The Alaska daily empire., 1913-07-09
NELSON WILL FIGHT
 RAILROAD BILL
(Continued from Page 1.)


 proper for me to say that Alaska is sui generis. It has practically been bottled up from development by the Congress of the United States and by the Executive by the creation of diff efrent sorts of reserves, so that pri- vate capital has not been invested in Alaska as it ought to be. To some of us at least it seems that for the devel- opment of this magnificent empire, the gold and mineral storehouse of the United States, Government assistance and action will be absolutely neces- sary.
 MT President, while, as I said, there are Members of Congress who oppose the conservation by the Government of a railroad in Alaska, it is not es- sentially different from the course which the Government has pursued in days gone by. While it is true the Government itself has not construct ed railroad in any part of the cOun- try, nevertheless, Mir President vast areas of the public domain have been granted to railway corporations for the construction of railroads; and if the United States itself, instead of granting lands to the Northern Pacific, the Union Pacific, the Central Pacific, and other great railway corporations in the country, had saved the lands and expended the moneys which might have been realized from their sale the Government might have sold the land for more than enough to have constructed those or any other rail roads in the country.
 Mir GALLINGER. Mir. President, will the Senator permit me?
 Mir CHAMBERLAIN. I yield to the Senator from New Hampshire.
 Mir GALLINGER. I desire to ask the Senator from Oregon if this report was unanimously agreed to by the Committee on Territories.
 Mir. CHAMBERLAIN. I will say that it was, so far as the quorum pres ent was concerned. There were a few members who were not able to be there on account of other business.
 Mir. GALLINGER. do not find , that any minority report has been filed.
 Mir. CHAMBERLAIN. There is no minority report 1 will state that the Senator from Minnesota (Mr. Nelson), the Senator from Montanan (Mr. Walsh), and possibly one or two oth- CTS were engaged on other committee work and they would have preferred to have been heard, but they have filed no protest or minority report.
 Now, Mir President, as I said a while ago, in view of the fact that Alaska is practically owned by the Government of the United States, in view of the fact that it contains the coal reserve for the Government, which, in case of trouble, must be utilized by the Government itself for the proper equipping of our Navy, in view of the fact that efforts have been made to acquire valuable mineral de posits in that country by private in terests, it seems to me that, owning it as it does, the Government itself ought to enter upon the construction of a railroad in Alaska
 I do hope, Mr. President, in view of the importance of this measure, that the Senate will at this time give con sent that the bill may be taken up for consideration. I promise that at any time I will gladly lay it aside for the consideration of other important bills which the Senate will have to con- sider
 Mir. NELSON. Mir. President, being member of the Committee on Terri tories, from which this bill was re- ported, beg leave to state that while have filed no minority report, l was not present when the bill was agreed to be reported by the majority of the committee, and though 1 am in favor of giving Alaska aid to a reasonable extent in building railroads, am ut terly opposed to the Government en- | barking upon the construction and op- eration of railroads. Therefore, l am opposed to the bill in it's present form; but am not opposed to giving the people of Alaska reasonable and prop CT aid in securing railroads in that country. However, this is an entirely new proposition, involving the expend- iture of $3o,o0o,ooo by the Government in building a road in country as large as Alaska.
 | Mir. LODGE. Mir President, I ask if the morning business has been con cluded.
 The VICE PRESIDENT. It has.
 MT. OVERMAN. I believe I ob jected to the consideration of the bill, and all debate is out of order, think | Mir. LODGE. Yes; it is. ask for | the regular order.
 MT. BRISTOW. l beg the Senator's pardon; I understood that unanimous consent was given for the considera- tiOn of the bill.
 ] MT. OVERMAN. I only gave con- sent with the understanding that | would first hear the bill read, and