The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-06-20
ROAD TO THE CAPE
Why Congress Refuses to Bald
: Wagon Way.
4 RAILROAD IS SETTER.
Erss Psss.i Delivery n walla wal1s,
Psrs 1swnsssA. CalaAx - uzlsss-
bsrs-Alaska Pssss.
RAILROAD - Better.

busg-Alaska Rssss.
wAsnusroS CIrr. June 0.-5hs Senate
committee on military adain, in thsir Cd
verse report on the bill making IN appro-
pF1afion for the survey. building and main
tanning of military wagon road between
Port Townsend and Caps flattery." say
they are Constrained to report the bin Cd
verseiy. for the reson ses forth in COM
munication. touching the subject, from the
secretary of war, q follows:
Tne bill having beer referred 70 the COM
msndiug general. department Of the Columbia,
be reports - follows: Communication along
the southern oh0o Of the strAsss Of Fuca win,
presume. be estabsished in the near future. In
this 80 Of quick transit Il would seen that .
railroad would % more suitable than any
Osherr
The committee add:
The memorial Of The Legislature Of washing
ton. on which this I'LL seems 70 have been based.
states that the see<ion sought to b resthed By .
wagon road Is developing In population and ia
dustrisl interests. In view OF which IL Is sug-
eestsd that In this era OF unstinsed individual
and corporase enterprise the necessary commu-
nicati0n 70 meet the requirements viii follow
clczely Ia the wake Of development and the real
niece aisiea of the people. especially - railway
sazscisy II not only alert. but q the hixhest
competitive point % occupy I'll available
ground.
1t may not Be amiss for your CORE
spondent to say that the Senate committee
has utterly misconeeived the grounds upon
which the Legislature OF Washington
memoraiized Congress for this public inn
provement. and il might a. we'll be added
that the development in population and IN
dustrial interests. which are to serve IS an
incentive for the expenditure Of private or
corporate capital in railroad enterprises,
had little or nothing to do with the propo-
sition. Lot the legislature explain the rea-
sons Why this government road should be
constructed and no comment will BE- neces-
sary. The report continues:
All military authorities oflieially examining
the waters 81 Puget sound with references to
locating defensive works. have agreed upon
Point Wilson and contiguous points q the pro-
posed location of the outer line OF such deien-
sive uorks The country hon Port Townsend
westward TO the Ractfe ocean 10 outside Of the
probable location Of such ports. batteries. and
other means Of projection 10 our country . win
no provided By the national govern mcnt agains:
hostile forceA This section Of country that
viii be thus exposed u hundred miles in
length. 10 remo.e from railroad cOmmunication
whereby military supplies conld be Transported
70 or through II and yet 10 deyeioping in pops
latfon and industxiAi interests until fts public
interests foreshsdov qreAt necessity Jos proper
national protection.
The committee on p0stofices have under
consideration measure which has . local
interest for Washington cities. Itproposes
an extension Of the law 50 as 10 permit OF
the free delivery service IN the smaller
cities. Under exisfipg Law letter carriers
are only fnrniahed TO those cities which
have- N thoUannd Sinhabdfumte u Which
have gross annual postal revenues Of ut
least 10000 1t is proposed 70 so cut this
limit ~ 70 put the free delivery system in
operation Ia ali cities where the postal re-
ceipts are 1t least 5000 year. Under
such limitation the following places in
the state would BE- provided with letter
carriers:
Coliax, where the postal receipts are 5oo6;
kiiensourg, sA0s; Port Townsend, $500. and
waiia wslls. sli,sa2
The secretary Of the treasury has recon-
mended the passage Of measure to estab-
lish certain ports of delivery in Alaska
He says:
Mary islard. which IL Is proposed to establish
- port Of delivery. Ii ON the right sids Of
Dixon entrance. the channel along which lows
nearly all the commerce and navigation 20 and
from the peninsula OF AlaskA The fsland IL
about SO miles from sitba. the only existing
legal port. and the extensive coast line, includ-
ing the numerous islands between those two
places, Ii destitute Of lawful facilities for enter
Ing vessels and unloading merchandise. sup
pressing smuggling or guarding against illicit
traffic with the natives A. present the steam.
ships constituting the regular line between
Portland aud Sitka carry . customhouse in
spector on board 10 facilitate a. far q may be
The operations OF commerce and protect the
public interest
Such an arrangement IL imnracsicablc with
regard to the numerous trading vessels, . ma.
iority OF which are very small burden and with
out regularity a. to their times and routes Of
navigation. Tie necessities and characteristics
o! the trade OF the locality require the unlad-
ing OF merchandise ct vasioas points along the
coast between Mary island and sitka. and ii 10
not possible In practice TO enforce the strict
legal requirement. that . vessel shall proceed to
Sitka and duly enter before unloading any OF
her cargo. Mary island Is recommended as the
best site for the initial port Of tue peninsula
trade by the concurrent Judgment OF expert
enced officers OF customs. the revenue marine,
the coast survey. and the shipping and mercan-
tile interests.
The following points are also recon-
mended for ports OF delivery: wrangel.
Juneau, Kodiak, Sand Point on Popoff
island. and ounaiaska in the Aleutian
chain.
The officers OF the engineer corps in the
department OF the Columbia have been en-
gagged for some time past upon a map Of
Alaska. which is now well under way. As
is well known, there Is not . great deal
known about the geography OF this vast
region. and the map, IN consequences, will
prove of great value.
south Bend. Pacific County.
SorrH BEsp. June is-This place de-