Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-02-08
Commission Asks ThatLaWS
be Passed.
AN ABSOLUTE NECESSITY
For the Protection of the People and
P~rOperty--If BubOnic Plague Broke
Out the Death List Would be a
Very Large One,

New York, Feb. S.-A special to the
Tribune from Washington says: A large
delegation from Alaska is here urging
congress to enac some legislation under
which a government may be organized
in that territory under which a govern
ment may be organized in that territory
as soon as the rush to the gold fields be-
gins in the spring. Among the dele
gates is Governor John G. Brady, w. l..
Distin, surveyor general; VIM. A. Kelly.
supervisor of the census; o M. Price,
who was appointed a delegate by a mass
convention of miners; Richard F. Lewis,
a business man of Juneau; Mr.. Wash
burn, nag of the Afaska CONNER
ola company; Louis Sloss, Jr., a busi-
ness man from Skaguay, and Father
Garnum, a Roman Catholic missionary,
who spent many years in Alaska, but
who is now librarian of the Georgetown
university.
These men make requests for legisld-
ton that they claim is absolutely neces-
sary for the protection of the people and
the preservation of the peace. They ask
first for the establishment of courts at
st. Michael or Cape Nome, at Eagle City
and at Juneau or Skaguay. There is
now only one count in the territory and
the people are compelled to go 1000 miles
and often q longer distance and to re-
main away from their homes several
months n sometimes q year, when they
moned az witnesses.
The delegation from Alaska asks for
other Legislation, particularly authority
to organize municipal governments.
which cannot be done under the present
statutes. Towns OF 1850 and 1000 al
ready exist by suffrance n they are
governed by officials selected without
authority of the law. There are no
county, township or municipal ~organfza-
ticns in Alaska, no school districts, no
police, no fire departments. no power to
make roads or streets or to enforce order
or sanitary conditions except by common
consent and where money il needed for
these purposes it is raised by subscrip-
ton. Before June l, it is expected that
the town of Cape Nome will contain TO-
900 Inhabitants n it is scarcely pos
sible that so large a community can be
lty. -
Already the sanitary conditions are
said to be dreadful. Before the last
boat left there was an epidemic of ty-
phoid fever. n there is no telling how
tar it has extended. There Is no sewer
age. no method of dispostng of garbage
and offal n the water is bad naturally.
Most of the supply used for drinking and
cooking is taken from a river which flows
through at least two mining camps and
receives nearly all their filth and refuse.
If the bubonic plague, which has already
reached the Hawaiian islands should be
communicated to Cape Nome the situa-
ton would be desperate and thousands Of
lives would pay the penalty.
The commission asks for a%ppropria-
tons for the opening of roads, for
schools, for postoffices, mails, prisons
and for other purposes. The United
States government now collects a reve-
nue. OF from $3.50, 900 to $500. 900 a year by
taxation, which goes into the treasury at
Washington and not more than half of
1T is expended for the benefit of the peo-
pie who pay these taxes. Not a dollar
of the taxes collected in Alaska can be
expended for any purpose without an ex-
act and specific appropriation by the
members of congress of whom So per
cent have never been within 5000 miles
of the territory and most O. whom have
only a agu idea of the conditions ex-
listing there.