OPPOSITION
SHOWS UP
Washington. Dec. II. via wireless—
A minority report from tlie committee
on territories, signet! by Congressmen
Davenport and herris, and presented
to the nouse yesterday. denounces tin*
Alaska railway hi»1 u> a be .tu til ill bu*
unsound dream.
Senator Poindexter, who is inclined
to oppose both the t hamherlain-Jones
railway bill and the W ickershum bill
says:
“The Chamberlaiu-Jones bill per
mits, and the \\ ickersham bill com
pels private operation of the proposed
government owned railway systems in
Alaska.Poindexter favors a bill pro
viding for not ouly government owner
ship, but government operation of rail
way systems in Alaska.
INSIDIOUS LOBBY
AT WASHINGTON
SAYS fitPOBT
Washington, Dec. II \ ia wireo-ss
The ouus» committee which has been
luuk ing an inquiry *t» o h» charge
that lobbying piwai.s in congress sub
mitted its report yesterday A ;i»:*j• >r ty
report sa\> that an insidn u> lubov ex
ist** beyond the question ot a doubt and
recommends legislation to stamp out
the evil.
The labor lobbv, says the report, is
legitimate, as moral suasion atone is
used in behalf ot tab* r legisiath n.
RECEIVERS ARE
FORCED TO QUIT
St. Louis, Dec. 11 via wireless
Receivers Ueddle and Nix>?», ol tin
defunct St. Louis \* San Francisco
Railway Company, accused of whole
sale grafting in connection with offi
cers of the road who charged exorbi
tant prices tor building branch tines,
have been forced to resign.
Stockholders have started suit to
recover four million dollars Irom the
oltice rs.
WRITES STORY
FOR MAGAZINE
**A Be 1*111“ Sea Story,'* from tin* fa
cile pen of .L E. i’h wanes, appears in
t lie December number of Outdoor Life.
The story has foundation in fact. It
tells of the brutal killing of two pros
pectors at the hands of a man whom
they had rescued. The murderer was
tried at Lnalaska* found jfuitiy and
handed at Nome. The story is illus
trated by a tine set of views of west
ward volcanoes, taken by the author.
Fresh Lake Trout at the Commerce
Cafe.
Meet me at the Branch *
Lost - One 50 share stock certificate
Alaska Electric Co. Finder please re
turn to Samuel I. Silverman.
Pabsts blue ribbon beer at The
Branch.
Budweiaer beer at the Braaeb.
IG FLOODS
_
Houston, Tex., Dec. 11.--via wireless
Great Hoods are occurring in this
part of Texas. Thousands of inhabi
tants are marooned at various points
and are starving to death. It is im
possible, due to the Hoods, to extend
relief. The situation is very grave.
POINDEXTER
INTRODUCES
A COAL RILE
Senator Miles Poindexter recently
introduced in the Senate a hill tor the
development of the Alaska coal fields,
which was drawn up by James Mac*
kaye, a Cambridge graduate aud a
i brother of the well-known dramatist
Perry Mack aye.
! The bill is based on the principle
that tiie government should operate
ali public utilities, and half ot the coal
mines, in the territory and once a
year declare a dividend of its surplus,
i half to the employees of the govern
• ment service aim hall to the people
S who have b night coal or railroad *er
• from the government.
M ,ck ye is a Jchemist by vocation,
lull has spent much time studying and
vs ruing on economic subjects.
*• 1'he tnl! is s > trained,’* tie said in
discussing n. "i hat every man work
ing {t>r tpe goveraim nt in Alaska has
a personal incentive to run the rail
road or produce the coat as cheaply
and efficiently as possible. And it
makes ttie interest ot the consumers
j identical with that of the producers.
! It cuts out all the profits to the mid
dlemen, stockholder’s and bondholders,
and a I the other wastes that come
•from the private operations of rail
! ro u.s and mines. At the same t ime it
fore s the government to operate the
! mines in compet ition with the private
irvih i s. that tin* public can deter
nine which is i lie most sensible way o!
running such businesses o. i he gov
ernment or by private management.
Suppose that after the li«'t year,
o .ring which the government paid the
usual rate ol wages to the men that
work for it. and charge the usual
price tor its coal, it should find that it
bail a profit on hanti. Instead of uivid
tng it among stockholder’s and bond*
holders as mil-mg companies do now,
instead of paying it to people who
have nothing to do with the running
of the mine, the government will pay
one-half oi n to its employees accord
ing to their wages, and one-half to the
consumers of coal who have bought
from tlie government, to each one in
proportion to the amount lie purchased.
"Under this scheme coal would be
produced as a oublic service, at cost
and not for private profit.’’
