Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-06


| careful attention to keeping it in a high
state of efficiency and repair. it is well
adapted to the necessities of the country
The great increase Of the Navy which
| has taken place in recent years was justi-
| fed by the requirements for national de-
| Tense, and has received public appreciation.
The time has now arrived. however. when
| this increase. to which the country is COM
| mittcd, should, for a time, take the form
| of increased facilities commensurate with
| the increase of our naval vessels. 1t is Al
| unfortunate fact that there is only one
dock on the Pacific Coast capable of dock
| ing our largest ships. and only enc on the
Atlantic Coast, and that the latter has for
| the last six or seven months been under
| repair and Therefore incapable of use. I'm
| mediate steps should be taken to provide
three or four docks of this capacity on the
Atlantic Coast. at least one on the Pacific
| Coast, and floating dock in the Gulf.
| This is the Recommendation of a very COM
| petent Board, appointed to investigate the
| subject. There should also be ample pro-
| vision made for powder and projectiles,
and other munitions of war, and for an
| increased number of officers and enlisted
men. Some additions are also necessary to
our navy-yards for the repair and care of
our larger number of vessels. As there are
now on the stocks five battleships of the
largest class, which can not be completed
for year or two, 1 concur with the recon-
incubation of he Secretary of the Navy for
| an appropriation authorizing the cn~s,ruc
ton of one batteship for re Pacific Coast
where, at present there is only one in COM
mission and one under construction while
! On the Atlantic Coast there are three in
| commission and four under construction:
and also that several torpedo boats be au-
thorized in connection with our general
system of coast defense.
! ATTENTION TO ALASKA.
The Territory of Alaska requires the
prompt and early attention of Congress.
The conditions now existing demand ma
terial changes in the laws relating TO ;i,s
Territory. The great infiuv Of population
during the nast summer and fall and the
prospect of a still larger immigration in the
| spring will not permit us to longer neglect
the extension of civil authority within the
Territory or postpone the establishment of
a more thorough government.
A general system of public surveys has
not yet been extended to Alaska and all
entries thus far made in that district are
upon special surveys. The act of Congress
extending to Alaska the mining laws of the
United States contained the reservation
force the general land laws of the country.
By act approved March ,, 1871, authority
was given for entry of lands for town-site
purposes AID also for the purchase of not
exceeding one hundred and sixty acres
then or thereafter occupied for purposes of
| trade and mani facture. The purpose of
| Congress as thus far expressed has been
that only such rights should apply to that
Territory as should be specifically named.
| 1t viii be seen how much remains to be
done for that vast and remote and yet
promising portion Of our country. Special
authority given to the President by
the Act of Congress approved July "a, 1891
| to divide that Territory into two land dis
| tricts and to designate the boundaries
| thereof and to appoint registers and sur-
| veyors of said land offices, and the Presi-
dent was also authorized to appoint a sur
veyor-general for the entire district. Pur-
suant TO this authority, surveyor-general
and receiver have been appointed, with
| offices at Sitka. If in the ensuing year the
conditions justify it, the additional land
| district authorized by law will be estab-
| lisned, with an office at some point in the
Yukon Valley. No appropriation however,
was made for this purpose. and that is now
necessary to be done for the two land dis
tricts into which the Territory is to be
divided.
| l concur with the Secretary of War in
| his suggestions as 10 the necessity for
| military force in the Territory of Alaska
| for the protection of persons and property.
| Already small force, consisting of TWEEN
| ty-five men, with two officers, under COM
mand of Lieutenant-Colonel Randall, of
| the Eighth Infantry, has been sent to st.
| Michael to establish military post.
l x tn he M
to encourage the development and settle
| n"ent of the country and its duty to follow
| up its citizens there with the benefits of
| legal machinery, l earnestly urge upon
| Congress the establishment of a system of
! government with such fieXibility will
! enable it to adjust itself to the future areas
| of greatest population.
| The startling though possibly exaggerated
| reports from the Yukon River country of
| the probable shortage of food for the large
number of people who are wintering there
without the means of leaving the country
are confirmed in such measure to justify
| bringing the matter TO the attention of
Congress. Access to that country in winter
can be had only by the passes from Dyea
| end vicinity, which is a most difficult and
| perhaps an impossible task. However
| should these reports of the suffering of our
| fellow-Citizens be further verified, every
| effort at any cost should be made to carry
| them relief.
THE NATIONS WARDS.
| For a number of years past it has been
| apparent that the conditions under which
| the Five Civilized Tribes were established
| in the Indian Territory under treaty pro-
visions with the United States with the
| right of self-government and the exclusion
| CT all white persons from within their bor-
ders, have undergone complete a change
| as to render the continuance of the system
! thus inaugurated practically impossible.
| The total number of the Five Civilized
| Tribes, SHOWN by the last census is A.
! 494, and this number has not materially in
| creased; while the white population is esti-
| mated at from 2OO,OOO to 100000 which by
permission of the Indian Government has
settled in the Territory. The present area
| of the Indian Territory contains %, 60, 564
| acres much of which is very fertile land.
| The United States citizens residing in the
| Territory, most of whom have gone there