The Ketchikan mining news., 1907-01-18

A-bH So'iio hiiS4i et SN l'dl dlc iiS She-iiouoSs distrct for Alaska should be created. It is now practically impossible for tender stationed at Portland to cover the whole oi the Alaska coast as is needed. Very respectfully. ]
 w. B. HOGGATT,
 Governor of Alaska. THE PRESIDENT.
 White House. Washington, D. C. The foregoing letters. together with the one which follows. showing that Mr. Waskeys communication to the President, made at the latter's request had been referred to Coy. Hoggatt for his consideration, were. on the 9th of December sent to Congress with the accompanying message:
 To the Senate and House of Repre-
 sentatives
 l transmit the accompanying papers relative to the present needs of the Territory of Alaska in matters of leg station and government. and heartily commend the views of Governor Hog gait to the favorable consideration of the Congress.
 THEODORE ROOSEVELT. The White House, December 5. 1906.
 Washington. D. C..
 November 30. 1906.
 Mr. President l have the honor to acknowledge receipt this day of the letter of the Hon. Frank H. Waskey. Delegate to Congress from Alaska. addressed to you and setting forth the present needs of the Territory in mat ter, Of Legislation and government.
 The mining laws governing location and ownership of placer ground are unquestionably not exactly applicable to existing conditions in Alaska. The l remedy. however. is not clear. inas- l much as in all such cases there is a lack of good faith on the part of the people in carrying out the provisions oi the statutes regarding such lands. The Supreme Court. in q recent deci- sion. has laid down a rule as to the discovery of gold necessary to form location of a mining claim. which think can hardly be improved upon by definition in legislation.
 Mr. Waskey's second suggestion re- garding change is very questionable, inasmuch as it would be in many in stances impossible to produce evi- dence that the ground sought to be located is part of the unappropriated domain of the United States. and it would in any event. extend the pow CT, of the recorder too much for safety.
 His third suggestion is a good one and should be enacted as law.
 Hi, fourth suggestion as to associa- tion claims, would undoubtedly meet with the approval of the people en- gagged in placer mining in Alaska.
 With regard to coal and oil land, l deem il essential that persons explor- ing the country for these minerals should be protected during the time of such exploration in good faith, and that the laws and regulations govern ing these lands should be so extended as to permit people, without evasion or violation of law, to acquire suffi- cient holdings to justify the outlay of capital necessary for the exploration and development of these minerals and the marketing thereof.
 The remainder of Mr. Waskey' $ suggestions. with the exception of that relating to Territorial govern ment, would meet with general ap- pOyal in Alaska and would conduce to the better welfare of the people.
 As regards his statement that the most urgent need of Alaska politically Is that of home government l have to state that it is the concensus of opin- ion of the conservative business men of Alaska almost without exception. those men who are doing the most for the development of the country and making it's resources add permanently to the worlds wealth, that the time k inopportune for this form of gov ernment. They regard the present system as the best possible to meet the present conditions. It is ineXpen- sive. certain and capable of expansion as the needs of the country justify. but the tremendous area embraced within Alaska, it's small population. it's widely scattered settlements, the uncertainty of permanency of the placer camps, would render anything approaching county organization in- ordinately expensive and put burden on the people who must remain there beyond their present capacity to bear. Nowhere in the United States is life and property more secure than in Alaska, Nowhere that order prevails as it does in that country, and these things are due primarily to the re- spect which our people have for the Federal judiciary. A large portion of the agitation for Territorial govern ment comes from the saloon element in Alaska. which is desirous of de- creasing the burdens now imposed upon that business and at the same time obtain a greater liberty than they now have in the conduct of their