The Chitina leader., 1911-12-30
THE CRIME OF THE CENTURY


Says Pnchot in the Saturday Evening POST sLet me re-
peat the statements is not the withdrawal of the coal lands
that has retarded the development of Alaska valid
coal claim excepted from the withdrawal What is hold
ing Alaska back than all other excessive
rates for transportation
This to genuine Alaskan of the deliberate fab
relations that Pnchot has told in his lengthy article For
benefit of the Saturday Evening Post and others let be
stated that greater part of the gold from Alaska from
the interior and III time past the high cost of transportation
has been largely caused by the location of gold
camps 1t is perfectly true that freight has been delivered
the interior of Alaska high as dollar pound In fact
bacon and have been taken the trail by dog
certain where the freight rate has been equal
dred times the original cost of the product Therefore, Mr.
Pinchos statement morally dog teams but he
places the statement an introduction to roast the Cop
per River Northwestern Railway which very low rates
compared to similar roads similar pioneer country Most
important OF ALL and let the Saturday Evening Post mark
this WE'LL the Copper River & Northwestern was only COM
eted in 1911 1t penetrates region where there are no in
habans except those who have followed the building of the
road 1t is 196mle line from Cordova to Kennecott prac
caly engaged only in handling it's freight and that
few mining companies that formerly hauled the trail
from Valdez at cost of from 10 to Is cents per pound Take
1t IN conjunction with all other operating railroads Alaska
and the total less than 500 miles, And wicked hypo
critic this conservaons who working for his own per
ona gains has the effronery tell the people of the United
States that all OF the transportation lines in Alaska
elements that holding it back when Alaska consists of
over 100000 miles and all the railroads combined
ss OF less than 800 miles in length pin point on the map
OF Alaska would represent the comparative relation of the rail
road lines to the area
In addition to the railroad lines there river lines oper
atng up and down the Yukon to reach many of the great
interior camps walking dog teams horses part
of the way.
Has Pncho enough decency left tell succeeding issues
the truth OF the important item? Honestly, Mr. Lormer YOU
have been imposed upon by the greatest charatan that this
generation of political takers has produced Stop and think
Mr. Lorimer compare of 100000 miles with less than
oOO nea miles railroads. Stop and consider Lorimer
that the Copper River Northwestern has only been COM
peted eight MONTHS while Alaska been suffering under
the black pail of Pnchotsm for many years Outside Of it's
tho tho
per River Northwestern during the first months of
its operation neDecember 1911 has practically handled
very little other tonnage
Do you know, Mr. Lorner that every opportunity was
given Mr. Pnchot while here to get at the facts
heard to state that he did get any facts from Cor
dova parties the Copper River Northwestern Railway In
his address before the Seattle Commercial Club Mr. Pincho
said
I'VE secured the points of view of the who wanted
tell us the facts and Of the who didn't we relied mainly
on what we saw, and great deal''
But we relied mainly what saw about covers the
attitude OF this preudced Investigator who Graded in luxury
living In auence ohanded and softmuscled presumes to
dscrdt honest Aaskans and puts forth views to the peop
of the United States that either misleading absolutely
false.
IN operation Douglas Island Alaska It easy for vo to
ascertain who the stockholders Have your assist
ants ask anybody connected with this property whoch ante
dates the Pchot bureau twenty years thv
have ever had any complaint about the freight rates on the
steamships AS this owned almost exclusively in England
and the company does not ship boats of the
Whlch Mr. Pchot assalls and whose rates exactly the
same as the other companies you get fair of trans
portation results during all of these years.
In brief Mr. Pnchots remarks have been juggled and
what he should have said that transportation in Alaska
on modern lines is what is most needed but the Alaska North
en Railway has been closed down and is almost bankrupt
on account OF Pnchot conservation while the Copper River
Northwestern has stopped all construction and will not build
any more railroad for the The Alaska Northern
operates gasoline and the Copper River Northwestern
burns California oeach railroad traversing some of the
worlds greatest coal measures.
Of all the paragraphs in this remarkabe story of Pnchot
this ugged statement is the worst The lack of DEVELOPMENT
IN these parts Of Alaska be traced absolutely to the with
drawa of the coal lands and the application of Clifford Pin
chot policies. He is the crime of the century
WHICH TYPE OF LEGISLATOR?