The hill provides that all railroads,
public utilities and telegraph and tele
phone lines shall be operated by the
government. Half the coal mines are
to he publicly operated, and the rest
leased to private coal operators, with
an agreement that same conditions of
labor, hours, wages, accident compen
sation, sanitation, etc., he used as the
government uses.
Fid W hiltemore, who departed for
Seattle on toe Northwestern, says he
will open the e\es of the natives upon
his return.
Col. lievelie departed this morning
with the Hope-Sunrise mail.
Service for 10c up and meal tickets
that last forever at $7.
Commerce Cafe
Meet meat the branch.
Community silver, Sheriton.La Kose
and De Luxe patterns. George the
Jeweler.
I
Mexico t ity, Dec. 11.- via wireless
The Mexican congress has passed a
resolution nullifying the recent presi
dential election and providing for the
holding of another next July.
Conditions here are alarming, due to
the threatened attack of the constitu
tion!! list army.
FRANK CASE
THINKS WEEL
OF NELCHINA
Writing from the Nelchiua district
j under date of October 28, to Percy Pul
len and James Drennan. Frank Case
i says in part:
“The surface showings of this camp
indicate a hig placer field. 1 he for
I mat ion is composed of shale, limestone.
; slate and porphyry. We have riot bed
j rocked a hole yet. If rhiscamp proves
up, Crooked will be the bonanza of the
! dist riot.
“I have located No. 10 below discov
I ery on Crooked. Prenrtnn is located
ion a tributary of Crooked called Ho
jnanza; Pullen is located on another
i tributary known as Davis creek: Davis
also has !t claim on this creek
“We have the location work about
i com oh ted (>n the Drennan. Pu'lcn and
! Davis churns. 1 "ill wori: on my claim
and also on Davis’ claim on CrooKed
, No. T below
“There ’.'ill he quite a number of
claims run out December 1 and l in
i tend to got in on some good ones.
“I will go to Knik about the middle
o( January, to get a summer uuttit and
ret urn.”
Victor Guimlmrd writes to Postinas
let* Hickey from Copper Center, under
date of November IT. P was 24 de
| upees below zero and there was from
lb to S inches of snow on the trail.
Guimlmrd expected to reach the Nel
china in a week.
“500” Party.
! Mrs. D. M. Culbertson ’inti Mrs. Bet*
! nurd Sti»ckhurst were ho-tf-ses at a
! most deligt t!al ‘‘odd*’ party given at
! t he Culberson home last evening and
'attended b\ a large company of ladies
land gentlemen. Forman > was thrown
! aside and everybody entered into the
| spirit of the occasion and enjoyed a tine
time. Miss Ruth Bean won the ladies’
prize and Mr. W. M. Sauers gained
the gent lemon s priz •. Mrs. \\ ill B.
.Boot and Mr. F. B. Ballaine got con
solation prizes. A delicious luncheon
was served at the midnight [hour, and
it was l:.*t0 o’clock in the morning be
fore the guests reluctantly departed.
Stiff Leader Off for France.
London, Dec. 11.—via wireless -Mrs.
Punk hurst, rise militant suffragette
| leader, departed for France today, to
begin a campaign for woman’s rights
in that country.
Louis Lane and Ehen S. Draper, a
| son of Former Governor Draper of
Massachusetts, arrived in Cordova
today, coming overland from Lietschel
iMnnd, in the Arctic ocean. Lane’s
trading boat, the1 Polar Dear, is frozen
in near the mouth of the McKenzie
river.
Mrs. Piles, wife of former Senator
Piles, died in Seattle recently.
Charles Prosch, founder of the Se
attle P.-I , died recently at the ad
vanced age of 93 years.
Sourdoughs and chechakos, you
are invited to the Commerce Cafe.
Service every hour in 24.
Sleds for boys and girls; sleds for
men. At J. L. Graef’s.
:!:i
Ottawa, ( an., Dec. M. via wireless
- The t’an.adian pariiatr.ent has pass* 0
a law prohibiting HinOUs from enter*
in it tlu* pi'oViiice of I hit i>h t olutnbia.
| The Hindus are entering that country
iit vast numbers and are demoralizing
labor conditions.
WITNESSES T9
RECEIVE KE
i A.I N
'
I
The penurious treatment accorded
Alaska witnesses, called by the govern
ment to attend the Frost coal trial at
Chicago last winter, is a subject of dis
j cussion which comes up ever and anon,
j Hvery witness who attended that trial
j lost, not only his time, but money as
| well. They were allowed 5 cents the
mile from the point of their departure
to and from Chicago, and the muniti
j cient sum of $1.50 the day while in act
j ual court attendance just about half
enough to buy a square meal.
