The San Francisco call., 1899-08-02
PERKINS TALKS
Of HIS TRIP TO
GOLDEN ALASKA
Is San guine for Civil
Government.
HIGH LICENSE AND RAILROADS
THE SENATOR DISCUSSES CON-
TRACT LABOR IN HAWAII.
He Blames Senator Morgan for the
Existing State of Things,
Which, He Says, Is
Temporary.
THE SENATOR DISCUSSES CON
TRACT LABOR IN HAWAII.

United States Senator George c. Per-
kins is back from visit 10 Alaska. Inc
Congressional party that accompanied
him to the far north had a most .enJoyaoIe
trip, and II is safe 10 say that the leg1s-
lators now know more about Alaska thah
they did when Congress adjourned.
The Senator was a busy man while he
was in the north. He addressed the
Chambers of Commerce at Sitka and Jul
neau on Civil Government for Alaska
attended a reception given in his honor py
Governor Brady Of Alaska, visited SKag-
uay and inspected the railroad over W mite
Pass and took a keen interest in every
thing that was going on in the country
At last winters session Of Congress
civil government bill for Alaska was IN
troduced, but failed to pass. A new Dill
has been prepared. which will be present
ed at the next session, and Senator Per
kfns is sanguine that It will become law
In order to obviate the causes OF failure
in the first bill" said the Senator yester-
day, we submitted the draft OF the new
one TO the District Attorneys OF AIasha
and the Chambers of Commerce at Juneau
and Sitka They have suggested num-
Der Of changes, and when these nave oeen
incorporated 1 think the bill Will become
law. , :.
High license is working like a charm in
Alaska Formerly there were eight sa-
looms in Sitka and now there are only TWO.
OF course the people WIZ ltdNC pau -
license won't allow the others TO Violate
the law. and in consequence smuggLng Is
almost a thing of the past in the Ierrl-
tory. ,-,
and Central Alaska. The railway from
that point over the White Horse Pass 10
Lake Bennett is one OF the engineering
feats of the age. No more skill was re-
ouired in the construction Of the Denver
and Rio Grande The road is as substan-
TALLY built as any Of the transcontlnental
roads The journey TO Dawson can now
be made in seven days and without any
hardshipS. ,
Speaking of the Alaska boundary dis
mute the Senator said: Il think the matter
will be amicably settled without arbitra-
ton There is nothing to arbirate. IL
would be Just as reasonable for US 10 IN
sist upon, taking up the olo 9a DouIudnd oId
Canada again and declare our dissaus-
faction with the forty ninth degree or
latitude. England long ago recognIze9i Ihe
boundary for which we are cOntendlng
She did this when the Hudson Bay Com
pany (Which was practically Canaua at
that time) executed a lease for ten years
from Russia of the territory she Is now
cnntending for This lease was renewed
for a second term. so what better proof
could any one ask OF our oHnerS[hp :.
These lands which the Hudson Bay Com
pauv leased from Russia. and England
now seeks 10 lay claim to, We purchased
from Russia. There is nothing TO arpi-
trate''
In regard to the contract labor ques-
ton in Hawaii. Senator Perkins said:
The blame for all that trouble rests with
Senator Morgan of Alabama. He was
sent TO Hawaii to frame code for the
Government Of the islands. and had II
not been for his opposition the laws now
in force in the United States in regard to
contract labor would now be in force in
Hawaii.
Early in the last session of Congress /
introduced a contract labor law for Ha-
wall 1t was amended in the. Senate and
when it was getting near the time for
Congress TO adjourn / used every enort
in my power to have it pass. / had the
bill advanced on the file and everybody
was pledged TO vote for it. Congressman
Fairbanks agreed to bring it up in the
House and after its passage / had ar
ranged to rush it through the Senate and and
aeine my surprise and disgust when Nor
gan of Alabama objected to the pill and
it failed to pass. That is why Italians,
japanese. Portuguese. Chinese and Slavs
are pouring into Hawaii as contract Ia
bOTerS.
Senator Perkins is looking very much
better for his vacation and says he en-
ioyed every hour of his stay in Alaska
and on the Sound.