Valdez daily prospector., 1912-05-08
VALDEZ MINING CONGRESS
 CONDEMNS LEASING SYSTEM

As an example of this we wish | to cite the state of Washington, where over 27 per cent. of the | area of that state is embraced in forest reserves under the man. agemcnt of the federal govern ment. Under the law of congress 25 per cent. of the gross receipts are paid to the state to be dis tribuied among the counties in proportion to the extent of their areas embraced in forest rcScrv- cS, the state of Washington re- rriv"d last year the bcggarly sum of h"lwrrh S2i .00O and S25 ,000. One hundred per cent. of the net returns would 1Iav" been less than | nothing. II has been estimated hy competent authorities that had lIrSr lands in the stale of Wash i inEl0n been privately owned and Suhirci io state control and state ; taxation, d sum of al least S:3,- oon.nn0 and in all probability S5. .OOn.0 .0O0 would have been rais- cd and distributed between the county government and the state government.
 The people of Alaska formed their first attachment tn the or | EanlZaliOn of the American Min ing Congress through the fact that it has at all times in it's past history sturdily opposed this un- American and Socialistic idea of the leasing of the national re- sources and government land lordism with it's attendant evil of bureaucratic tyranny.
 With all our resources, coal lands, mineral lands, forests, wharf sites, oil lands, and what not, operated under leases man. aged by government officials. which management is almost certain tO be attended by the us ual governmental waStefulness, extravaganza and miSmanagc- ment, Alaska only to receive the net proceeds of said mismanagr- ment. We ask you in all candor what possibility is there of Alas kans ever receiving the rights of Anglo-Sax0ns to sclf-gOvcrn- ment.
 We are utterly opposed io the idea of a Chicago lawyer, such as Secretary Fisher, coming up to i Alaska, spending a bare two weeks actually in the territory and prcsuming tn pick out the spot from which a government railroad should be built. We are thoroughly convinced that ihis is mailer which should be care fully considered by a board of competent engineers selected by lhc government, and that thrv SEould only reach their decision at:cr.duc consideration, and af- ter 'aving made a thorough and painsiaking examination of all the routes available.
 We trust that some solution of thIs veXed Alaska coal problem VIII h" arrived at, but we voice the unanimous sense of this meet ing or the Valdez section of tho American Mining Congress. when we say that We would rather the situation remain as it is than that | thIs damnablc leasing system, in any form, be fastened upon any or the resources of our territory. Yours very truly, GEORGE BALDWIN, Chairman. HENRY l.. SUESDORF, Scc'y.
 Mir. BaIdwin said that he was opposed to making Alaskans and those following them perpetual tenants; that the leasing system was fathcrcd by many, among them Senator La Toilette, a pres idential candidate. The Mining Congress has been instrumental in bringing the truth about Alas ka to a greater degree than any other organization.
 Dr. Von Gunthcr favored the forwa' ding of tiic letter read to Washington.
 The communication was or dered mailed to tho secretary of the American Mining Congress.
 Considerable discussion ensued M reference to tho mining bill | recently passed by the lower house of congress. It was asked into which fund would moneys paid in lieu of annual labor be paid, and how would it be used?
 The annual meeting of the lo-