Seward weekly gateway., 1907-07-13
THOMAS GALE
 VISITS SEWARD
Alaska'S Delegate In Congress Comes to Get Acquainted
 With People.

n gate in the present congress, came to Seward on the Saratoga and went out on the same boat. Monday he was out on the railroad line with several promin- ent citizens besides railroad officials. In the evening a reception was given to him in Fire hall.
 As was fully advertised last year when he was elected on the miners ticket with Frank Waskey for the short term Mir. Gale k a practical miner. He went into the Klondike with the first rush and after several years went to the Panama, where he remained until he was elected to con- gress. He has been an unlucky pros pector, never having made any "big money" but worked consistently at the game and naturally understands 1t pretty well.
 Favors Mining Changes
 From actual knowledge of conditions NIr. Gale is in full sympathy with the demands of Alaska miners for changes in the mining laws suitable to north ern conditions but he says the amend ments asked will be hard to get. The opposition comes not from the eastern or middle states. whose representatives know nothing of mining for precious metals. They are willing to give Alaska anything the people of the ter rirory asks in the line of mining leg islation, but the representatives of the western mining states believe that the present mining code has been evolved gradually from a complete knowledge of the requirements of the business and they cannot be made to believe that Alaska k any different from Cal iiornia, Colorado or Montana.
 NIr. Gale thinks il doubtful whether congress can very soon be brought to enact such changes in the mining laws as Alaska miners favor and he iS there fore an advocate of territorial govern ment with a legislature which can enact regulations suitable to Alaska, particularly Alaska placer mining, not inconsistent with the federal stat ute. He thinks also that a territorial legislature could make recommends tions for congressional legislation needed by Alaska, which would have influence at Washington, where mere lobbying efforts fail because it is often uncertain whether those efforts are truly representative.
 Opposes Power of Attorney
 Mr. Gale will work for the abolition of power of attorney locations but is not hopeful of accomplishing it because pronounced influence is working on the other side. The argument is made that it would prevent grub stalking, He will also urge the enactment of a requirement that a sworn declaration of the performance of annual assess ment work on claims be filed each year with the district recorder.
 NIr. Gale thinks the bill for the new judicial district will go through the congress. There is no surface oppOSi- tion to it in congress but he confirms the statement of Mir. Waskey that secret influences smothered it in the house judiciary committee in the short session last winter.
 The proposition coming from Fair banks for a non-partisan convention this fall to express popular sentiment on the subject of territorial government is viewed with approval by Mir. Gale. He thinks it would have some influence upon congress and a good deal on President Roosevelt. The president, he says, stands ready to recommend anything he can be assured the major ity of the people of Alaska want.