Abstract of Governor
Parks’ Annual Report
(Continued from Page i.)
tcrior terminus of the Alaska Rail
road, has served many remote min
ing settlements, some beyond the
Arctic circle, bringing, them into
eloser touch with more settled dis
tricts of the Territory as well as to
the States, and has been no small
factor in stimulating mining develop
ments in the isolated regions. Not
unmindful of the part played by this
means of transportation, the last
Territorial Legislature provided
funds for airplane landing fields that
are now being constructed in the re
mote sections of the Territory. When
these are completed,, districts that
formerly were accessible only
through weeks of travel, sometimes
hazardous aud always, tedious, can be
reached within a few. short hours.
The Alaska Railroad, in conjunction
with river steamers operated by it on
the Yukon, and Tomna rivers, ren
ders excellent service to all of the
Territory, from Resurrection Bay to
St; Michafcl:d>n the Bering Sea and to.
mining settlements in the Upper Kus
kokwiro riyer'regions. Gov. Parks di
rects attention to the. fact that a
targe amount of work remains to- be
done before, the. railroad is com
pleted, and adds: “Adequate appro
priations are, essential If the opera*
tion and maintenance charges are to
be reduced, to a reasonable amount.”
He. said: “The annual report of the
general manager of the Alaska Rail
road showed the policy adopted early
in 1924*; making for economy and
efficiency jn operation, hits resulted
in decreased maintenance costs and a
reduction in the annual deficiency.”
Supplementing these communica
tions are water routes out of Nome
both north and south to Bristol Bay
and out of Cook Inlet, unserved by
McGrath
Pool Hall
Cigars
Tobaccos
Candies
Fruits
Soft Drinks
A Place to Meet
Your Friends
Geo. Mutchler
Proprietor
Quicksilver
For Sale
At
$90 Flask
At the
Your Order Solicited
1
7
regular transportation lines, for
which subsidies are provided by the
Territorial Legislature. Three steam
ship lines operated during the sum
mer of 1924, and four in 1925 main
tained an excellent service through
out the summer season. The Cana
dian national steamship lines re
sumed operations between Vancouver
and Southeastern Alaska points for
the first time since 1917.
Tourist travel to Alaska was in
creased over 1824, virtually all of the
steamers operating between Seattle
and Southeastern and Western Alas
ka and Vancouver and Southeastern
Alaska, carrying capacity loads dur- !
ing the season. Hundreds of tourists
visited Interior Alaska via the Alas
ka Railroad and the Richardson High
way, and many of these visited the
McKinley. National Park, opened for
its first full season. The construc
tion of an automobile road from Mc
Kinley Park Station into the heart of
this park will undoubtedly attract
more and more visitors each succeed
ing year.
Changes in the boundaries of the
land districts to make them conform
to the boundaries of the judicial divi
sions are recommended to facilitate
the administration of public lanil
laws. The Governor asks for re
moval of restrictions on the number
of trade and manufacturing sites
that may be acquired by an individual
or corporation. He points out. that
the requirement of the homestead
law that surveys be rectangular and
boundaries follow cardinal courses, is
impracticable in eoastal Alaska, often
I times making it imjiossible for pio-!
j neer homesteaders to acquire the de
[sirable agricultural lands. He also
1 asks for the inclusion of Alaska in
I the programs for a national topo
graphic survey authorized by Con
gress last winter and requests an
lotmenls as funds are available.
Governor Parks reports a marked
increase in hte death rate during the
year. Reports on the condition of
incomplete and received from
sources so varied as.to detract from
their reliability. Tuberculosis exacts
heavy toll among the .aboriginal
tribes, and during the year severe
epidemics of fneaslos in all four divi
sions, influenza reaching epidemic
proportions in three divisions, small
pox in two, and diphtheria in three,
were reported.
The condition of the aboriginal
races, the Governor said, is deplor
able, and no great improvement ic
believed possible until some form of
Territorial contact is made with the
various services and agencies en
gaged in medical relief among them.
No one knows the number of hos
pitals in the T< rritory nor their
equipment, the number and location
of physicians, nor even approximately
the number of people, whites and na
tives, depending on them for relief.
Areas containing thousands of na
tives never have seen a physician,
and in matters of sanitation are still
in the Stone Age. Arising from
such conditions each year are emer
gencies which demand, or seem to de
mand, immediate attention, costing
many thousands of dollars annually.
I’ Ladies’
Novelties Store
McGrath
Stop and Think!
Christmas will soon be here.
Where can I get a nice present
to send my friends?.'
Go to Miss E. Marsh’s Little
Cash Store, where things are nice
and new.
Silk Dresses
Sweaters
All kinds of Silks,
Hose
Hair Nets
Ladies’ Wear
Pretty Dolls
Suitcases and Trunks
Miss E. Marsh
Proprietor
Much of this money is wasted be
cause of imperfect knowledge of con
ditions ia isolated districts and for
want of co-operation between such
relief agencies as are available.
