The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1913-01-18
ASKA THE TEST?
GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP OF
RAILROADS MAY BE TRIED
IN THE TERRITORY.
COMMISSION TO REPORT SOON
May Recommend Purchase Of the
Alaskan Northern, but conserva-
tionIsts Assert This Would Be Poor
Road With Which to start.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.


Road With Which to Start.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.
Washington.-Is Uncle Sam to con-
slider the construction. ownership and
operation Of railroads in the territory
Of Alaska? The question probably will
be answered in few days, and If the
answer Is yes and government owner
ship and operation shall prove a sue
cess, there are congressman in Wash
tngton willing to say that the step
first taken in the territory may lead
later to a record step to be taken in
the states. This simply goes to show
that the question of government own
ership Of the transportation facilities
ID still occupying the attention of the
law makers of the land.
Last August President Taft ap
pointed what is known as the Alas
kan railroad commission. Its duties
have been to study the question OF
railroads In Alaska with a possible
view to the recommendation of gov
eminent ownership, subject which
has been a medium of debate, charge
and counter charge and bitter discus
sion In the committee rooms and on
the floors of congress for years.
The members of the commission
who will report on the subject are
Maj. ]. J. Morrow, U. 8. A.. chairman;
Alfred H. Brooks of the geological
survey and one of the authorities on
Alaskan Subjects. Leonard M. Cox.
civil engineer, United States navy. and
Colin MacRae Ingersoll Of New York.
civil engineer in private practice. The
committee has been at work on its
report for a month and the last pages
Of 1t are being prepared for the printer.
Position Of conservatIonists. -
Some time ago Secretary Of the In
terror Fisher recommended that the
government buy the Alaskan Northern
railroad and extend 1t to the Manta-
nuska coal fields. 1t seems likely that
the report Of the commission will deal
largely with this phase of the trans.
portation problem. II the committee
supports Mr.. Fishers position it is be-
lieved In Washington that the whole
ALASKA controversy may be reopened
and that the conservationists will re-
start their fight. The purchase of the
particular line mentioned they think
In itself IL q good thing. but believe
that It would be bad railroad to start
with on q government purchase ven
ture.
The conservationists hold that the
purchase of the Alaska Northern rail.
road would take the government into
practically virgin territory and would
leave the rest of the country to the
exploitation of the Guggenheim syn.
dicate, whose operations around Con
troller bay and in the coal field lying
70 the north Of 1t would continue un.
rmoiested. The conservationists add
that the Alaska Northern railroad
purchase would be tactical error
and instead Of strengthening federal
control over the resources Of the rich
territory actually would weaken the
movement for such control
booher Convict Labor Bill.
A hearing Ii about to begin be
fore Q subcommittee Of the sen
ate committee on. judiciary on q
bin which opens up again the ole
question Of state rights, The bill wal
introduced by Representative Charles
r. Booher, Democrat, Of Missouri, an(
II IL known a. the convict labor bill
II It n passed It's effect will be to pre-
vent the importation into any STATE
where convict labor for the markets
Ii forbidden, of convict goods manu-
featured in other states where convic
labor for the markets is allowed.
There IL going to be a fight owe
this bill and the details of the argu
ments pro and con and the influence
which are said to be back of the oppc
sition 10 the bill can be given withou
prejudice one way or the other On
= of the strongest advocates Of the pas
sage Of the Booher measure say
that II would affect intimately an
Immediately the welfare Of an arm
Of working girls in hundreds of gar
ment factories throughout the cour
try: of q hundred thousand innocen
wives and children of convicts VIII
are being punished by society for n
FAULT Of their own; 1t would open tn
way to reformation Of a host of pei
sons who are nothing more than pr
vate slaves of private personal COZ
tractors; and. finally, It would enc
once and for all time, the hundre
years war that has been waging b,
tween free labor and convict labo
In this country"
II 10 held by the advocates OF tn
measure that the great evil of convic
made goods Is that they compete d
rectly with goods made by so-calle
Tree labor. II is said that under pre-
3 ent conditions goods made under tn
convict contract system can b
dumped upon the market in a stat
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To Photograph Northern LIoht..
A new camera for photographing II
aurora horoalfa hoe fr., 49, -