The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-29
CALL 1T ROBBERY.
THEY SAY CANADA DAN NETER COL
LECT HER OUTRAGEOUS TAXES.

Miners West Ray Register Fees. Annual Assess-
nsnts. and Royalties or no 70 10 Per Cent.
on All Cola Mined Canada Will Keep
Every other Claim to work for Herself.
OTTAWA. Ont, July 2s.-For two days the
Dominion Cabinet has been In session discussing
plans for the organization Of the Yukon district,
and at the close Of tho final sitting, late last
night, tho Governments policy was settled.
Tho most important decision arrived at 10 to
impose q tax. or royalty, upon the output Of the
placer d~igginga. Under the regulations recently
issued the fee for registering q claim was fixed
at Sl5. while an annual assessment Of 800 was
to be paid by the holder. Now. in addition to
this, a royalty Of 10 per cent. will DO levied upon
the output Of all claims yielding $500 and under
to each claim and 20 per cent. upon each claim
yielding over that amount
Among those posted in such matters tho
opinion Is freely expressed that It will DO i'm
possible TO SO supervise tho output Of these
thousands Of Individual claims as to collect
royalty upon tho exact yield. Another obstacle
to its collection 10 the fact that the mines all lie
within q comparatively short distance Of the
boundaries. There Is nothing to prevent tho
miner from carrying the bulk Of his gold dust,
on the quiet, down tho river to tho boundary
line. and once in American territory he is out of
the jurisdiction Of tho Canadian tax collector.
In addition to the royalty every alternate
claim in all placer grounds is to be reserved az
the property of tho Government These Gov
eminent reserves are to DO sold or worked by
the Government for the benefit Of the revenue
of the Dominion. This is considered q startling
departure from all the traditions Of placer
mining the world over.
Two customs officers will DO despatched to Q
point near Lake Tagish, where all goods sent in
by tho Taiya route (Chilkoot Pass) can DO inter
copied. At this point also o strong mounted
police post will DO erected and the strength Of
the Yukon police will be AUGMENTED by an addi-
tional detachment of eighty men. Small police
posts will DO established about fifty miles apart
up to Fort selkirk. These will servo as stations
for the dos trains carrying mails and also for
tho relief Of such travellers as may mako the
journey overland during tho winter.
Thore will DO established o regular monthly
mail service between Taiya and Fort Selkirk.
The Government has also determined to test the
feasibility of connecting Dawson City with
Taiya by means of q telegraph line. Should IL
be found impracticable to construct an ordinary
overhead system Q species Of land cable may DO
employed to convey the wiro laid on the sur
face.
In the meantime the survey for Q route over
land from Taiya will DO pushed with all expedi-
tlon. and upon tho surveyors report will do
pend the carrying out Of the proposal Of con-
structing a wagon road through the country at
least to the head Of uninterrupted navigation
on the Yukon River. Diplomatic communica-
ton will be entered into with the United States
authorities for the purpose of establishing q
modus rirendi SO as to give the Canadian Gov
eminent the right Of way through the country.
SEATTLE. July 2s.-Inquiry among miners as
to what effect the rules established by the OF
tawa Government yesterday will have in the
Klondike country elected the statement that 1t
would cost 80 per cent. to collect royalty
and all the mounted police in Canada to
enforce the law. While 1t deters mono from
going to the Klondike. the Government will
have a sweet time collecting what il designated
as one of the most outrageous taxes ever levied
upon industrious. hardworking people.
These are the sentiments Of the American as
well as British Columbia miners who have
apent the best years Of their life in prospecting
the country and opening its riches to the world.
"In the first instance" they say. We are re-
quired to pay $15 for permission to mine; In
the second place we are compelled to pay in
work or money 500 in the way Of annual assess
ment, and finally Ottawa wants to seize 800
out OF every $500 we earn. Drawing 1t mildly.
It is not taxation; it is downright robbery"
SAN FRANCISCO, CAL. July 2s.-Much indig-
nation has been aroused here by the action of
Canada in trying to grab everything on the
klondike. The Bulletin this evening says:
Canada cannot very well hold on to all the
gold In the k!ondlke, but the dominion Govern
ment will put a royalty on claims and gather In
us largo n share az possible. Let the dominion
statesmen go on II they think there Ii no such
thing as manifest destiny"
The evening Report says: "The news about
the imposition Of a mining tax BY the Canadian
Government suggests that a war vessel Do sent
TO Dawson City without loss OF time"
The Chronicle says: The dominion Govern
mont has thrown fairness and caution to the
winds and gone TO the unexpected length OF I'M
posing a royalty on all placer digg1ngs on the
Yukon besides u $lo registration Zee aho
Sloo annual assessment fhe royalty hamcn
rs 10 per cent on claims. win an output Oh
5000 or less monthly ana ~ per cent on every
claim Yielding ABOVE tnat amount ADDITION
ally inc "o'erhheh1 WIN reserve overy aiter