The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-11-28

II.
ness. II at the end of the year he
finds he has done more business than
he expected to when he commenced he
IS required to pay up to what he
should have paid in the first instance.
| This would seem to be a very loose
| better In the towns than might be ex-
pected. In the incorporated towns,
which have form Of government SIM
liar to that common in the states and
of which believe there are only seven
or eight. an additional property tax
may be levied for municipal purposes.
| or the occupation tax collected by the
federal authorities one-half collected
| in the towns goes to the town treas
| urles FOR local purposes and of the
| other half one-half is available for
school purposes, and the other fourth
OF the whole may be used In the same
way If needed. The result Of this is
that practically all the money col
lected In the form of an occupation
tax on establishments located in the
towns goes into the town treasures
OF the money collected outside the in
corporated towns, and that is a large
percentage of the whole, as 1t includes
the fisheries, the largest industry In
Alaska up to this time, one-half is set
apart for schools, for Indians as we'll
as whites. Out of the other half is
| paid the expenses Of the courts, and
the balance Is turned into the treasury
! OF the United States. Part of it comes
! back in the shape of, salaries to fed
eral officers In the district, but that is
| not fair charge against Alaska, as
| the salaries of federal officers are all
paid out Of the federal treasury whether
u ~
or territories. The net result is that
large sum Is turned into the federal
treasury annually from the occupation
tax. One officer Of the court estimates
this sum at $s5o,ooo for the year 1902.
That is to say, the tax remaining the
same, the incorporated towns could
have had all the tax collected in them,
the expenses Of the courts could have
been paid and there would have been
available for the territorial govern
ment s350,000 as revenue.
Whether these figures are altogether
correct or not they are approximately
SO and the Alaskan naturally feels that
he is not given square deal when the
great, big United States pockets a large
sum in the way Of excess revenue from
direct tax levied upon him and de-
clines to give him home rule because it
would cost too much.
L
ID discussion of the political or
governmental situation in
Alaska when / commenced with an
entirely different purpose in mind. I /
first thought of Governor Brady in
connection with his splendid garden
around his residence in Sitka and it's !
value as an object lesson in what are
the agricultural possibilities of
Alaska. "Can they raise anything but |
icebergs up in that cold country?" is
question l have been requested to
| answer many times and I presume it
has arisen in the minds Of some who
have followed my story of the sena-
torial trip thru Alaska. OF course,
Governor Brady's garden is not ex-
actly a fair test Of what can be done
in this respect in Alaska because 1t is
not in Alaska proper, but on an island
where the climate is much milder
| than it is in Minneapolis. The tenn
perature rarely reaches zero at Sitka.
On the 18th Of July saw in Governor
Brady's garden several varieties of
potatoes, all Of which looked exceed
ingly thrifty and some of which had
been producing fine-looking tubers,
ripe enough for use, for several
weeks; large patch of splendid rasp-
berries, little past their prime; large
red currants, ripe Strawberries of SUI
perior quality and size, fine cabbages,
caulifower, lettuce, radishes, turnips
ter; peas and beans and celery, and
practically all the vegetables that
thrive in our Minnesota gardens and
some that do not; while the flower
garden was gorgeous in variety and
richness of color. Governor Brady
takes great pride In his garden Of
about two acres, and doubtless could |
derive considerable revenue from it if |
he desired; but, as already stated, this |
would not signify much as to the pos
sibilities of the interior of Alaska if |
it were not reinforced by personal OBJ
servation and a great deal of concur
growth of food and forage plants
beyond the coast range.
The Importance of successful agri-
culture and stock raising to the deyel- |
opment of the mineral resources of |
the country is obvious and to this point
the senatorial committee directed spe-
cial attention. It was of importance
for instance to learn on our way to
Dawson that the raising Of potatoes,
and cabbage and turnips, and of oats, !
barley and rye for forage has become
so profitable at Ft. Selkirk on the
Yukon as to induce several farmers to
engage there in that business for the
Dawson market. At Eagle, where TT.
Egbert is situated, 100 miles north
west of Dawson, the commandment has |
a garden Of four or five acres, where
the soldiers raise potatoes tiIr1lips, |
cabbages, peas, lettuce, radishes and |
other vegetables for their own use. At |