788 



YUKON, TERRITORY OF. 



are undoubted, and the certainty of an ever- 

 increasing population assured, if the territory is 

 granted wiser and proper administration and laws ; 

 and whereas, the richer portions of gold placer 

 claims on Bonanza and Eldorado creeks have been 

 largely worked out and the mining industry is 

 no longer able to bear the burdensome restrictions 

 and imposts now levied, and the existing adminis- 



vicw of the great expenses connected with the 

 opening up and government of a new and very 

 distant country. As Dawson grew into an organ- 

 iced town and the territory into a region of stable 

 law and settled administration, the vague com- 

 plaints and incoherent discontents of the pioneer 

 period took form, and on July 17, 1900, the Daw- 

 son Board of Trade formally* petitioned the Gold 



A DOG TEAM ON THE WHITE PAS 



tration and regulations must be promptly reme- 

 died in order to avert financial disaster to the 

 territory; and whereas, the true condition of the 

 mining industry and the necessities of the Yukon 

 Territory are but little known in eastern Canada, 

 and the Parliament and Government of Canada 

 have not hitherto appeared to be fully informed 

 in regard to tin- -aid conditions and necessities 

 (or, if so, heedless of the results), and the laws 

 and regulations enacted by said Parliament and 

 Government for the governing of special indus- 

 tries of the Yukon Territory, and should be imme- 

 diately changed; now, therefore, be it resolved, 

 that the board of trustees do take immediate 

 -tcps to raise a fund of $50,000 to be used as the 

 board of trustees shall direct, to place before Par- 

 liament and the people of Canada the true position 

 of industries, resources, and administration of the 

 Yukon Territory, and to obtain such necessary 

 reforms in the present regulations, law, and ad- 

 ministration as to iiiMire the development and 

 prosperity of the Yukon Territory." 



Mining Royalties. The situation in the Yu- 

 kon during the past few years in connection with 

 rnment royalties U|M>II minerals has been pe- 

 culiar. As an inevitable ground for complaint 

 and dissatisfaction among a lar^e and iloating 

 population of ignorant miners, it has interjected 

 an laeui mto ihe poliiics and Parliament of the 

 Dominion. The original royalty was imposed in 



Commissioner for the abolition of the royalty and 

 the substitution of an export duty not exceeding 

 2 per cent, on all the gold taken out of the coun- 

 try. Between 1896 and 1898 there was an influx 

 of about 30,000 persons into the territory. 



Altogether, the annual revenues of the Dominion 

 derived from taxes, royalties, and customs duties 

 in the Y'ukon are placed at $2,000,000. 



Mines and Minerals. The gold production 

 of the Yukon is officially placed at an average 

 of about $100,000 a year 'between 1885 and 1896. 

 In 1896 it was $300',000: in 1897. $2.500.000: in 

 1898, $10,000,000; and in 1899, $16,000,000. Tin- 

 actual production during the past three years lias 

 been probably at least $20.000,000 annually, a- 

 much gold dust is carried away without record. 



Miscellaneous. Early in Slav the result of 

 the first Yukon census was announced. It showed 

 a total population of 13.000 men. 2.000 women. 

 500 children. Of these. 4.500 were I'.ritish sub- 

 jects. U.nno Americans. :WO Indians. In the Klon- 

 dike region itself there were 8.805 persons, includ- 

 ing 2.767 British subject*. :>.."">:;!> Americans, and 

 I'.HI of other nationalities. The populatii'f 

 Dawson was put at 5.404. In September. I'." 11 '. 

 gold dust dropped in value about $1 an ounce, 

 and the commercial current price, which had bee" 

 $17 in 1896 and became $16 in 1898. was placed 

 at $15 by the Dawson Hoard of Trade, owing to 

 continued intermixture with black sand. 



