The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-09-11
ALASKA LAND LAWS.
Congress Has Done Little to
Promote Civilization.
AN IMPORTANT BILL PENDING.
Coal Measures Await Opsning-Nearly
500 Acres OF Land fog Each
Yakima Indian.


bill passed by the Senate providing for the
acquisition of land for town sites and COM
mercial purposes in Alaska. During the
twenty-five years that this vast territory
has been in the possession of the United
States, with the exception of the extension
OF the mining laws, there has been abso-
iutely no legislation for Alaska which
would tend to encourage the development
of its vast and varied resources, or offered
any protection for the investment of their
capital and labor to the several thousand
American citizens who have pushed into
the country for the purpose OF engaging in
business or for establishing homes. While
the bill passed by the Senate proposes par
tial relief, the judges says it does not go far
enough. In the Senate bill there was no
provision for those who may desire to
secure land for agricultural purposes,
stockraising, or for homes, and it is claimed
that there are large bodies of land upon
which certain kinds of crops can be sue
cessiully grown. The judge is OF the opin-
ion, therefore, that this class Of land should
be opened to settlement under the home
stead laws, and he also wants the Alaskan
settlers to have the right to cut timber for
their own uses. On this point he says:
When it is remembered that the settled por.
ton of AlasFa is scarcely 1000 miles from Puget
sound. the nearest point where lumber can be
obtained II the present law restricting the cut
ting of timber Is enforced, great hardship must
fall upon the sellers.
The judge also wants such legislation as
will enable the opening up of the large
Alaskan coal deposits, which, he says, are
of inestimable Importance. Altogether, he
favors making our northern possessions q
place where civilized people can live and
prosper. 1t might be added, however,
that no matter how praiseworthy the in
tention, there seems little likelihood of
getting such measure through at this
session.
vided for in the matter of lands. For in
stance, the Yakima reservation contains
829, 240 acres, of which 240,0 900 acres. the
agent says, are arabic lands. All of this
land, when irrigated, he says, produces
good crops of wheat, oats, barley. potatoes
and almost every variety of root crops.
Fruits, too, can be raised in abundance,
and the mountainous lands are mostly
covered with good quality Of pine and fir
timber, and all is fairly good grazing land.
Living in this reservation there are 1.675
Indians, which gives IN average of nearly
494 acres to each one. men. women and
children. 1t is proper to add, though,
that the number of Indians belonging to
this reserve IS estimated to be 1876, but
the majority of these as stated, do not live
there. As to the question OF making allot-
ments of lands to these Indians, the agent
reports:
The fact that, although no allotm sDts have
been made, there are 25,0 600 acres or more under
fence, ana the same yearly increasing, il some
indication OF growing tendency to accept
severalty, but otherwise there il no ex preston
as to the general feeling on the subject The
few holding and improving separately occupy
from 100 10 1000 acres each. Occasionally
question il raised as to the right of one man to
fence and hold or occupy SO much land as he
may wish, which has heretofore been the rule.
This will, ere long, cause complications and dis.
sensions, which will only be permanently set
tied when each takes his land In severalty.
1t is now hardly probable that congress
will do anything at this session to make
provision for the settlement of claims ar
Using out of Indian depredations. This
is matter, of course, in which a large
number of citizens of the state are inter-
ested. The truth is that congress has SO
neglected these claims that 1t is now APP
paIled at their number and the expenditures
which could be entailed in their payment.
They should have been provided for each
year as they were passed upon by the Sec
rotary of the interior and recommended to
congress for its consideration, and in this
way the annual disbursements for this pur-
pose could have been comparatively small.
Now, however, under the yearly accumu-
lation, their number is in excess of 1900
for the entire western country, and the
total amount involved is $22, 5s1 ,9lS. An
appropriation of this sum would make a
deep dent in the treasury pile. The JUS
tice of the claims, though. is not disputed,
and the secretary of tt . interior says that
congress should either make provision for
their pay ment, or else stop holding out
false hopes to the claim ants in making it q
part of his duty to examine and pass upon
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