The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-09-10

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pc and pssvsuting psssssa Since then
there hes been but . snmbtancs Of evil
isv. ~ u vas ps0vidsa without consui-
tsstoa with Or coaseas oe the pecDle snecs-
ID. and without knoUieigs Of the actuai
wants ef the country by those snses'ng ",
this iav has been insdsasass and unas-
issaesory from the beginning For We
tie or no better. The people themselves
should b given larger political powers.
Their municipalities shoud b. made eqnaa
10 thoss OF like bodies IN the states. They
should have additional courts Of justice.
A. far ~ possible the people should be
made ssif-goyerning. a. al American esti-
ssns want 30 b.. In the Distribution OF
government school patronage the WHITES
should not b dlsrtminased against In
favor Of the Indiana
MN
A rTER waiting for . generation the
~ government has recently extended the
land iass Of the nation over AIasha. Here
tosore the people have simply taken sucn
land % they wanted and couIi obtain
without infringing UPON the suuaiiers
rights Of other Individuals. With the right
OF possession merely they have gone on
ali these years. have plated Their towns.
have bun, their wharyss. stores and
dwellings,. and have sold and resoId their
tor OF the people may be inferred from
this statement Such condition OF anairs
would be. intoierabis in Pennsylvsn'a,
Georgia or Washington. People VIII nEht
over land quicker. longer and harder than
over anything else. and 10 subject the
Aiasksns TO the troubles they have pesn
put % In this way was cruel indeed
The Inability 10 legally acquire land mas
been one Of the great hiadrances Of that
territory. IL has absolutely prevented Hs
AGRICULTURAL development M also has ths
prohibition of timber taking been great
wrong. nccessitatinG violation OF the law
by the officials appointed 10 enforce ". ~
we'll az by oil other residents. TX " under
stood that tho land laws are imperative
even now. owing TO lack OF surveys, ana
the enormous expenses connected with oe-
tanning title exceeding the value % an
ordinary farm In some q the states OF the
Union Whatever can be done TO lessen
these costs and bring the land within the
reach Of the people should te done prompt.
iy and every Official convenience accorded
them.
ny recently enacted law license fees are
put upon nearly all lines % business. They
are enormous and onsrous. The nine
saloons in skagway. for instance. pay each
81 800 per annum. Hotels, steamers. rner-
chants, professional men. al are heavily
taxed As there In no tax upon lana TINS
would not be had II the money was applied
20 local purposes~io schools, streets wa
terworks, lights and government. Instead
however, - IN dumped into tho FEDERAL
treasury and applied TO the general pur-
poses 81 the government from Maine 10
Manila from Seattle 10 Porto REQ. This
h up-Amcrican In principle and practice.
and ~ an outrage upon the citizens OF
Alaska The money obtained In this way
should. every dollar OF ~, be applied TO
satisfying the wants ~ the Aiaskans alone.
just as such tar money Ii applied To local
purposes atone In every other part Of the
Union.
~ oHsIpERABLE complaint In made
" OF the irregularities and insufgscien-
~ Of the mall service. During the eight
days prior 10 our arrival ri shaswsy
there had been no NATL from the south
and mons for the south. The trouble In
this respect II caused by the per- odicaI
bGnching OF the steamers. During An
gust, i've different steamers. making in
nll ten trips. carry the mail Instead Of
one going from either end Of the route
every three days, two ~ them frequently
leave the same day. and sometimes three
or four steamers within two or three
days We had an illustration Of THIS on
The down trip. when within two DAYS ve
met three ~ the mail steamers bound
north. namely. the city of Topeka, the
Eosniic ana the Cottage city A few
hours before va met ths Humboldt also
bound north These four vessels carried
the local newspapers, all punched TO-
Eeiher, there being none IN almost a
week before, and none In almost a week
after. During September the government
Will provide thirteen mall services each
way. II the steamers will arrange their
HgfR act 10 g..
this respect. there will be n mail every
other day both north and south. and no
cause for complaint.
We feel Ike Joining in the general COM
ment upon the lack ~ lighthouses along
tho route. There IL not one IN all Alaska.
with It's coast line axcesding that ~ all
other parts ~ the United States together.
Several nights the steamer upon which
We Travelled was compelled 10 anchor ON
account OF psrils which lights along the
shore would have removed. Coast survey
marks are heated IN many places. ana
ore ~ value In the day. but ~ nisht
there IL nothing. During half the v~sr
when the nights are long and dark when
there are foxs. clouds and rain. the isrh
81 lights IL serious matter costing the
mariner much time and steep, ana shin.
owners ana merchants large amounts for
insurance
" ~ to y" F~gr~FVeN fhaf this rnagvS-
cent waterway. extending from the had oe
Puget sound to the had ~ Lynn canal.
fio miles shielded Substantially the on
tire distance by ISLANDS from the hard
winds ana rough waters ~ the OCEAN, fs
not properly protected nv aids 20 naviss-
ton. there being no lighthouse north %
the boundary. The darkness az Alaska
f. the moro apparent and painful after
leaving the weli-iwhted coast - British
Columbla. With the lighthouses ~stab-
IisheS ara maintained recently recon-
r~nd@i by the Chamber ~ Commerce
these northern waters could Re safely
by ships ~ night az well "a nv
day the trip shortened ana The cost Of
transportation reduced
HrX
THE sse Of our country was 'o-n. '-s~
Nv floating throughout the Alaskan
settlements There IL svis.ntiy no ls-> de-
votsen 20 ~ there than here or elsewhe-~
Every suxreg'ion 81 flslovaisy ~ ~ a.-
sire for annexation 20 Canada vas prompt
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