The Alaska daily empire., 1913-12-08
RAILROAD BILL UP IN BOTH HOUSES OF CONGRESS
DAWSON NEWS URGES
 EXCHANGE OF LAND
o-o

Commenting upon the resolution in troduced in the National House of Representative by Congressman J. F. Smith, of Maryland, authorizing the President of the United States to eX- change the port of Skagway for ter ritorial or other concessions from Canada, the Dawson News suggests that a trade could be made that would ] be advantageous to both the United States and Canada. It urges that Canada offer, in exchange for Skag- way, sufficient area of the territory | east of Mt St. Elias and west of the i Yukon river to provide for a right of way for a railroad from Haines to the headwaters of the Panama and Copper rivers. Such an exchange would give Yukon Territory a Canadian outlet to the Coast and it would give the Ameri- cans an opportunity to build a rail- road on their own soil from the pro tected waters of the Inside Passage to the northwest through the heart of Alaska
 In support of it's suggestion the Daw- son News says
 Yukon Territory needs a port on the Pacific. If it is obtained, not only the Canadian Yukon, but also Alaska, will gain. A port there will draw Ga nadian railway services northward, and help get the railway systems and the competition and development which the entire Northland must have in order to prosper.
 Some time ago this paper drew at tentiOn to the fact convenient trade of advantage to both countries could be made by exchanging Skagway for the strip of Canadian territory now barring the Americans from an all American railway to open the White River valley, the Panama valley and all eastern Alaska.
 If the United States Congress passes the pending bill for the expenditure of $40,OOO,OOO for a government railway system for Alaska, so far as physical conditions and advantages are con cerned and so far as a centrally To- cated traffic-producing road is possi- ble, the Haines route will be the most desirable. But to build out from Haines the Americans now would have to cross the strip of Canadian territory projecting westward
 "The American-Alaskan railway sys- tenn should start from Haines because it affords the only route back of the Alaskan Alps, and thus the only route which will not be buried in snow drought the long winters.
 'The one route for interior and east ern Alaska is that from Haines. In going to White and Chisana it will have an easy grade, and from there on can be obtained to Fairbanks. Ruby. Koyukuk and Nome, with branches ra- diating to every big interior camp. The American government may build a number of short lines from coast points inland, but the one great railway achievement of Alaska will not be consummated until a trunk line runs from Haines to Nome through all the vast interior. But Haines is cut off by the Canadian strip. And Yukon Territory-the Canadian Yukon-never will get it's desired Pacific port until it gets it from the Americans at Skag- way, or possibly at Yakutat or Taku. It is doubtful if Yakutat or Taku would be practical and accessible for naviga- tion at all times. To give Canada Skagway would mean ceding only few miles of mostly barren rocky val ley and the town of Skagway
 "Skagway would not be hampered nor injured in her present trade in the least. Her business now nearly all originates through Canadian trade arising in Dawson and other ports of the Yukon Territory. If Skagway were under the Canadian flag, the American boats would not be barred from enter ing there for trade"
 The Dawson paper could have added that such trade would give the Amer jeans the Rainy Hollow copper fields and much likely gold placer country along the line of the proposed railroad from Haines to the interior.
 -O-O-O
 1 HOLIDAY SPIRIT TO BE
 Ar NEW NEARyC nAIt