The record-union., 1891-04-21
Changes Being Made in the
Customs Department.
GOVERNOR KNAPP'S ACTION SUR
PRISES THE PRESIDENT.
Liquor Allowed to be Landed and Sold
to Saloon-keepers I'm Violation or
Law-The Senate Committee Decides
Not to Visit Alaska on Account OF
the Expense Attached to the Trip.
Special to the RKcoRp-US1ox.


WASHINGTON, April 2O.-Edward II.
Hatch, recently appointed Collector Of
Customs for the District of Alaska. has
promised to appoint as Deputy Collector
at Juneau Frank A. Ward of Astoria. Or.
The Treasury officials believed that the
present deputy at Juneau was implicated
In the violation of the liquor law for
which Pracht was removed. 1t is be-
lieved that he allowed the entry of LIQUORS.
well knowing that they were intended
for the use of saloons. It is said that I'm
Juneau, town of about l,5O0 people.
there have been forty-eight saloons i'm
luIl blast and no attempt whatever has
been made by the public officials to sun
press them.
1t is also understood at the Treasury
department that this Deputy, as well as
the District Attorney and Territorial
Judge, are bondsmen for several saloon-
keepers.
SO far no other appointments have been
agreed upon. Collector Hatch will be
! influenced by the Oregon delegation. all
of whom are now in this city. in CHOOSING
his deputies. Two additional deputies
Will be designated by him to be stationed
at new ports.
Senator Plumb is backing q Kansas
man FOR one OF the places, and Represent
ative Lind will also secure one apnoinf-
ment from Minnesota.
a member from one of the Pacific
! coast States gives conversation he had
| with the President few days ago. before
he left for the West. The President was
| greatly surprised at the action of Gov
ernor Knapp of Alaska. He had known
knapp for years as one of the temperance
| agltators of Vermont. The President had
great confidence in his man for Governor.
| taking occasion, about the time he was
| appointed, to praise him to some Pacific
Coast members. Latterly the President
| recalled how well he was pleased with
Knapp when he appointed him, and
alluded TO his tiagrant violation of the
law IN way showing that he was greatly
astonished at the recent developments.
1t IS believed that several more Alaska
| o1ilclals Will be removed shortly. A Pa
citic Coast Senator said to-day, that he
| had just received letter from an ac-
| qualntance in Alaska stating that the
! people of that Territory would send
strong petitions to Congress early next
session asking that the laws regulating
the importation and sale of liquors be 50
changed as to allow Alaska to have sa-
looms. The Senator doubted very much
whether Congress would favor them with
such legislation, and he said that the
Alaska people would find it difficult to
get anyone to introduce such bill in
| Congress.
Senator Platt is authority for the state
ment that the special Senate committee
appointed to visit Alaska had decided
not TO make the trip. 1t was found that
| 1t would cost an immense amount of
| money to charter special steamer, and
to make the trip by a regular steamer
would be very unsatisfactory. They
would be able to get to Alaska and re-
turn by the regular line, but, being there,
they would not have the facilities for
travelling from one point 10 another. 1t
is said that Senator Platt, as Chairman of
the committee, was influenced by the
| adverse criticism of the press to abandon
| the trip,