Iditarod pioneer., 1914-04-04
INCIDENTS DURING DEBATE
 ON ALASKA RAILROAD BILL

Washington Feb 20.-The debate in con gress on the Alaska railroad bill disclosed the fact that the majority were in favor of the development of the Northland.
 The presence in Washington of Maurice D. Leehey, Will H. Parry, Charles G. Hef ner and J. L. McPherson, representing the Alaska bureau of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce, had an excellent effect. The men took hold of the work with great vigor and many senators who had been indiffer- ent or mildly antagonistic to the Alaska bill became its ardent supporters.
 Exhibit Is Interesting
 The Alaska exhibit in the senate office building, with it's display of minerals, farm products transparencies and moving pie lures, has been a point of interest. The achievement of Mr McPherson in obtain ing committee room for the exhibit is unusual under the rules of the senate. It was brought about through an agreement with Senator Lee Overman that the ex- hibit was for the benefit of members of congress and their friends. This generous list of spect ators, of course included every body who was likely to be interested at all in Alaska.
 Seattleites in Galleries
 One of the features of the debate WAS the presence of numerous Seattleites in the galleries during the debate in the senate One day the group of Seattle citizens in cluded Fred T. Fischer, who is on his way home from the Bermudas; Mr. and Mrs. Clark Davis, J. w. Phillips, Falcon Joslin, D. A. Mckenzie, Mir and Mrs. John E. Ballaine, Captain J. s. Gibson, Mir. and Mrs. D. E. Skinner, Charles G. Heifner, Maurice D. Leehey and R. H. Royal.
 In the house the notable event of the debate was the speech of James Wicker sham, delegate from Alaska Mir Wicker hssm spoke for more than five hours, GOV ering every phase of the situation and an swering running fire of questions, Rep resentatives Ferris and Davenport, who signed the minority report opposing the Alaska bill, led in the cross ex animation of the Alaska delegate. His answers were 30 clear and informing that many friends were won over to the side of Alaska.
 Gave Hard Facts
 Only once or twice did Mir. Wickerska am indulge in rhetorical flights; mostly he de voted his attention to giving hard facts con corning the North In describing the sum mer in the Panama valley he said:
 During May, June, July and August, the summer season of the Tanans, the whole earth is sblaze with the glory of the solsti- cial sun. During that period ths Tsnana valley has more hours of sunshine than sunny California, and more hours of eum- mer than Ohio or any other state in the Union. The gardeners and farmers are at work early and late, crops grow vigor- ously in the long hours of sunshine and 1 heat, and the valleys, the birch clad hills and the mountains of the Northland respond to the magic touch of the life giving gun light"
 Saving to People
 One interesting feature of Judge Wicker, sham's speech related to the saving which the proposed railroad would bring about for the people of the Yukon valley The data was prepared by Maurice D. Leehey Easing his calculations on the report of Or. Alfred H. Brooks, MT Leehey slowed that 30,0O0 tons of freight delivered in the Yukon valley cost ss,OO0,0OO in freight charges. The report emistates that half of this would be saved by railway rate of 10 cents per ton mile. With no allowance for the saving in passenger traffic, or the saving to the government for carrying mails or quartermaster supplies. the amount saved te the people of the Yukon would retire the s4o,o0O,000 bonds proposed for the railroad in eleven years
 Cleanliness is lovelness Through this comes our power with others The redo