The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-09-05
DECREASE in GOLD PRODUCTION
THE CAUSE.
FUTURE NOT A BRIGHT one
Whole Communities May Be Deserted
and Countries Lapse Into
Original State.

tion that the Alaskan gold fields are
beginning to show smaller yields will
doubtless make a difference in the
future development Of that country,
and congress to Ego slow" in
the matter Of legislative development
there. A decline of almost one-half
in the gold output for the current
year, and the further fact that dur
ing that time no new mines have been
discovered, will prove a sufficient
damper to the enthusiasm of people
who have been figuring that that
country was to produce an unlimited
supply of the precious metal; while
the inclemency and rigor of the sea
sons, will combine to reduce the tide
of immigration and at the same time
to diminish the number of people
already there. Evidently, Alaska is
about to go through it's most critical
period. If during the next year or
two the gold supplies are still short,
IL NOuAASA ~ NC 0uLlO4Vu p1dCllCdle
~ to relapse into it's original state.
Whole cities and towns in man. in
stances will be abandoned, the ma
chinery of federal government will
be simpliied, wagon roads will be
given up. steamboats, will be allowed
to rot at their mornings, and the Eng
1ish speaking population, which has
gone there in such great numbers
during the past few years, will return
to milder ATTITUDES farther south. In.
directly. this threatened d%ecadence
of the Alaskan peninsula will affect
the business of the thriving citiesSon
Puget sound, which have become i'm
mense Quitting points for the far
northwest. But fortunately for these
cities. the oriental trade is now as
Stunning such satisfactory proportions
to insure their future beyond a
peradvehture.
Unieashing the Postmaster.
The recent order by Assistant Post
master General Wynne, defining the
lengths to which postmasters may go
in their desire to render service to
the political party of their choice, is
based upon a letter written by Presi-
dent Roosevelt, and therefore correct
ly interprets the views of the admin
istration on this important question.
Under some of the presidents post
masters, as well as other federal Of
fee holders. have practically been de-
prived of many CT their inherent
as citizens, and required to
maintain a pose of absolute neutral
ity and non-combativeness in each
succeeding political campaign. Ac-
cording to President Roosevelt's way
of thinking, however, the federal Of
fee holder has rights as a citizen and
broad lines, to exercise them. For
instance, it will now be permissible
for postmasters-and that ruling will
apply to all federal ,employes-to join
political clubs, attend political con
ventions as delegates, and, should
they desire to do SO, to contribute to
campaign funds. They ought not,
however, in the presidents judgment,
to become unduly active in campaign
work. In other words, he would not
have them acting as the chairman of
political conventions, or of campaign
committees, or in other ways setting
the pace within their parties as lead
ers. But as followers-high privates
in the rea ranks-they have full
rights and will be protected in their
exercise.
This new ruling is much more lib
eral than any that has been made
on this question for many years, and
it will be welcomed by thousands of
postmaster, big and little, in all parts
of the country.
MURDERED BY ROBBERS.