The San Francisco call., 1904-04-19

! of Alaska bills five of considerable I'M
portance were passed. These were the
bill extending the coal land laws to
Alaska and allowing such lands to be
staked in advance of a general survey;
| the municipal bill; bill providing for
| the creation of road districts and the
| local improvement of roads; a bill Gre
ating fourth judicial division, and.
| finally, the appropriation of $3.50. 900 for
wagon road from Valdez and $4,000
| for building a trail from the Yukon to
Coldfoot.
PLATT BLOCKS BILL.
| Except for the opposition of Senator
Platt of Connecticut a bill providing
for the election of delegate would at
least have been thoroughly discussed
that day and with a fair chance of it's
| passage, as the Senate was in a very
tractable mood toward Alaska. But
Senator Beveridge. chairman of the
Committee on Territories, as an argu-
ment to secure unanimous consent for
the consideration of Alaskan bills, had
promised that should any of the bills
offered provoke opposition he would
not urge them, and when Senator Platt
indicated a hostile temper toward the
bill Beveridge did not press it. Patter-
son, however, did. He was of the
| Alaskan Commission and he thought
that, the day having been set apart
for Alaska, 1t should be devoted to it,
If need be. to complete the business.
Patterson gaining his point for time,
Platt offered rather remarkable
amendment which provided that the
granting of such delegate did not i'm
ply that the district of Alaska would
I even at any time be admitted to the
Union as a State. AS this really meant
nothing except a show of hostility to
the district on the part of an indi-
vidual Senator and could not prevent
it's entrance into the Union when it
shall have become ripe for that dig
nifty, friends of the bill did not stop
to oppose the amendment, but accept
ed it promptly. However, debate was
shortly shut off by an executive ses-
sion, and that is the last that has
been heard of 1t on the Senate side.
But the little Alaska colony was ~on
the whole well pleased with the days
work.
In the House this delegate bill, on
which the @enate started in its good
work. has taken precedence of all
Alaska legis alton. 1t will almost GER
tainly pass shat body. 1t was the Oc-
casion of Seld day of debate in COM
mittee of tEe whole, in which Cush-
man of Washington led in the bills be-
half 1t discovered many friends But
1t did not coine TO a vote and has not
yet done sol 1t is held as sort of
buffer for the other legislation which,
If passed by that body, would repre-
sent something accomplished. 1t will
pass, but will represent nothing. The
bills that sailed so easily through the
Senate will die iB the House. The dele
gate bill, passing the House, will die
in the Senate. But that is not so la
mentable, for even should it pass the
President, it is said, would veto it. He
does not favor an elective delegate
from Alaska, believing that such dele
gate would but represent the big COM
mercial companies operating there.
The Senate would doubtless pass a
bill providing for an appointive dele
gate, but the House would not-so
there you are-with this regard.
The road from Valdez to Eagle, the
trail to Koyukuk. the fourth Judge and
certain amendments to mining laws
are the things desired at the hands of
the House. They are ON the calendar,
but will not be reached. The only way
action can be secured upon them is by
unanimous consent. Cushman to-day
asked for unanimous consent on the
judicial bill, but Lacey objected. Cush-
man asked him why he objected and
Lacey answered: Because Judge
Wickersham said there was no need
IF T.xdo T,,H< y,
is reported to have said that to many
individuals before he left Washington
to go back to Alaska, while a month
or so earlier he testified before the
Committee on Territories to the great
need of another Judge. The confusion
resulting has had much to do with the
failure of this bill, which has twice
been favorably reported by the COM
mittee. And so the Alaskan colony is
in despair and is preparing to return
to its scattered constituents in the for
lorn north country and, while confess
ing that the big district is not ready
for territorial government, still to agi-
tate for 1t. declaring that the Govern
ment at Washington, while not grant
ing 1t representation, while not allow
ing 1t to do anything for itself, will do
/ IlOlHlIiS 1OI H. lHey were not pre-
pared to say, however, just how they
are to secure the territorial govern
ment, which comes to well behaved
communities after long importantly
only by the sufferance Of Washington.
While in the north country last year
all Of the Senators of the Alaskan
Commission were led over the wintry
trail that leads into the camp of the
Arctic Brotherhood, the secret order
Of the north, to become a member of
which it is necessary to travel toward
the pole at least as far as Skagway.
Senators Dillingham;, Nelson, Burnharn
and Patterson we're initiated into its
mysteries at Rampant, on the Yukon.
and Senator Hepburn at Valdez Con-
gressman Cushman also wears the but
ton, having joined the order at VAL
dez.
In this connection story is told
illustrating how little is known of
Alaska. Senator Dillingham; called on
President Roosevelt the other day to