Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-10
LAND GRABBING IN ALASKA.
Railroad Corporations Plugging for n
Large Slice.
San francisco Chronicle.

san Francisco Chronicle.
Several applications have been made to
congress during the session Just closed for
land subsidies blythe promoters Of rail
roads in Alaska. A half dozen such bills
introduced in the senate during the earlier
part Of the session, were referred to the
committee on public lands. They were
permitted to repose there undisturbed.
During the last days Of the session another
was added to the list, passing through the
same course. The bill grants the right-of-
way to the Valdes, Copper River & Yukon
Railway company from Port Valdes to
Eagle City. The latter place is on the
Upper Yukon, near the boundary line, and
convenient to Dawson City. But besides
the right of way. which follows the line
of the trail surveyed at the expense of the
government. the bill grants all alternate
sections Of the public domain within 1--WE
miles on each side of the road, or, In the
event the odd sections or parts thereof
shall have been previously homesteaded
or pre-empted within these limits, lieu
lands shall be selected within a belt OF
twenty miles, that is, Of ten miles on either
side of the railroad right-of-way. 1t is
stipulated in the bill, according to the tele-
graphic report received from Washington,
that the lands granted are to be exclusively
non-mineral, but for the purposes Of the
grant coal and iron are not to be con-
sidered minerals.
A similar bill was introduced into the
house on April 5 In behalf Of the same
corporation, the only difference In 1t being
that all unoccupied odd sections within the
belt described were applied for, irrespec-
tive OF the agricultural or mineral char
acter. The house made short work, how
ever, Of not only this but OF all other
railroad land subsidy bills before 1t, the
committee on public lands reporting ad-
versely on all Of them and declaring Itself
unqualihedly against r~evlving the old policy
Of subsidizing railroads.
Under cover OF a supposed military
necessity, congress granted in the sixties
an immense area Of the public lands to en-
courage railroad construction. The gran
tees were enormously enriched thereby,
Subsequently a reaction set In, and public
sentiment has since been unalterably OPP
posed to the policy. II any section OF
the territory under the jurisdiction of the
United States is a suitable field for rail
road building, the builder must rely upon
the legitimate business he can get out OF
It for his compensation. That policy is
fixed.
II railroad promoters thlnk that public
sentiment will be relaxed as to the dis
position OF the public domain in Alaska
because Of its remoteness from c~iviliza-
ton and the central seat Of government,
they are sadly mistaken. The people
have a fair appreciation OF the value OF
the public lands In that territory, where
not even the himsy excuse Of a military
necessity for a railroad can be advanced
to persuade the government to part with
them with the popular consent. The
elimination of mineral land, except coal
and iron, from the proposed grant does
not alter the conditions, Alaska is rich
in both coal and iron, and there are
doubtless big deposits of both in the belt
to be traversed by the Valdes. Copper
River & Yukon railway. or the promoters
OF the scheme would not exempt them IL
the classification. Besides, the country
has learned by experience that the exemp-
ton OF mineral land in railroad grants
is virtually meaningless in practice, as
vast areas OF the mineralized belts in this
state have passed into the possession OF
the subsidized railroads. Furthermore,
the timber and agricultural lands oi
Alaska are far too valuable to be given
away. 1t will not be many years before
bona hde settlers will be seeking these
lands in the territory, and the public do
main should not pass into the possession
of any one except actual settlers. When
congress eonvenes again the senate should
follow the example Of the house and put
a quietus to all Lame subsidy seeking for
railroads.