■ n_oI-Iitina Leader
CHITINA, ALASKA.
Entered as second-class matter, November 12, 1910, at the postoffice at
Chitina, Alaska, under the Act of Congress of March 3, 1879.
ONLY NEWSPAPER IN CHITINA
Published every Saturday by
HTTT.T. A. STEEL—Editors, Managers and Proprietors—HARRY O. STEEL
Office: Hotel Chitina Building. Cordova Office: Daily Alaskan
Seattle Office: 551 Colman Building.
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of the Copper River district. ____
CHITINA, ALASKA. TUESDAY, DECEMBTR 30, 1913.
One Month
Six Months
One Year .,
THEY WANT TO EXHIBIT
Evidences are multiplying that business men and manu
facturers in both England and Germany are much dissatisfied
with the determination of their governments not to exhibit
at the San Francisco Fair. Germany’s leading interests have
organized to get up an exhibit whether their government does
anything or not. England’s leading exporters and manufac
turers are not only doing the same thing but are bringing
pressure to bear on the government to change its decision.
The London Times recently gave the organizing committee
this argument to stimulate its effo«*|:
“The reduction in the Amv? tariff, with all its
possibilities for the extension of British trade in the United
States, is itself a new fact of sufficient weight to change the
momentum of our policy on such a question.’’
Beyond that, trade along the west coast of South America
is of great importance, and will be aided or discouraged by
exhibits or their absence. England’s trade in Chile and Peru
is large, but Germany has been making inroads, and in
Bolivia, Ecuador and Colombia the commercial prizes to be
gained are heavy. It is said that an understanding between
Great Britain and Germany that they would neither be repre
sented by a government exhibit is still an obstacle. It is
undoubtedly more of an obstacle for Germany than for
England, since Germany is short of the necessary money. But
England’s excuse was that manufacturers regarded the cost
of exhibits as too great, which made it inadvisable for the
government to spend the $1,250,000 estimated by the Board of
Trade as necessary. But the manufacturers are aroused now
and the Board of Trade has reduced its estimate to $500,000.
It certainly seems to be the judgment of firms interested
in both countries that it will pay to exhibit at the San Fran
cisco Exposition. Whether this judgment will suffice to
change the decision of their governments remains to be seen.
-u—o—o
THE GAME AND THE CANDLE
“The game is not worth the candle,” is the latest cry
raised against the development of Alaska by its foes. This
charge marked the opening of consideration in the House of
the administration railroad bill. 1
Matters were somewhat complicated at the outset by the
friends of the measure by denunciation of the group of men
who already have some millions invested there in private
enterprise.
As to whether the “game is worth the candle” or not. it is
not,amiss to ask, what is worth while?
Alaska has been in the possession of this country but little
more than forty years, and in that time has produced nearly
$500,000,000, above $200,000,000 of which was in gold. It has
cost less than $40,000,000 to date, or has returned a profit of
something approximating $450,000,000.
The bill now up before Congress asks for $35,000,000 to
be used to build a railroad to a coal field. The product of that
field is a navy fuel of a high qaulity. The saving effected by
the use of a Pacific navy fuel by the vessels of the Pacific fleet
alone, now, in times of peace, would return the entire invest
ment in a short time to the public treasury, to say nothing of
the benefits resulting from the development of the territory,
both to the territory and to the people of the United States as
a whole.
Alaska is in a peculiarly forlorn condition. Some of its
best friends have injured it unintentionally. The people as a
mass have listened to the demagogic cry which has frightened
away the private investor, and now Congress hears the solemn
statement made that “the game is not worth the candel.”
Must the territory continue to sit Cinderella-like in the
ashes of its burned-out ambitious hopes?
-TV
■4V
-TV
RETIREMENT OF JUDGES
Attorney General McReynolds makes the suggestion that
when a judge of rank “below the Supreme Court” fails tc
avail himself of the privilege of retirement at the age of 70
the president be “required” to appoint another judge who
shall preside over the sittings of the court and take precedence
in rulings over^the older judge.
We hardly can apporve the suggestion in its present shape.
In the first place if the present law requires change there is
as much, if not more, need for insuring mental vigor and
accuracy in the supreme court as in the lower courts. Physical
perfection is not necessary in any case, except as it aids mental
operations. But mental qualifications to do the work and to
decide with judgment are essential from the district courts tc
the supreme bench.
That seems less important, however, than the other con
sideration. The difference between the present rule and the
attorney general’s proposition is that the latter will permit
the judge who doees not wish to retire at 70 to sit on the bench
subject to the precedence and rulings of the suffregan jurist.
The elder judge has the privilige of taking part in the court
proceedings, but on any essential point he is reduced to a
figurehead.
