Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-07-19

United BtateP nnd great Britain as the
result nt the recent gold discoveries ia
Alaska has become appafsnt 20 The
state department. Senator DAVIS Of
the Senate foreign affairs committee
has been requested TO secure tho Inn
mediate ratification OF treaty IOt
uetofminiug the boundary line be.
tw.en Canada and Ai'ske, In order TO
lessen the probable difficulty. Chair
man Davis has announced his inieD-
tiop Of calling this treaty up Tor action
at the uext exeouivI setsion o. the
senate. There Ie said to De no obi &C.
ton, and prompt. ratification Ia .x'
pected.
LEGISLATORS PH INK OF ALASKA.
New York, July ia special to
the Tribune from WasMnston say:
Tho increasing nuulber OF gold.
seezers In the Yukon basin, OF only In
the KlJnuyke region IN British
Columbia bu! In Alnska, has i'm
presaed the g0vernment In WASH
iugton with the necessity Of
reinforcing the agencies oil gov
ernment from the latter. From Or.
Gle City in the Yukon during tho last
few months have CONS to the III al
urxeut appeals aud demands u have
tue mineral land laws OF the United
States exle dded over the BurrOu Huin L
region, and 1t 10 probable that in his
first message to Congress Secretary
Bliss OF tho inierior department VIII
approve the recommendation oil CJm-
missioner Herman OF tho general
land I'll 70 that this be done, and ais }
that u iuily equipped iocsl land Office
1 A. ~
course neither of tue thiags can b :
done until authority is given by Con.
gtsss. Among members Of that bod
q strong indlspOsitiJn has been mani
fest toward the extension Of The power
and agencies OF civil government over
Alaska ever since the acquisition OF
the Territory thirty years ago. b.
cause OF the m ager population ami
the apparent Iack of necessity for such
10 Aisiatiun.
L. the course OF recent converse.
ton with Correspondent on this su b.
loot, Representative Lacy OF Iowa,
who " 40 chairman OF the committee
on public lands III the last CJhg ress,
| said: 81 suppose that one reason nj
| legislation b ss been had to remove SOM
| OF the anomalous cOnditlo 20 which ex.
| ist In Alaska WAS because the COM
mittee on territories had Its time fully
occupied with other matters and the
| ommittee on public lands has not
| thought It expedient 10 take action in
| regard 10 lsDd leg Station there until
| alter some further general Liquidation
| respecting the government OF the tel
ritoIy mas been enacteJ. Our commit-
| tee, however, did recommend the pass.
ing OF = bill Tor the establish me mt Of y
| land Office at Juneau, and the HOuse
| passed II, but the Senate did not act
on IL. juneau Is q town OF several
tnuu.and inha oits nts, some 3, 600 be-
| Iievt, and am informed that IL lie @
| thriving place containing number oil
substantial brick buildings for busi.
ness purposes ami 50 on, aud thai all
| the i'm improvements sSanu on the public
lands OF the United States, the ow neTs
being simply fquatterS. am aiao In
formed that there 10 no legal authority
to levy anu collect taxes,or Tor officials
to receive and Iisburoe such taxes II
| collected. Whenever money Is need ID
| for a3y public purpose the hat !,
~ sisi. have always been averse t.
legislation providing Iull.h IIged terri,
trial government tor AiasRo, with q
delegate ~ C0pgress anu 30 on, hui
cOnuitiOns there appear to have bosn
changing rapidly uuring the last three
or four yesrs, anu II 10 possible that
the timp has come when the suit &c
ought to be uesit with by Congress.
| is not improbable that Major La.
cey will visit ALASKA after the ad j0urn'
ment Of COngfets aud ascertain by
personal ihvesiIRstlon and observation
what legislation Ia regard to this pub
Ito lands IN that territory would bi
expedient anu wiss In order 10 m.e
existing conditions.