The Alaska citizen., 1910-11-14
THE VALDEZ TRAIL.

When the government commences next month the routing of mail over the Copper River & North western railroad and the south bound stages end their journey at 1 Chitina. that part of the Valdez trail to the south of Copper Center will. during the winter months al least, pass out of being for all praC 'iCal purposes, unless some steps are taken by the road commission i 10 keep 1t open For no private i freighting outfit can go to such ex pense of breaking the trail In stormy weather between Valdez and Cop i per Center as has been borne in 1 the past by the stage company.
 And if this highway from the coast is barred this winter, ship pers to the interior will be entirely at the mercy of the railroad com, pany
 Many hundreds of thousands of dollars have been expended on this rail by the government, and travel over it during the winter is now comparatively easy. It would be a thousand pties if. while 1t can still serve useful purpose, the machin- ations of corporation should re- suit in it's abandonment. And al though 1t is not yet a matter of public record that the railway com- pany has taken any steps to pre- vent the road commission keeping the trail open this winter there can be little doubt entertained that those steps will be taken If there is the slightest probability of their being effective.
 By trail from Valdez to Copper Copper Center from Cordova it Is lS2 miles, 132 miles of the distance being traversed by rail. With the rail kept open by the road commis- sion fre'ghters and private conveyan- ces can start from Valdez as In the past, and the railroad company will and passenger rate. Without aid from the road commission to keep the trail open the company, as 1t Is not controlled by the interstate com merce commission, can charge just exactly what it pleases and 1t most certainly will
 This is no time to be satisfied with corporation promises. The c. R. & N. w. people have, 1t Is un- derstood, promised to be very fair, Such promises cost noth- ing and are intended to be kept only so long as the com pany's exchequer does not suffer. The people from whose nostrils the stench of the absolute rottenness of this same corporations conduct of the last election campaign has not been removed will have little faith in any such talk. The only safe promise to start out with is that the company will be good Just so long as it Is made to be.
 It would cost but few thousand dollars to keep open the trail from Valdez to Copper Center during the winter, and this should undoubtedly be done. Major Richardson has ad- mitted the desira bility of having the trail in existence to parallel the railroad and states that more money will be expended to complete the summer wagon road. But just now 1t is not the summer road that is worrying Fairbanks shippers. They are not in the habit of shipping over the trail In the summer, and feel satisfied that it will be years before they are inclined to do so. It is the winter road-this winters road-they want kept in shape. and by showing a willingness to help Major Richardson might score a point with those who are inclined to believe some corporations have | IuuCu duSlCt lO OutI luG TOdu COLT commission.
 The government has expended nearly million dollars on this trail for the benefit of the people of the interior. It has vastly lessened the usefulness of the appropriation, however, by granting concession to this railway company which places in its hands the power to collect an excessive toll from the people using the trail The govern ment cannot curb this power with the means usually employed in such cases-the Interstate Commerce Commission-let 1t play its next best card-the Valdez trail.