The daily Alaskan., 1913-04-30
NI2EE2SHAM WINS RECOGNITION
 HIS ALASKA E. 8 BILL FAVORED


 The Washington Times the is-. sue of Apru n prints an article on Che "AIasEa National Railways in which Che name of Delegate Wick. crsham appears prominently in con- uecaon with tho introduction of tho. blu for the construction Of Alaska. railroads. From it we take the tol-. lowing extracts:
 woodrow Wilson, President of Che United States. oZ ofHcio builder general manager and operator of the. National railroads of Alaska"
 That's a new title that seems very likely to be conferred. along with the functions lt implies, upon the. Chief Executive of the United states
 Franklin Lane, Secretary of the Interior. completed his report on the latest railroad construction bin for Alaska. It win then be taken up by Che Senate Committee on Torritor- les. whose members are favorable to the measure. and reported. Its passage at Che present or the next session of Congress is now regarded as almost assured
 This legislation win represent a new departure for tho Federal Goy- arnmont It means Government construction, ownership and opera tlou of great railway system for Alaska. under the namo or Che 'Al- aska National Railways"
 suraws have been giving indication of the winds direction lately Sec. rotary Lane has had long confer eucas with his immediate prcdcce5- sor. Walker L. Fisher, at which it ls ndorsrood tho Government raii- wag project for Alaska was discus sod. Mr. Fisher strongly recom- mended that the Government build m operate thoso roads. It was inc decd a favorte project with him.
 Following this. former Secretary James R. Garfield came to town, and spent a good deal of time with Secretary Lane. Mir. Garfield is ale. 70 In favor of Government railroads for Alaska. Mir. Lane has been 0u- Nious to know just as much as pos abIe about the detailed, practical facts surrounding Alaskan develop maut. That he has gone Go these sources for advice la taken to mdt- cate chat he win press for tho gov ernmcnt project just as vigorously as Secretary Fisher would have dona had he remained In power
 The legislation looking to m,tia- tlon Of this plan was drafted by Del-. cgato James WIcEersham, Of Alas ka Mr. Wlckorsham is at last come into his own. Under the Taft regime he was in bad odor with the Executive authority. Secretary Bal- lmeer and the Alaska delegate fore closed their relations early in che formers regime; and about that same umo the White House doors were barred against Mr Wicker sham. who didn't SO near Che place for the last two or three years that. Taft was President.
 Anything that Wickorsham wout-. cd was certain to be claHsod with an athena by tbo White House. Wick ersham fought against Guggcnhe.m control unceaslugly, and despite tho haudlcaps of tbo Administrators friendship for Che Guggcnheims, he. gained a strong hold on the confid- euce of Congress. With tho change of Administration, Wickersbam finds himself sought by the people who will be charged with the adminta- trauon of Alaska, and his legisla- ton Is being taken up by the aN- thoridls and pushed.
 The Wickersbam bin has been introduced in tho Senate by Mr. Chamberlain of Oregon. Il It pass cs. it will, iu brief:
 Open to settlement about G0,ooo- 00o acres Of agricultural and graz ing land
 Make room in Alaska, and make settlement possibly by an che emi- grants thi5 country Is now losing an- nuauy to Canada-last year about 100000.
 Supply coal for our Pacific coast including the naval needs. There has long Lcen tendency to serious shortage throughout this region and frequent recurrence of famine prices
 immensely Increase the output of Alaska gold. Those most familiar