This does not meet the difficulty. It is beyond doubt that
there are many judges who are as well qualified to continue on
the bench after the age of 70 as they were before. There are
also others on whom advancing age has inflicted mental
infirmities. A more intelligent rule would be to leave retire
ment optional with the judge after the age of 70 and optional
with the president after the age of 75 or so. Mental decrepi
tude should be the determining factor in all cases.
A PRETTY GOOD RECORD
The question whether the United States has been just
talking efficiency, instead of putting it in practice is an impor
tant one. Mr. William Hard in an article in a recent magazine
| answers it in the affirmative.
He asserts that across the seas and especially in Germany,
they are getting far ahead of us in efficiency in commerce and
manufacturing. He cites authorities in the engineering field
for the statement that between fifty to a hundred important
inventions in the last quarter of a century have originated in
Europe and have either been merely copied by us or have been
ignored altogether. Mr. Hard thence concludes that we were
“ignorant of our own ignorance” and trailing behind the rest
of Europe in scientific technology.
We are not prepared to dispute or discredit Mr. Hard’s j
examples. But we must interpose at least an apparent offset.
The grant commercial fact in the history of the United States
for the past few years has been the growth of the export trade.
In 1890 we exported $857,000,000. In 1900 we exported $1,
.‘394,600,000; in 1912 we exported $2,204,000,600, and in the
first four months of the current fiscal year we exported at the
rate of $2,600,000,000 for an entire year. We agree to the
position that anything that adds to business efficiency is to be
welcomed and encouraged. But in the trade that has been
all along in competition with other nations we seem to have
done fairly well. Practically doubling our export trade since
; 1900 is a good record for a nation without efficiency.
-o—o—o
ABOLITION OF GRAND JURIES
The Royal Commission on Delay in the Law Courts ha»
just made its report in London. The recommendation which
will attract most attention in this country is that for the aboli
tion of the grand jury which is declared to have outlived its
usefulness.
Originally the grand jury was conceived as a protection
against royal oppression and this idea of protection against
injustice by the governing power is found in the provision of
the American constitution that “No person shall be held to
answer for a capital or otherwise infamous crime unless on a
pi’esentment or indictment of a grand jury.” But now, it is
argued, the inquisition by a grand jury is largely a perfunc
tory affair and the grand jury itself a sort of fifth wheel. On
the other hand it may be asserted that the grand jury, acting
as a sieve to sift cases, might winnow the wheat from the chaff
and thereby expedite the administration of the law, but it is
not always clear that this is thoroughly considered, and eases
are passed on to the courts as the natural course. The sugges
tion of the abolition of this time-honored venerated institution,
coming from so conservative a body as a British royal com
mission, will no doubt provoke a lively discussion both in that
country and this.
Some of the other recommendations of the commission
are also of interest, especially in view of the idea that the
administration of the law in England is so much more
effective. Longer hours for judges, a special trial list for
cases where there is no defense, and the suppression of the
tendency to yield to “fashionable counsel who like to spread
themselves over a trial for a week,” are suggested.
-o—o—o
THE PEST HOLE OF THE PACIFIC
The port of Guayaquil, Ecuador, so notorious from its
insanitary and plague-breeding conditions as to be known as
“the pest hole of the Pacific,” is to be cleaned up. A contract
has been made by the Ecuadorian government with an Anglo
American firm for the thorough modernizing and sanitation of
the port, at an estimated cost of $10,000,000. This happy result
has been brought about by the United States government,
which for several years has been trying to induce the
Ecuadorians to act. That plague-ridden port cost this country
the lives of Thomas Nast, the famous cartoonist of Tweed, who
died from yellow fever while consul there, and of a naval
captain and several seamen. The opening of the Panama Canal
made it imperative that the place be cleaned out. Guayaquil
is a port of call for South American ships, and the peril of
infection from it when the isthmian waterway is opened com
pelled vigorous action. Washington, finding protests unavail
ing, finally announced intention to quarantine against
Guayaquil, and this brought the Ecuadorians to time, but
incensed them so much that they rejected American bids ou
the work and gave it, as they supposed, to a London concern.
This firm, however, has American connections, and the work
will probably be done by Americans.
The removal of this plague spot, long a center of infection
for yellow fever, the bubonic plague and malaria, will reduce
to a minimum the fears of our health service that with the
opening of the canal our Eastern and Gulf coasts might be
exposed as during the days when Havana was a menace.
u—u—o
Most of the murderous instruments of war are manufac
tured by a gentle-hearted woman, who was formerly Miss
Bertha Krupp. The terrible guns her machinery turns out
have caused many thousands of widows and orphans. And
she l’olls in the wealth secured by means of her death-dealing
devices.
