The Weekly Star, Friday, April 10, 1914
In its account of the last days work of the recent session of the Yukon
council the Dawson News of March 30 says:
At the session this morning it was moved by Mr. Martin of Whitehorse that the following memorial be presented to his royal highness, the governor-general-in-council, at Ottawa:
"Whereas, The early completion of the highway suitable for motor traffic
between Dawson and Whitehorse, in the Yukon Territory, a distance of approximately 350 miles, may reasonably be anticipated, the construction of the same being greatly facilitated by the generous appropriation made for that purpose by the federal parliament at the last and at the present session;
"Whereas, The extension of such Yukon highway to the Pacific coast, through that portion of British Columbia and Alaska lying between the present southern terminal of the road at Whitehorse and the port at Skagway, is of great importance to Yukon, British Columbia and Alaska, affording as it would a most wonderful and scenic
route to the motorist and tourist, opening up an enormous area of desirable country and providing an avenue for transportation to and from the interior at reasonable rates, is of the utmost importance.
"This council, therefore, prays that an additional grant be placed at its disposal for the purpose of completing said highway to the southern boundary of Yukon Territory and that negotiations be entered into by the Dominion government with the governments of British Columbia and of Alaska to the end that said highway may be constructed through British Columbia and Alaska aforesaid; and be it further
"Resolved, That copies of this memorial be forwarded to Rt. Honorable R.
L. Borden, premier of Canada; to minister of interior; the minister of the public works; the minister of finance; Dr. Alfred Thompson, member of parliament for Yukon; Sir
Richard McBride, premier of British Columbia; Hon. Dr. Young, member of parliament for Atlin, British Columbia; the governor of Alaska, and to the commissioner of the Yukon Territory."
The Weekly Star, Friday, April 10, 1914
That the efforts of the citizens of Whitehorse in endeavoring to secure a
wagon and auto road through Yukon and on to tidewater at Skagway are being ably assisted by residents of the latter town is attested by late arrivals from there who say a public meeting to boost for such highway was held last Friday night when steps were taken to
augment previous efforts in behalf of the international improvement, although the following from the Juneau Daily Empire of March 4th suggests that the authorities at Washington have already decided upon their part of the work:
"According to advices just received, the preliminary survey for the proposed government wagon road from Skagway to the Canadian boundary line at the summit of White Pass will be made in May of this year. District Attorney John Rustgard has just received a letter from the office of the Attorney-General, stating that a conference had
been held between Delegate Wickersham, and Col. W. P. Richardson, of the road commission, and the Attorney General's office in which it was planned to go ahead with the work. As soon as the survey is made the White Pass people will be called upon to relinquish their title to the old wagon road franchise and right of way.
"The Skagway road is planned to connect with a wagon road on the Canadian side of the line, leading to Lake Bennett and to Whitehorse. The Canadians are also discussing the plan of building an automobile road, reaching all the way to Dawson."
As far back as two years ago Senator J. M. Tanner of Skagway, and the editor of the Star discussed the proposed international highway and both have been advocating it ever since. The former has had enthusiastic support from Phil Abrahams and other enterprising citizens of his town. While Tanner was attending the territorial
legislature at Juneau a year ago, Abrahams secured an extensively signed petition at Skagway which Tanner used so diplomatically at Juneau as to secure legislative action in favor of the proposed road. The recent message from Washington indicates that the efforts
of those public-spirited Skagwayans are to be soon rewarded. Yukoners have sufficient faith in the "Great Fathers" at Ottawa to justify them in asserting that Yukon and British Columbia will not be far behind Alaska in preparing for actual construction of the badly needed highway.
The Weekly Star, Friday, April 10, 1914
Under the auspices of the Southern Yukon Conservative Association a meeting attended by sixty men was held at the association room Monday night. The meeting was non-political in nature and was for the purpose of eliciting expression regarding the proposed wagon and auto road from Dawson to Skagway. Existing conditions were freely discussed and but one opinion prevailed - the crying need of the proposed road.
In addition to fully a dozen members of the association, Messr. Geo. Travis, I. H. Davis, G. W. Curtis, W. H. Ireland and E. J. White made short talks on the subject under discussion. A vote of thanks was extended to the editor of the Star for his fealty in advocating the measure in his paper. The following resolution was adopted:
"That we, as citizens of Whitehorse, irrespective of party affiliation, do hereby insist that arrangements be made at the earliest possible date for the construction of a good highway from Dawson to tidewater; that we respectfully request our member of the Dominion parliament, Dr. Alfred Thompson, to place our request before the proper authorities at Ottawa in order that arrangements may be entered into with the province of British Columbia and with the United States Government for the construction and continuation of the said road through their respective territories; and the people of Dawson be urged to co-operate with us in endeavoring to bring about this much needed public improvement."
It is likely another meeting to which everybody will be invited, will be held soon for the further discussion of the same matter.
