolia companies have
done considerable work on their
properties near the Bonanza mine.
Ole Berg, Deyo & Johnson and others
are opening up good properties. The
Bonanza remains the only producer
as yet but the low freight rates given
by the C. R. & N. W. on horse feed
will induce, as it was intended to,
the sledding of ore from many of the
properties to the railway in the near
future.
“The placer situation is slowly
changing from a pick and shovel
proposition to hydraulic mining. No
new discoveries have been made for
some years and only a few men are
operating their properties in person
or on lays by the primitive pick and
shovel method. On the other hand
live large hydraulic plants have been
installed at Dan, Chitibu and other
creeks. Of these four are in active
operation, and the remaining one is
idle by agreement with neighboring
owner, on account of lack of suffi
cient wate for two adjoining plants.
These plants have pay gravel in
sight to keep them operating for
many years in the future.
“A striking illustration of the vigor
with which mining operations are be
ing carried on is the fact that though
in the country east of Copper River
there are not less than four hundred
voters, the most energetic work of
the political managers resulted in a
scant 100 votes being cast at the
election for delegate to Congress last
Tuesday. ‘The season is favorable, I
am busy and my vote wont amount
to much anyway,’ was the reply giv
en the political worker who was try
ing to get out the vote.”
-o—o—o
Try the Chitina Hotel for cigars
and pipes, at Seattle prices.
--o—o—o
Subscribe for the Chitina Leader.