The Alaska citizen., 1914-11-02
TAKES ALL CREDIT TO SELF
CANDIDATE FAILS TO SHOW WHY HE DID NOT GET HOS PETAL FUNDS; MISREPRe- SENTS THE SITUATION IN RE- GARD TO PROPOSED POWER PLANT.

Delegate Wickersham entertained a large audience at the Auditorium on Saturday night in speech boost ing himself for reelection to con eress He told many things about the work in tie national capital and took credit for all that has been accomplished for Alaska.
 Although he complimented Presi- dent Wilson in some ways, he en- deavored to detract from the latter's popularity here by asserting that the initiative in the matter of se- curing for Alaska a railroad was taken when Taft was President, and he attempted to leave the impress sion that Mr Wilson is entitled to but little credit in the matter.
 With his characteristic eloquence and his wellknown evasiveness, Mir. Wickersham told only such things about his work in Washington as would leave a favorable impression for himself. His failures were lost sight of throughout the speech.
 For instance MT Wickersham said that he had secured for Fair banks and Nome detention hospi- ta1s. but that trey are not being utilized He did not explain that his bill providing for the erection of the hospitals made no provision for securing sites. which held them up for about two years, and that he secured no appropriation for main taining them.
 Mr. Wickersham declared that the proposed central power plant, for which his opponent MT. Bunnell is pledged to work, is provided for in the bill appropriating money for a railroad. for he said that the Presi- dent has the authority to construct all things necessary for the road, which would mean power facilities.
 In a private interview. MT. Wick ersham had previously acknowledg- ed, however that tie railroad bill does not give the President the authority 10 construct power plant to be used for generating power for sale to miners. But in spite of this he left the impression that no further legislation in the matter is necessary.
 In his talk Saturday night, MT, Wtckersham declares that the White Pass and other transportation com panies lave been monopoliZing transportation facilities, and he in timated that he would bring the natter to the attention of the Inter state Commerce Commission. But MT. Wickersham did not explain why he, as the representative of the people of Alaska, did not take the matter up with the Interstate Commerce Commission.
 Mr Wickersham took credit for the passage of the Alaska coal leasing ill., though he said it was a poor bill, and though he was in Alaska campaigning for himself when the bill was being argued before congress. MT. Wickersham failed to explain why, if the bill is a poor one, he did not center his efforts to improve it. instead of get ting out of Washington when the bill was in danger of not being passed.
 Incidently Mir Wickersham gave a boost to the Pinchot conservation policy which has been the great obstacle in the development of Alaska To make the Pinchot policy look good he asserted that both President Wilson and Secretary of the Interior Lane are supporters of Pinchot's conservation policy, but he did not make this statement harmonize with the fact that the coal mines which were tied up by Mir Pinchot, have been authorized opened through the efforts of both the President and his secretary of the interior.
 It was explained by MT Wicker sham that he is fighter, and that being a fighter is necessary in the halls of congress. He did not eX- plain how Henry Clay and other leading American statesmen, who were noted for their quiet diplo- macy, accomplished more for the nation than all the fighters ever sent to Washington. He did not explain, too, that his personal ami mostly has interfered with his own efforts in the matter of getting better roads and trails for Alaska. It was MT. Wickersham's effort to injure MT. Bunnell's standing by asserting that the latter is not a fighter in the light that MT. Wicker sham has proved himself to be.
 In dealing with the detention hospital question, Mr. Wickersham stated that the women prisoners who are sick, are forced to live in the upper part of the Fairbanks iail, in a place dangerous to their health, but he did not explain that it was due to his own inability .o oot n fupd for maiptaiDjDp the new detention hospital, and not due to the carelessness of the marshal that this condition exists.
 In his effort to detract from the popularity of President Wilson, MT Wickersham failed to point out that the Republicans had no plank in u cir platform concerning the i'm provement of Alaska, and that it