The Alaska citizen., 1914-03-02
DISGUST FUR THE SENATOR'S
 IS EXPLAINED
FIGHT AGAINST THE RAILWAY AROUSES PEOPLE OF
 CORONA.

Official records from Washington received in Fairbanks few days ago. explain why seven Alaska sena- tors were burned in etfigy al C rdoya more than q week ago. The hos ility of the Cordoya people. il seems, grew out of al ef-ort on the par, Of seven members of the upper h Use of the Alaska legislature to create the i'm pression in Washington that people of Alaska are uniayorable 10 gov ernment ownership of railroads in this territory.
 The record alluded t1 is the follow ing from speech delivered by Dele gate Wickersham in the house of representatives on January 2S.
 MT Speaker, in his speech in op- position to the bill to authorize the President of the Uni ed States to locate. instruct and operate rail roads in the Territory O. Alaska, the gentleman from Oklahoma tMr, Fer ris) introduced a copy of letter from certain members of the Alaska legislature. directed to the Secretary of the lnteri T. as proof that the peO- pie of Alaska were not in favor ot the bill He said:
 The Alaska territorial legislature have expressed themselves on this proposition. and in a letter directed to the Secretary of the Interior on April 13, 1912, signed by the presi- dent f the sena.e and six senators have expressed the graVest doubt about the adyisability Of the con struction of a railroad by the federal government. 1 will insert this letter in the record at this point:
 '' SENATE CHAMBERS, Alaska Ter
 ritorial Legislature. Juneau. Alaska
 April 13. 1913. To the Secretary
 of the Interi r, Washington. D. C..
 Sir We are informed hat 1t is the general opinion prevalent al Washington that the people of flask are unanimously in favor of a feder al government owned, constructed and operated railr ad in Alaska.
 "'The majority of the people, in our opinion, are opposed to the prin- ciple of government ownership.
 Tt is rue, however, that in order to prevent the depopuIation of Alaska, we are in favor of any plan or system that will result in the immediate tptlS II tt llOI OI u llIh ll4lt ltA4Ai N'tt in Alaska. a an imperative necessity to he development f our vast min eral resources and extensive coal fields
 We c-nsider transportation the key to the present situation. Yours respectfully, L. Y. RAY, President Of the Senate; ELWOOD BRUNER Senator Second Division; B. F. MIL LARD. Seaatr Third Division; II T. TRIPP, Sena or First Division; J NJ. FANNIE R Senator First Division: Henry RIDDEN. Senator Fourth Di- vision: CONRAD BREEDING, Sena tor Second Division.
 Mr. Wickersham continued:
 Il call the attention the house to the fact that while this le ter is signed by one who styles himself 10 be president of the Alaska senate, and six others who sign themselves as senators from different division of Alaska the q cument does no purport upon it's face 10 he an of ficial act of the legislature of the ter ritory. Every man who signed this letter was a member of the upper house of the terri rial legislature. d house or the popular branch of the legislature signed it. Out of twentg-four members f the legisla- ture seven of them have sought 10 prevent the passage of the Alaska railroad bill by sending this com municaton 10 Washington to be used in debate at the m meat when it would do the territory of Alaska the greatest amount Of harm, by the opponents of the bills
 Later MT. Wickersham read the following:
 Seward. May If, 1913.-H n. Key Putnam, Chairman Senate Committee on Territories.
 Alaska people oppose governmen ownership railroads. Fear extension pernicious system stilling individual enterprise Prefer private c"ner- ship Government aid open coal.
 "L. V. RAY, President Alaska Sen ate"