Seward weekly gateway., 1907-01-19
SOME ANTI REASONS

SOME ANTI REASONS
 Since the "solid business interests of Alaska through their chosen mouth- piece have briefly classified the advo- cates of territorial government and their motives, it might be well, at the risk of being unparliameutury, Co reckon mp these same "Soljd business interests" and their visible stock in the present unorganjzed conditions of the territory.
 Since the merchants of every town jn Alaska with almost. entire unanim- jty have placed themselves on record in favor of territorial government, they are plainly excluded from the Superl1tive class of solid business interests" About an that iS lett therefore Is the big mining companies Of Southeastern Alaska and the fish packing companies whose emiSSarieS visit Alaska for few weeks each sum- mer Co carry away the visible supply of salmon.
 It is easy Co understand why the big quartz mine owners of Southeastern Alaska oppose territorial government. At the present time they pay no taxes worth mentioning, and there are no laws on the statute books applicable to Alaska which regulate the operation of quartz mines or stamp mills. The mine owners are go law Co themselves and those who work for them.
 Quartz mines pay an annual license of & stamp in their mills, from which it iS easy to figure that the big mines of Southeastern Alaska pay tax of 8 few thousand dollars upon an output oi several millions. The mer- chants of Alaska pay a heavy Occupa- tion tax, the most OdiouS of all revenue exactiouS, for the privilege of doing 8 business of few thousands or tens of thousands each annually.
 The absence of restrictions upon mlne and mill operations which tend to the protection of the lives and limbs of the miners at some extra expense to the operators, under present conditions, is worth good deal to the solid business interests" which are opposing civilized government in Alaska. The big Juneau mines do not tiuber their tunnels except when it is absolutely necessary to keep the walls from eaving as fast as the tunnels are opened
 The Gateway is informed upon credi- ole authority that pIatoous of miners are killed OF maimed in the TreadweII and other Juneau mine, each year, and nothing is said about ir. 1T the dead happen Co have no friends their bodies are pitched out of the way like couu- cry rock, aS they were from the Great Northern tunnel in the Cascade, a few years g-o, when corpses were thrown down the canyon. A territorial Iegt,- lature would pass laws requiring some safeguards Co life in the mines owned even by solid bushes, interests .'
 Ther there are the worthy salmon packer, who made a patriotic fight before congress last year to have the petty tax of cents a case applied to the creation of fish hatcherieS to propagate more salmon for them to pack. They are averse to paying any taxes for the use of anybody in the territory but themselves, and a terri torial legislature might pass laws dis agreeable to them. Hence they may safely be enrolled among the "sOlid business interests" on the anti side.
 There may be a few others and the Gateway will gladly print the list whenever information is furnished It will not require much space.