The San Francisco call., 1904-03-29
Nc,rs From u 5GsjiingfoH.
Bl s " WAL.
. Especial 10 TIE CeiiD


er his The biI for the creation Of a
new juu.riai district n California been
started on its devious way through
Congress than California's Senators
are besieged by friends Of the would
be judge to be thereby created. Among
the eCrliest 10 report f0r duty at the
post as D United States District Attor-
ney were Marshall b. Woodwork and
Collector Of Customs Fred S. Stratton.
Neither Senator has signified a prefer
ence as yet. but they say there is
plenty G. time to think it over. as the
bin win hardly reach the enrolling
clerl this session.
This shadow lies upon a good many
other bills bout which so much has
been said that 10 the public ear they
sounded like the written law. The
Hepburn -Dolliver bin that has occu-
pied the House judiciary committee
for 80 many sittings and filled the
committee room ard the surrounding
iOobies, each Of them with excited par
1isans. is listed here. Early adjourn
ment has become more and more the
topic Of interest and a bill with so
many pros and cons has a stormy out
look. California has recently awaken
eo 10 her interest in this measure
which grants TO each State the right
20 sto- the importation Of wines and
liquors from other States-and has
been heaping up kilograms on the
desk Of the delegation urging its de-
fes1. A short time ago, evidently un-
der the Impression that this was the
pure food bill, the wine makers Of Cal
ffornia were pleading for its passage.
The pure food bill is also scheduled
FOR some hard shedding and it is not
believed it viii pass this session. The
bin win fail, it is thought, by the
weight Of its own amendments.
The big batch Of Alaskan bills. for
which a really heroic effort has been
made. it is feared by it's friends, may
have to wait over with the others.
There are a few technical bills, grant
ing the right to build bridges and the
like. that viii doubtless get through.
but for the others the chance is slim.
Friends Of the bills are in hopes that
the House viii accord the bunch an
Alaskan day" as was done in the
Senate when seven more or less i'm
portant bills went through. OF these
the most important to Alaska was the
one creating a new judicial division.
This bill won through Senator Mel
sons intelligent effort and knowledge
OF its need and in spite OF influential
oppOsition-which opposition is now at
work in the House Judge Wicker
sham Of the third judicial division Of
Alaska. who has been in Washington
nearly all winter, was an early cham
piOn Of the bin and had a provision
inserted whereby the Judge of the third
vision should become the Judge of
II. fourth division when created by
the bill becoming law. The fourth div
ision IS chiefly the Yukon River and
its tributaries. with the seat at Eagle,
and Judge Wickersham preferred the
interior as q residence. It was under
stood that d. A. Mckenzie was TO be
the United States Marshal Of the new
district under Judge Wickersham Re-
Gently a very important case was tried
q before Judge Wickersham involving a
copper property owned by the Have
meyers and valued all the way from
sl0OoosOO to $50 0,OOOO0O. Judgment was
given for the Havemeyers. The case
has been appealed. which presents the
prospect Of its going back TO Alaska
for another trial Steve" Busch, who
is manager OF the property. not wish
ing tfis case 10 be reviewed by a Judge
new TO and unfamiliar with it, has
been in Washington all winter knock
ing" the bin creating the fourth divi-
sion pshich carries Judge WiclSersham
into another jurisdiction.
Speaking Of knocking, Judge Wicker
sham himself did some of this very
eenecGvely for several Alaska measures.
NEST issDortant Of which are the pro
posed changes In the mining laws. He
advocated letting the mining laws
alone. with their powers of attorney
g snd al the rest Of it. He said that
the general mining laws applied to
oAlsska equally well with the world
'soutside, that they had been passed up
on by she Supreme Court and were
. well Understood and f0r this reason he
5theught they should not be changed.
sAnd for this session at least they win
probably stand.
The Indian appropriation bill which
sfas reported to the Senate yesterday
ccsatafnS among other things of interest
r 70 California a provision that the Sec
retary of the Interior is authorized and
directed TO investigate as to the condi-
tson eOG non-reservation Indians Of
Northern California and report TO the
next Congress. This provision was in
serted by Senator Bard IN response to
many petitions coming from the North
ern California Indian Association. The
Commissioner Of Indian Affairs vii!
make this investigation anyhow, but
the purpose OF the provision in this bill
is 10 bring the matter before Congress
and there get action. The Indian As
scciation wants the Government to give
the Indians land that they may have
homes. The petition TO this has pro-
voked reply from the experts at the
Carlisle School in very pronounced op-
position and Acting Commissioner OF
lrdian Affairs a. c. Tonner has writ
ten the Senators along somewhat the
same line. lie deprecates the reserYa-