The record-union., 1897-07-20

OF the territory thirty years ago, be-
cause of the meager population and the
apparent lack of necessity for such
legislation
In the course of a recent conversation
with a correspondent on this subject
Representative Lacey of Iowa, who was
Chairman Of the Committee on Public
Lands in the last Congress, said:
suppose that the reason no legis-
lation has been had to remove some of
the anomalous conditions which exist
IN Alaska was because the Committee
on Territories had its time fully Occu-
pied with other matters and the Com
mittee on Public Lands has not thought
IT eXpedient to take action in regard to
land legislation there until after some
further general legislation respecting
the government of the Territory has
been enacted Our committee. how
ever, did recommend the passing of a
bill for the establishment of a land Of
flee al Juneau and the House passed it,
but the Senate did not act on it,
Juneau is a town of several thou
sand inhabitants. some 5000 l believe,
and l am Informed that it is a thriving
place, containing a number of substan-
tial brick buildings for business pur-
poses, and so on, and that all the i'm
provements stand on the public lands
OF the United States, the owners being
simply squatters. / am also informed
tnat there is no legal authority to levy
and collect taxes. or for officials to re-
ceiVe and disburse such taxes if col
lected. Whenever money is needed for
any public purpose the hat is passed
/ have always been averse to legislation
providing full-fledged Territorial Gov
ernment for Alaska, with a Delegate to
Congress, and so on, but conditions there
appear to have been changed rapidly
during the last two or three years and
it is possible the time has come when
the subject ought to be dealt with by
Congress-
1t is not improbable that Major Lacey
viii visit Alaska after the adjourn
ment of Congress and try by personal
investigation and observation what leg
lslatlon in regard to the public lands in
that Territory would be expedient and
wise in order to meet existing condi-
tions
EFFECT ON SILVER QUESTION.
WASHINGTON, July 10. = Quite
viii be the effect of the Alaskan gold
discoveries on the silver question Most
of them We're inclined to the belief that
the possible production of the new
gold country had been greatly exagger-
ated for the benefit of the transporta-
tion companies and local supply COM
panies. Senator Allison when asked
about the situation, said: IF the pro-
duct of gold in Alaska is really enor-
nous it would, of course, tend to ap-
proXimate the value of gold and silver
but the output would have to be un-
precedented to have much effect, for
our output of gold is very large, you
must remember
Another authority said without hest
tation that there could be possibly no
effect upon the monetary situation un-
less the discoveries of gold We're so
as to take gold out of the
list of precious metals. He explained
the situation by saying: Speaking in
round numbers, the gold product of
the world from the discovery of Amer
lea until now is about $4,000, 600, 600.
The actual coinage of gold now
to about 81 ,0O0,000 900. There
are S2,000,000. 600 approximately used
in the arts, but obtainable for coinage
purposes. Therefore it will be seen
that there is about $4,000, 900 600 worth
of gold in the world. From the founda-
ton of the Government to Christmas,
1894, the entire production of the Uni
ted States has been 81, 900 100000 The
highest rate Of production in any one
year was S65. 100000 in 1853, fol-
lowing the discovery of gold in Califor-
mia. For the year 1894 the United
States, Africa and Australia We're about
on a par in their gold production, each
representing about S40,000000. If
Alaska does as we'll any time within
the next ten years it will be extraor-
binary. That would be about l per cent.
of the present gold coinage and a still
proportion of our present gold
stock. The difficulty in expecting any
change in the ratio between gold and
silver from new fields like Alaska is
that the production of gold and silver
by weight is so dispropOrtionate that ii
would take mountains of gold to make
up the difference. The gold production
of 1894 for the whole world was less
than 5000. coo ounces. The United
States alone the same year produced
600 ounces of silver, and the
worlds product of the white metal was
over four times that amount, or twenty
times as much silver as gold, weight for
weight. If Alaska should prove as
much of a gold field as South Africa.
Australia and the United States put
ogether-something altogether improb-
albeit would help us to keep up the
gold exports and maintain the reserve,
but it would not disturb materially the
relations between gold and silver
GOLD DUST FROM CLONDYKE.
HELENA (Mont). July 19.-Eleven
thousand four hundred ounces of gold
dust from the C1ondyke diggings in
Alaska arrived here last night via the
Northern Pacific express from Seattle.
Ten thousand ounces were consigned 10
the American National Bank, this city,
and the balance to the United States
ASSAY office here. This morning the
treasure was delivered to the assay Of
flee to be melted and cast in bars. This
Alaska shipment, with about $4,000
received from placer mines in this vi
cinity to-day. makes the total receipts
at the assayers office in value about
NZ.GtlOO, OF IlOIe lIIdil dOdDAC bAiC AeAA
est previous receipts for one day.
California Dried Fruits.
NEW YORK, July 19.-California
dried fruits steady. Evaporated ap-
ples-Prime wire trays, 4MG43sc;
wood prime. 4&@5c: choime, sc; fancy,
51bc. Prunes, 3@71ac, as to size and
quality. Apricots-Royal, SQ9c; Moor
narl, 1oc PaacheS-Irnneeled 6mSc: