Show ANNEX ALASKA TO CANADA mining men dissatisfied with united states rule in the golden north special correspondence spokane wash april 24 mine owners and operators in the north and south districts of of alaska and in the province of artish columbia and northern idaho believe that the purchase of the territory from the united states by the dominion of canada is the only solution of the problem presented in the northland by the rules of the federal forest service according to A B mackenzie of rossland B C who has important holdings in the province and territory who said in an interview in spokane discussing the subject the proposal first mooted by the people of alaska who are dissatisfied with the government which the united states has accorded the territory that alaska should secede from the union and become part of the dominion of canada has assumed a serious phase an agitation has now sprung up in the province of british columbia fomented by alaska people for the purchase of alaska from the united stated by the dominion government with the view to creating a new province out of it so far as I 1 have been able to learn during my numerous trips to the northern part of british columbia which included visits to various points in southern alaska the sentiment of the people of both countries is almost unanimously in favor of such action A glance at the map will show the absurdity of the present division between british columbia and alaska those who have to do business in either country experience its inconvenience daily take the town of stewart in the province of british columbia for instance it is almost on the boux boundary idary line and in cocat locating in g the mines which are tributary to it the prospectors are often in doubt as to which side of the boundary line they are on however this is one of the least of their troubles once it is determined that they are in british columbia they know exactly what their rights are if it should transpire that the property they desire to locate is in alaska they are entirely at sea when it comes to determining their rights 1 I know men up there who have spent years of time and thousands of dollars in the development of mines in the southern part of alaska who are prevented from operating them by rules of the forestry department which controls the ground intervening ter between their holdings and the sea their only means of transportation to a smelter there is no disposition on the part of the canadian people to despoil the united states if we can not get alaska by treaty we ve do not want it at all we simply think that we are capable of bringing about a quicker and more satisfactory development of alaskan resources than are the people of the united states E P spalding general manager of the monarch mining company operating near murray idaho said the operators in various parts of the northwest fully agree with mr mackenziee Macken contentions adding 1 I mined for several years in atlin which is so close to the aisaka boundary line that we were uncertain for a long time as to whether our claims really lay in british columbia I 1 found the boundary line a serious handicap in the development of my property and I 1 wished frequently for its abolition since then I 1 have met a great many of my old associates who have been devoting their best energies to the development of alaska every one of them now is absolutely discouraged and most of them are broke they ascribe their misfortunes mainly to the perverted doctrine of conservation which has obtained in that country and the only relief that they can see is either complete home rule or annexation to canada personally I 1 believe the latter course would prove the more advantageous vant ageous to them both now and in the long run the population of the principal towns in alaska now is only about one third of what it was five years ago it is likely that a census of the entire territory would show a like decline radical action of some sort is needed to prevent alaska relapsing to the conditions that prevailed in the years proceeding prece eding the klondike boom the only thing that can save alaska from a relapse to a condition approaching barbarism is its cession to canada said E H moffit of wallace who nho figures prominently in the mercantile banking and mining lines in northern idaho he continued of the inhabitants which the territory now has fully are aborigines the white population is just about one fourth of what it was 10 years ago this alone should convince the people there is something radically wrong with the government of the country because its wealth in n natural resources is undisputed if alaska were given a show such as the government of canada or the province of british columbia could accord it there would be a marvelous increase in population and production in that country within the next few years |