Valdez daily prospector., 1912-02-13

| oIoICS 1blulll ~ OO. SLOIC UT Doherty & Ferguson's store.
 Among the speakers who ad- dressed the meeting were MT. Temple, J. w. Frame, c. c. Ru- dolph, T. J. Donohoe, Paul d'Hiery, Jas. Fish, c. E. Bunnell, Joseph Murray, Judge Shepard, Arthur Lang, Dr. Sleem, George w. Nel- son and Jos. Burke.
 Mir. Lang said many letters had been sent outside to friends by the members of the Moose and that answers had been received from some of them. He stated that Nice-President Sherman had written acknowledging receiving such a letter and promising that the contents would be placed be- fore the members of the senate and congress where the infOrma- lion would do the most good. Mir. DOnnhOc slated that after Congressman SulZrr had intro duccd his railroad bill in con- gross he had sent q copy of it 10 him and asked for criticism if any objections could be offered. Mr. DOnohoe, in reply, had covered the same ground as the resolution and he believed the work of the Chamber of Commerce would bring results.
 Following is a copy nf the rcSu- lutiOn as adopted:
 We. the citizens of Valdez, in mass meeting assembled, do here by resolve as follows:
 Whereas, It is the intention of the government of tho Unified Slaics tO construct a trunk line railway from inc ScabOard of the North Pacific ocean to the Mala- nuSka coal fields and to the west ward of the Yukon river; and
 Whereas, Cheap transportation is the present crying need of Alaska for it's proper develop mrnt; and
 Whereas, Reasonable iranspnr- tatiOn charges can be hoped for 'only where the costs of construc- tinn, maintenance and operation are reduced tO a minimum; and
 Whereas, In it's good intentions the government will not be doing justice to Alaska OF to itself by selected arbitrarily line of rail- way to be purchased or con- slruclcd, without first obtaining a report from q board of comp"- tent engineers as to the most fra- Siblc route, costing the least sum, as we'll as the one thai can be maintained and operated al Inc minimum expenditure; and
 Whereas, Military explorations of the Copper River and Cook Inlet countries. made in 1899 by Captains Abcrcrombir and Glenn under direction of the War de- partmcni, after exhaustive rccOn- naiSSancrS indicated the Valdez route, over the Thompson pass. as the most practicable route for d wagon road OF a railway from salt water lO the interior: and
 Whereas, The government has expended over one million dollars on a wagon road between Valdez and Fairbanks. and large amount on a telegraph. line over the same route, both available in the construction of railway; and
 Whereas, A branch line from a main or trunk line by the Val dcz route can be built to the Mat anuska coal fields, avoiding heavy grades and expensive rock work and affOrding the shortest route from the coal beds to the sea coast; and,
 Whereas, The Senate commit tee on territories, after official ly visiting Alaska, reported that Valdez is situated on the finest harbor upon the Alaskan coast, a completely landlocked bay capable of accommodating the navies of the world, and that it is the most northcrly port in the world open to navigation the year round; and
 Whereas, The port of Valdez offers ample terminal grounds for railway purposes and for wharvcs and coal bunkers, without cost to tho governments: and
 Whereas, A trunk line from Valdez, having a military and na- val strategic value. can be de- fcndcd al probably less cost than one from any other port on the Pacific COast;' therefore. be it