A close observer says that one reason the world is so busy
is because half the women are working to reduce their hip
measurement, while the other half are working to increase it.
Our old friend, Diognes, once said a remarkably good
thing. When asked by a love-stricken youth when was the
nroper time to marry, he answered: “If you are young, not
yet; if you are old, never.”
ALASKA SHIPMENTS FROM
SEATTLE SHOW INCREASE
Shipments from Seattle to Alassa
during past months have surpassed
all records and reacehd an aver
age of $1,855,150 per month. The
heaviest gains were represented by
meats and their products. These
showed an increase of $108,081 in
excess of 1912. During the period
between July 1 and November 1,
$659,339 worth of dairy products
and eggs were shipped north. Lum
ber was another product which in
creased from $163,842 to $200,000;
livestock netted a.gain of $22,754;
fruits, a gain of $19,998, and hay
and feed $12,785.
IN THE UNITED STATES COM
MISSIONER’S COURT, THIRD
JUDICIAL DIVISION, TERRI
TORY OF ALASKA. IN AND FOR
CHITINA PRECINCT.
In the Matter of the Guardianship of
Nels Oscar Sail, a mentally in
competent person, and his estate.
It is ordered that Friday, January
30th, 1914, at 10 a. m., be appointed
for the hearing of the application of
Charles G. Sail, for letters of guar
dianship of the person of Nels Oscar
Sail, who is alleged to be mentally
incompetent, and of his estate situ
ated in Chitina Precinct, Third Judi
cial Division, Territory of Alaska,
and it is further ordered that the
time and place of said hearing be
published in the Chitina Leader, a
paper of general circulation in said
precinct and territory, for four con
secutive weeks.
(Seal) PAUL d’HEIRRY,
U. S. Commissioner and Ex-Officio
Probate Judge, Third Judicial
Division, Territory of Alaska in
and for Chitina Precinct.
Date of first publication, Decem
ber 23, 1913.
Date of last publication, January
13, 1914.
-o—o—o
NOTICE TO STOCKHOLDERS
The annual stockholders’ meeting
of the Bonanza Gold Mining Co.
will be held at Blackburn, Alaska,
at 12 m. December 29th, 1913.
F. A. IVERSON, Pres.
-o-o—o
NOTICE OF FORFEITURE
To Alex. Nesbitt, his heirs, adminis
trator, assigns, successors or per
sonal representatives:
You are hereby notified that I
have expended in labor and im
provements for the year 1912, the
sum of One Hundred Dollars on each
of the following named claims, or in
total the sum of Sixteen Hundred
Dollars, the “Pacer,” “Mayflower,”
“Slocum," “Red Jacket,” “Red
Jacket No. 2,” and “Independence.”
The “Hercules,” “Sandow,” and
“Sampson.” The “Rosey No. 1,”
and “Rosey No. 2.” The “Lucky,
Strike;” “Fairview,” "Esperanza,”
“Webfoot," and “Yankee,” all situ
ated in the Chitina Mining and
Recording District, Territory of
.\laska, and which have been duly
recorded in the office of the United
States commissioner, in and for the
Chitina Mining District, at Chitina,
Alaska.
The above amounts have been ex
pended in order to hold the said
claims under the provisions of the
law concerning annual labor upon
mining claims, being the amount re
quired to hold said above named
mining claims. And you are fur
ther notified that if, within ninety
(90) days after the last publication
of this notice you fail to contribute
your proportion of said expenditure,
.vhich is one-sixth (1-6) of the
vhole, your interest in said claims
vill become the property of the
'ndersigned, your co-owner.
james McConnell.
First publication Sept. 23, 1913.
Last publication Dec. 23, 1913.
0. ADRIAN NELSON
U. S. Mineral Surveyor
CtllTINA
ALASKA
CHITINA: BAKERY
AND
Coffee House
HENRY GESSXER, Prop.
FRESH BREAD, CAKES AND
PIES ALWAYS OX HAND
Chitina GRILL
Good Eats for Particular People
rrompt Service. Popular Service.
Next to Chitina Hotel.
CHITINA
ALASKA.
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DRUGS,
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CIGARS & TOBACCO
If you cannot call, write
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A. G. MOREY, Prop
GROCERIES, HARDWARE
= — A n n -—
MEAT MARKET
We have a big line of Sec
ond-Hand Goods, and can
save you money on your out
fit. Bunk House, with free
Cook House, in connection.
CHITINA HEIGHTS
C. A. SIMONS & CO.
feed, Fuel
and
Lumber
HAY, BRAN, OATS, CHOI'S,
ROLLED BARLEY
We can make prompt ship
ments to points on the rail
road. Our feed is the very
best quality.
0. A. Nelson & Co.
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Rooms and suites are particu
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Very desirable for families or
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