The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1899-06-15
SOME REASONS
Laurier Explains More Fully the
Canadian Governments
Position
Regarding the Refusal to Grant
Any More Yukon Railway
Franchises.
Canada Claims Pyramid Harbor
and Lynn Canal, But We
Have Possession.
Parliament Acted With Question
able Wisdom in the White
Pass Charter.

OTTAWA, Ont, June 13.-Promoters
Of half dozen Yukon railway schemes
now before parliament are grieyously
disappointed at the announcement of
the governments policy to stop the con-
struction of railways into the gold
fields pending the settlement of the
Alaska boundary dispute. "
Sir Wilfrid Laurier stated his posi-
ton more fully than he had done in
parliament. He said: ...."
while we do not object to any
scheme to build railway from waters
that are without doubt in Canadian ter
ritory, 70 the Yukon country, at the
present time most of the charters asked
for are to build railway along the
Dalton trail-that is to say from Pyra-
mid Harbor toward Dawson. At the
present time, Pyramid Harbor is in the
disputed territory. We claim the own
ership of it, and they have practically
possession of it, as they have of the
Lynn canal.
II believe it is 50 provided in the
charters asked for that they would have
to be supplemented by American legis-
lation, and 80 we should be providing
for railway communication from a har-
Dor that is practically now in possession
of the Americans, toward Dawson. If
we were to grant that we would only
be complicating the question of deter
mining the boundary between MS and
the Americans. If we were to grant
the charter. under which, as under
stand $3.50, 900 is already deposited, we
would build up an American city at
Pyramid Harbor and make it all the
more difficult to get back what we
claim belongs to us-that is to say, es-
tablish the boundary where it ought
to be. ..A
cat the present time the question be-
tween us and the American authorities
is as to the location of the boundaries
on the Lynn canal. We claim that the
+! boundary is at the entrance to the
Lynn canal, and that consequently the
whole of the Lynn canal belongs to us.
The Americans claim, on the other
hand, that the boundary passes around
| the Lynn canal, and that they should
be confirmed in the possession of Skag-
nay, which they now hold, Dyea and
Pyramid Harbor.
Acted With Questionable Wisdom.
''I think it is clear that parliament
acted with questionable wisdom, when,
in 1897, it granted charter to the Brit
ish Yukon Railway company, because
the consequence is that we have con-
tributed to the building up of Skaguay,
an American city, between which and
| Seattle there is great and increasing
| trade. American interests have been
established there and are increasing all
| the time, and we have met and are con-
stantly meeting and will constantly
meet until this question is determined,
the antagonism of powerful American
| interests 60 our contention for the set
| Element of the boundary.
eff we were to grant this new charter
| from Pyramid Harbor, we would create
on the other side of the Lynn canal still
| another American city, and If there
were an American city at Pyramid
| Harbor and another one at Skaguay, it
| is clear that when we come to settling
| that boundary, these powerful interests
! would weigh enormously at Washing
ton.
Therefore, we believe we ought to
! delay the granting of these charters
from Pyramid Harbor to the waters of
| the Yukon until the question of the
| boundary has been settled in some way.
When it is settled-and we hope it will
| be the decision that the Lynn canal be-
longs to us-and that Pyramid Harbor
| is ours-then we shall be in a position
! to grant charter from Pyramid Har-
Dor, as being in Canadian territory and
| there would be no need of an American
charter"
But" asked, ''in the event of arbi-
tratim being in favor of the American
| contention, would the Canadian govern
ment continue to discourage railway
construction from the Alaskan coast to
the Canadian YukonY'
'I must frankly admit" was the
prompt reply, "that if it be determined
by arbitration that the Lynn canal does
belong to the Americans, then the pol
icy of Canada will be to get access to
the Yukon. not by the Lynn canal, but
by building railways from the waters
/ of the Yukon down to where there is
| indisputaDly Canadian coast water.
That is the view which we would adopt
/ Ito have railway built which would
perhaps be longer, to Observatory Inlet,
through the Casiar district, the Atlin
! district and the Yukon district"
4 nth Man Wara nrnwuad-