The Ketchikan mining news., 1907-02-22
ERROR OR IGNORANCE-WHICH.

much consideration, because of its unthruthfulnes and utter lack of can dor. The Mining News, in pursuance of a rule laid down in the beignning of it's career, copies the following from the Juneau Record Miner, in order that it may not be acuSed of misquoting statements porporting to be, true, and upon which it desires to offer some comments of it's own:
 The average man would indignantly deny his willingness to permit any toly but himself to pay his living ex- penses. On the other hand the aver age man who advocates territorial government for Alaska does so on the plea that the national government will have to pay all the expenses. The cases seem parallel, and it is difficult to understand how any man can acknowleds @ the inability of tEe territory to pay for its government and persist in demanding that it be made self-governing. Advocates of territorial government are continually comparing Alaska to territories organized in the states and using the comparison as an argument for 9slf- government for this territory; but the comparison never extends farther than as it relates to population and wealth.
 None of the territories below were organized when the only communica- tion between towns was by water ]: nor when a railroad in actual opera tion for any distance was practically unknown. Transportation facilities in the western territories were meagre but they were not confined to dog teams in the winter and boats in the summer. Roads were common, trans continental railroads were bringing in settlers free of charge. Persons were able to move in any direction without restraint and with rapidity. How di tferent is the situation here. It takes six days to go 350 miles from Valdez to Fairbanks under the most favorable conditions. At this season of the year it would take a month to go from Juneau to Nome. All other distances are covered in corresponding time.
 Thirty-nine miles of railroad have been built out of Seward. A short line is in operation out of Fairbanks. Another short road is in operation on the Seward Peninsula. The White Pass road operates less than 20 miles in Alaska. All told there are not in all Alaska 100 miles of railroad in actual operation. It is folly for a people in country so devoid of trans portation facilities and so rich in magnificent distances to attempt the formation of government that will entail sessions of a legislature whose members come from counties thous- ands of miles apart.
 It is scarcely possible that the young editor who penned the foregoing, was in earnest, or if so, that he really ex- pected any considerable number of his readers to accept as true, state ments so utterly at variance with the 1>; >f r,,io al rt,i vt in the United States. Not only does he do violence to the truth of history, but whether he so intended or not, he likewise does those of his editorial brethren who differ with him on the question of home government an in- justice in the very first paragraph, for most certainly not one among them all has make the claim or statement that the national government will have to pay ''all the expenses" of territorial government, should such a form of government be accorded to the people of Alaska. Neither have any of them acknowledged" the in ability of the people to pay for such a government; on the contrary, all have insist ed and do insist, that not only are the people of Alaska abundantly able to pay all the expenses of such a government as has heretofore obtain ed in the other territories, but they themsevles sad as much by their votes on the very first opportunity offered them. Therefore, the young gentle mans effort to be factious at their ex- pense is neither timely nor in keep ing with the spirit of fairness which should prevail in the discussion of a subject of such vital importance.
 And, as to the probable expense of a territorial form of government, economically administered, to which he makes vague allusion as a burden to bs seriously apprehended, would it not be better, more to the point and at the same time more considerate of the intelligence of his readers, if he wouldtell them just what, in hisopinion, those expenses would probably amount to in good round dollars? What is