The Alaska prospector., 1908-05-21
LAWMAKERS HEAR
 ABOUT RAILROADS
Testimony Before Territorial Committee of Congress
 Favors Valdez.

took up for discussion and investiga- tion the Lowering bill providing that the government guarantee 4-per cent bonds to aid the construction of rail- roads in Alaska. The committee, as IS now known, has postponed action until December, and in July a congressional commission is expected to come to Alaska to investigate, from every angle, the railroad situation.
 A number of witnesses testified be- fore the territorial committee, Gov ernor Hoggatt among them. During the hearing the advantages possessed by Valdez as q railroad terminal were emphasized and many other asser- tions of interest to the people of this city were made. Particularly is this true with regard to the testimony of Herman Barring, of Wilkesbarre, Pa., who spoke as representative of the Valdez Yukon railroad. This is the road promoted by Col. Swanitz and so interesting is the testimony of Mir. Barring that the Prospector intends publishing it verbatim as it appears in the government report of the pro- ceedings.
 Mr.. Barring went before the committee April IA and the pro- ceedings for that day are reported as follows:
 Disagrees With Hoggatt
 "Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, I do not agree with Government Hoggatt in his sugges- tions to appoint number of govern ment engineers to settle the question of railroad routes. There is no such question. It was settled long ago, and before the days of Governor Hoggatt, by the report of General Greedy, which was submitted to you. General Greedy, who constructed the telegraph lines in Alaska, including those along our route, the Valdez Yukon railroad, is certainly an engi- neer, if he is anything.
 "But we have still another report on the subject of routes for wagon roads and railroads to connect Prince William Sound with the Yukon. This is the report of Captain (now ColoneD Abercrombie, who built the wagon road from Valdez to Eagle. I have his report here, and it is highly in teresting document.
 "One of the men in Colonel Aber- crombie's exploration party, Mir. Ed ward Gillette, practical railroad en- gineer, and now connected with the Burlington Railroad, gives an esti- mate Of the cost of narrow-puape railroad on the first 32 miles from Valdez to the divide. He puts it at $22,531 per mile. This is over the most difficult part of the route. He also gives detailed information about elevations, curves, etc. His report is worth reading.
 '"There is also MT. w. J. Wilson's report about his trip up Copper river. l have already submitted CODY of this to you and it is part of the evi- dence produced here. It will satisfy you that all that has been said here about the difficulties on the Copper river route Is substantially true.
 Route Already Selected
 ,"Alaska does not need 6 board of engineers just now to waste time and money on matter about which there is no longer any dispute among men engineers and laymen, who know something about the country. What Alaska needs is first and foremost railroad-aid law and next q congress sional committee with the power to take testimony and make searching inquiries into the conditions that are now retarding all and every progress in the development of this territory. 2 assure you it will produce results, /. and some of the leading features of the plot will crop out right here in the east. What the governor says !, about freight conditions into the in-' terior is certainly not borne out by the facts as we know them. There Is plenty of freight now to make the start, more than the White Pass Rail- road had when 1t commenced using it's trains, and of course the traffic has increased with every mile of road. When the Yukon has been reached, three-fourths of all the White Pass freight and passenger will go by way of Valdez. Can't you see it2
 Again, the governor does not seem to know that there is something to transport beyond the copper region. say to you, as I have said before, that the opening of the Tanana coun- try, will result in the production of at lenAt S1b0. GOO. .n00 gold nnnnnlIv. and