The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-03-29
MILL bottle UP noID|E.
IypoCITOUe EyYECF % 1n8 1Eo-
LIE RAILWAY LAND CaAA



OTTAWA. March A--The addresses de-
iyersd By the mInerS delegates from Daw-
son before q meeting Of the senators OF
Canada yesterday constituted the most
telling indictment Of the governments Yu-
kon railway policy which has yet been
heard. E. J. Liyefnash. formerly Assist
an, editor Of the San Franc:sco Examiner.
vas the principal speaker. Il u no undue
compliment to Mr.. Lyefnazh 70 aay that
he IL one Of the smartes& and ablest
speakers who ever addressed . parliA-
mentary committee In Ottawa. At the
outset Senator SNOWFALL sought TO dis
credit him by asking him II be Ueso an
alien.
Mr. Livernash's a1gumeuts were ad-
duced from his own practical expestenca.
He said he had gone up 10 the Yukon coun-
try for more than one object. Ono vas
that he weighed only - pounds and Of
course wanted to weigh more: The other
was that he wanted to set . mime. He
described the awful hardshlps Of trans
portasion In the Kloudike country. The
three delegates had Travelled 60 miles on
foo; over Ice and snow with deg trains.
They knew how much a dog could draw
and how much swearing was required to
get him to carry anything.
Considering the circumstances Of the
country. q railway TO be bull, to accom-
pIish the purpose for which II was de-
signed should afford free access to and
egrsss from the Yukon. II should assist
In the development Of the country. not to
discourage Il.
All the Official reports showed that the
Teslin route could not be available for
longer period than five months In the
year SO that for seven months the railway
would be Absolutely OF ne use. During
that seven months miners and their sup
plies would go by way OF Dyea and Skag-
way because 1t was 300 miles shorter than
by the Stickeen route. The tolls which
would be imposed on the Stickeen railway
under the present bill must evidently b
OF prohibi,ory character for ten years
at any rate. and then there would still be
high transportation tolls on the steam
boats As the latter would be tied up for
seven months in the year.
The most important proposition they had
10 submit was the price the country 10
going TO pay for this toy tramway. They
had come out as the representatives Of
men who desired to protest against the
reduction In size Of miners claims. TO pro-
test against the reservation of alternate
claims by the government. and to protest
against the granting OF timber limits 10
outsiders. whose sole object would be to
hold up the miner.
II anything were designed TO kill the
Klondike country. this bonus to Mann and
Mackenzie would do IL. II the bill passed
In Its present shape IL would be impossible
to mine al profit. and would lead to the
depopulation Of the country.
Mr. Livernash pointed out how little OF
the Klondike had been prospected. The
men there were working on an area OF
$4,000 square miles. and yet the govern
ment OF Canada proposed to give for this
railway four times that area.
Sueatfpu Of the ANTIQUITIES of svo{nip.r 10,
the Yukon. he said he had seen workings
down TO depth OF sixty feet which never
got below the frost line. Fue. was an
absolute necessity TO the miner. and as
Messrs. Mann and Mackenzie were to be
the owners OF the timber on the lands they
reserved. they might just as well take the
mines. Fuel today was costing the miner
IS per cord and the position Of affairs was
such that the contractors could impose
any terms they saw Ct.
He contrasted the mining conditions In
Alaska. where there Is only royalty OF
I per cent, with the 10 per cent. charged
by Canada. lie showed how. In conjunc-
ton with the mining regulations the con-
tractors could with their movable base tine
blanket all the valuable territory In the
Yukon. Let the Dominion government
strike the alien IL they pieased--he could
not object to that-but let them give the
poor Canadian a chance.
The delegates counted Upon the senate to
see that this measure WAS SO amended as
TO give relief 10 the miner. and not TO
harass and annoy him and finally drive
him out OF the country where he is now
attempting 10 lay the foundation OF his
home.
Mr. L.verpas1's address made a great
impression upon his hearers The center
OF interest in parliament this week is trans
ferred 10 the senate chamber, where the
fate Of the Yukon bill will be settled at
she close OF the debate there which began
on Tuesday upon the second reading of the
bill. There Is much speculation A. 10 thu
attitude Of fha senate towards the meas
ure. A month ago the great majority OF
the senators were openly and frankly hos
tile 10 the bsl bat many who were then
opposed have altered their opinion I'm re-
spect tn the contract and may he ciassed
as kuppnrting the EoYcrnrlfnf