The great cry as to the inadvisability of having a so-called "stranger" or "outsider" to represent the Atlin camp at the coming election is particularly out of place and will not be considered seriously for a moment by unprejudiced people, for, as all "old timers" know Capt. John Irving is one of the oldest pioneers of this district and was mainly responsible for the transport facilities in the early days and infancy of this Camp, and moreover he has already represented this constituency on the floor of the House for a term.
There are many districts who have pinned their faith to and elected "outsiders" to represent them, who have had far less cause to complain as to their representative at Victoria than some of those unprogressive districts who must have only a resident member and whose shibboleth is "Let well alone."
Now we must agree that Dr. Young has done well, that is as opposed to having done anything requiring serious condemnation but when we come to analyse, what has
he done of any moment for the Camp? He is a great personal friend of Premier McBride and has had great opportunities but after waiting patiently for three years and applauding because he did WELL, we must now come to the conclusion that he has reached his limit and is incapable of doing more than WELL, and it is up to us to find a representative that will do BETTER. This ought not to be very difficult and the Liberals of the Atlin division have pinned their faith to Capt. John Irving and are confident that their representative is not a man whose aspirations will go no further than doing WELL.
Dr. Young promised on his 1903 platform todo everything in his power to
help develop our natural resources as regards quartz by establishing a stamp mill and coocentrator. This would have enabled many miners here who cannot afford the high transportation charges to develop their properties, and many, relying on this promise got out ore and the dumps are now lying where they were got out, waiting for Dr. Young to keep his promise.
As to the cancellation of leases, the Act provides for this to be done if the holders do not fulfil the lease-hold and statutory conditions, and the few that have been cancelled were mostly of no account anyway, where many others still allowed to exist have absolutely no right to be held, the Plumas Lease, on Spruce Creek, belonging to a Company being a flagrant instance of this. In spite of so much having been done by Dr. Young to facilitate anyone being able to ascertain the standing of any particular lease, one still finds it almost impossible to get any information at the Office, unless happening to be on the "inside" and I am informed that there is no book of Lease Records kept for public reference.
Solicitations at the Office of the Recorder elicit the fact that no individual miner can have the use of any water above 90 inches, without having a water
record in spite of Doctor's amended Water Clauses Consolidaiion Act.
With Dr. Young's GREAT PERSONAL INFLUENCE the Miner's Ditch question has been settled but we would like to know how it is that this vexed question which has been before the Courts for the past 4 years can be solved in this apparently beautifully simple manner, while our Courts, after going into the matter several times, failed to find a solution.
It seems that everytbing that is claimed to have been done by Dr. Young is as a favour granted to us and has been accomplished by our member using his personal interest on the steps of some Department. This is not Legislation and what we want are just Laws, the imperfected ones ameneded and no favours granted through personal influence which bas been obtained goodness only knows how.
It is needless to comment on the fact that Dr. Young was HONOURED by
being placed on the Kaien Island Commission in place of Mr. McGowan whom we believe to be an upright man and one who would not be afraid to denounce graft even if he found it in his own party.
The many grants which the Doctor has managed to secure for us, we contend were coming to us anyway, since eyery year this Camp has been going ahead and the output of gold has been increasiog and the Doctor should not have had much difficulty in making our cry for "better terms" heard.
The Doctor has kept us informed of his actions, certainly, we grant this but notice that the Atlin Claim has not had to enlarge its sheet convey this information to us.
What Atlin ratepayers want is value for their money. Captain John is the
boy who will give it.
Return the present member and favors and patronage will be handed around to the same old bunch. They are the ones who will get the advance in prices and have their checks cashed in advance of the "common herd."
A vote for Captain John is a vote for the poor man's friend. If all the
"busted" miners he carried on his steamers free of charge in 1899 were here his majority over the "smooth" doctor would be as 10 to 1.
"In our issue of last week we endeavored to define our position, and the
coming provincial election, and said that we could see no good or substantial reason why a change should be made in the province at large, or why any change is advisable or politic in our own district." - Claim, Jan. 5.
Why should the Claim man see any "good or substantial reason" for a
change. He is one of the favorites. When "Polly" wants a cracker, "Polly" gets it. Of course she do.
When Captain John was running steamers to Atlin in the early days it was
"come on boys whether or not you have the fare." He did more to develop the Atlin district than auy other living man. Atlinites are not ungrateful.
The Claim claims a great deal for Dr. Young but the Claim's claims are not substantiated by proof.
British Columbians who have known Captain John Irving for more than a
quarter of a century never ask him for a bond. His word is as good as a Bank of England note.
Be men. Think for yourselves and insure the future growth and prosperity
of Atlin and surrounding country by voting for Captain John on next Saturday.