Governor Parks cites the Bristol
Bay area, containing an aboriginal
population of more than 5,000 people,
and the Yukon river valley and tribu
tary regions as specific instances
where more efficient public health ser
vice is needed. For the latter he rec
ommended a hospital boat for ser
vie eon the Yukon river and tribu
tary streams for summer relief work
and suggested the advisability of ex
tending this work throughout the
year by reopening the hospital at the
abandoned military post at Fort Gib
bon. He also urged that funds h«
made available for a medical and
sanitary survey of villages inhabited
by the aboriginal tribes in the Bristol
Bay area.
Eight agencies working for law. en
forcement under as many heads with
out any method of co-ordination ha;
brought about much duplication of
effort, resulting in inefficiency and
extravagance, declared the Governor
in his report. This was not attrib
uted to the personnel of the various
agencies, hut was said to.he inherent
to the method in vogue and impossi
ble of elimination until responsibility
for law enforcement should he vested
in a single organization, under one
chief, having headquarters within the
Territory. Hence he recommends
that a Territorial constabulary ln
created as offering the most practical
solution of the problem, which would
not only effect material economy, hut
would increase efficiency and elimi
nate the confusion of conflicting ef
forts. Governor Parks said: “Prop
erly organized and in charge of effi
cient officers, a constabulary with
headquarters in Alaska can patrol the
Territory, enforcing laws, at a min
! imuffl expense.”
Recommendations.
1. Enactment of law authorizing
the Secretary of the Interior to least
public domain for grazing and for tht
propagation of fur-bearing animals.
2. Amendment of present lav
which limits the number of trade anc
manufacturing sites that may be ar
quired by an individual or corpora
tion.
fl. Amendment of homestead laws
to permit survey of boundary line:
on other than cardinal courses.
Tokotna
Cigar Store
Tobaccos
Cigars
Soft Drinks
Fred Dubois
Proprietor
CHARLIE’S
LAUNDRY
McGrath, Alaaka
A Bath in a Real
Bath Tub
Shoe Repairing
Sign Writing
Paper Hanging
Charles Rebhun
',The Handy Man
4L Boundaries of land districts be
changed to conform to judicial divi
sion#.
6. Construction of administration
buildiotr in Juneau.
6. Allotment of part of the reve
nues frwn the seal islands to a fund
for the support and maintenance of
the public schools.
7. Bepead of the law restricting
the number of placer l -'eg claims
that may be local- individual
or corporation.
8. Creation of abulary or
Territorial police ...Lie for law
enforcement in the territory to re
place the eight organizations now in
i existence.
9. Legislation that will authorize
the issuance of patents for town lots
to natives.
10. Allotment of funds for topo
graphic surveys in Alaska under the
act of February 27, 1925.
11. Purchase and equipment of a
boat as floating clinic for summer
work on Yukon river and tributaries
to supply medical aid and instruction
, in sanitation and hygiene to nativ. s
and others in the interior of Alaska
! and rehabilitation of the abandoned
military hospital at Tanana for win
ter service, when boat is out of com
mission.
12, That the work heretofore car
ried on by the Bureau of Mines under
the appropriation for mining investi
gation in Alaska be continued and
that authority be obtained which will
authorize a co-operative agreement
between the federal government and
the Territory whereby the Territorial
funds for mining investigation may
be expend -d by the federal agents.
IMP** WMMM
Are You Going to Build?
We have in stock lumber of all kinds, rough and
dressed. Lately we have added a few lines, such
as Rustic and ShinUp, 4 and 6-inch Floorin';, Win
dow and Door Casing, Window and D ior Stopp.
Boat Lumber of all kinds.
Auii if you are going t<> builil a sleil. call on us We h o e !i.e
bes hickory in Alaska.
.....
Th
jat»
Times
$1 Per Month
y IfflHUT’ll
A Dredging or Hydraulicing
Proposition, Yankee Creek
About 7 miles lone, extending from No. 1 below discovery to
the mouth of the creek.
Pay located all along for a distance of about three miles from
upper end, and pretty well prospected and cross-cut.
Average depth of ground is from 7 to 20 feet. Top is all black
muck.that can be scraped freely. No rock bigger than ore’s fist.
Ground will go from 15 cents to $1 per square foot of bedrock.
Ditch on the ground, 3 miles long, together with water rights.
Ground is pretty well cleared. There is also a drain, 3 miles long.
Also a water right on Ready Bullion creek, from which water can
be brought to Yankee creek with a, ditch less than a mile long
(4,900 feet), with a pressure of 120 feet, being 1600 feet to the
work from the ditch.
After doing away with muck there will be from 4 to 6 feet of
dirt to handle.
Only about $11,000 has been taken out.
Prospecting work during the past winter has resulted in finding
values that run up to fl per ftquare foot of bedrock.
I will either sell the ground or give a lease on it. If the prospect
is satisfactory to the buyer, a cash payment will be expected.
For further information, terms, etc., call on ground, or write or
telegraph me.
ED NOLLETTE,
Tokotna, Alaska.
I
m
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