The land department .appears to have
| had an economical streak, so far as
j ihe pa\tnentof witnesses is concerned,
hut through a brief submitted bv At
torney .1 Lindlev Green, in which the
jlaw relating to ttie fees of witnesses
1 was gone into in a most comprehensive
manner, a change for the hette * is at
hand. Judge Green’s hri»*f was pre
; pared in heiialf ol th • witnesses called
! at iht* hearing before t ommissioner
i Conroy in the Hall coal case.
In this hearing witnesses were al
lowed $.’> per day, while in actuai court
at t endence. Non-resident wituesees
were allowed cents the mile milage
;md witness fees oniy white in actual
attendance at the heating.
Judge Green s brief submitted to
?he coinptroller of the currency, pro
tested against. the meagre allowance
-is unfair so the witnesses and as hav
| mg no authority in law. He held that
: witnesses were entbUo to the regular
• witness allowance of the district court,
viz: $4 the day in the case of local wit
nesses. and $4 a da\ in the case of non
resident witnesses from the time of
their departure from honu* until their
return to that nomt, and mileage
at the rate of In cents the mile. I he
| comptrolk r holds with Judge Green,
and hereafter, and also in the Hall
hearing, witnesses will receive fees tm
this basis. In the case of 'Thomas
Jeter, win* came frum Ship creek to at
j tend the hearng, it will make a dill*
j ereuce of $1-G in his favor.
The comptroller’s decision in brief,
j follows!
“The Juneau land district compri
ses the first ami third judicial divisions,
j Under the ruling now made, these
witnesses whose depositions were taken
1 under the statute in the third division
| for use at Juneau are entitled to the
fees and mileage allowed in the dis
tinct court for the third division.
"Th** witness fee bill for said divis
ion provides:
•For attendance on the district court
* or before any ollicer other than a com
missioner, pursuant to law, and for
the time necessarily occupied in going
I to and returning from the same, per
dav. $4,00.
i ‘For the distance actually and neces
1 sarily traveled in going to and return
; ing from the place of such attendance,
I per mile, 15 cents.
Trovided, that for alltrauel in other
judicial districts and for all travel by
Three meals for One Dollar. Open
day and night. Commerce Cafe
Field glasses at J. L. Oraef’s.
Ice creepers and ice skates at J. L.
Graef’s.
Seal t i*\ II \ i a wireless .lack
l‘rice a: <) Frank Manley, U\g interior
Alaska minim/ operators, have taken
a 1> >nd on thirteen 4§ aims in 111♦ * Shu
shaniia 4I*sf riel. The oral com prebends
the pavmen! of $40,000 in cash and the
remainder, $«>dd,UO0, on tern.s.
REPUBLICANS
DELAYING BILL
SAYS OWEN
j Washington. Dec. 11 via wireless—
A hot debate occurred in the senate
yesterday afternoon, following the
charge made by Chairman Owen, chief
spokesman for the currency hill, that
the republicans were using unfair tac
, ties in an effort to delay action on the
1 measure. The debate grew quite acri
monious.
I »
'
New VorK. Dec. 11 via w Irele-s -
I Gaffney, a brother-in-law of Murphy,
I boss of Tammany Mali, testifying in
j the graft inquiry yesterday, admitted
I that lie and John Car roll divided $11,*
j 000 wiorh they gotigtd out ot New
Yoek street paving coni tact oi s.
POSTAL SAVINGS
I BANK PROMISED
I
| --
t iPostmaster Philip J. Hickey, jr., has
received official advices from the de
, partmeut at Washington, to the effect
■ that a postal savings bank will he es
tablished in Sewaru January l, l'.'W,
or as soon thereafter as practicable.
_ _
sea, except from one point to another
Jin Alaska and in Alaskan waters, wit
nesses shall he entitled to only o cents
j per mile for going and returning.
I Provided further, that a witness suo
i poenaed from a point 100 miles or over
‘ from the place of holding court may
| elect to receive his actual necessary
j expenses of travel and subsistence in
! lieu of mileage hereinbefore provided.
‘•(Par. 830, of Instructions to court offi
cers in Alaska, 1010.)
“Witnesses whose deposit ions in land
hearings are taken in the third jud
icial division are entitled under the
act of 1003, supra, to the tees allowed
by law in the district court in that div
ision, whether the deposition is taken
by a United States < ’ommissioner or
by some other officer, and the vouchers
submitted should be amended
accordingly.r’
Fat her Sheppard will arrive in How
ard in lime to hold Christinas services
in t he Cat holic church.
The steamer Northwestern sailed
east, bound at LO o’ciocK iast night.
'Pite thermometer dropped to two
j degrees above last night.
Bread for sale— 10c a loaf or 12 for
$1. At Commerce Cafe
For reliable information write Can
non, Pioneer hotel, Knik, Alaska, t
Long distance telephone booth at the
Branch. *