Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-03-12
ALASKA RI. b.
AWAITS SIGNATURE
Senate Adopts Conference Re-
port, and President Will At
fix His Name.
line TO Be 1000 MILES LONG
Wilson to Decide Route--Expen-
diture of S35,000,000 Au-
thOrjzed--is Expert

Washington, March 10.-Tho ALASKA
railway bill, providing for the con-
struction of thousand miles of gov
eminent. owned railroad ana the eHpen-
Giture of s3J, 900, was ready for the
Presidents signature late to-day, "hen
the Senate adopted the conference re-
port already adopted by the House.
President Wilson has indicated his
intention of signing the bill as soon
as 1t reaches the White House and
tentative plans for constructing the
FIRST government railroad already have
been considered ct the interior depart
lnent. Secretary Lane, long an advo-
cate of the project Is prepared to go
ahead with it as soon rs the President
gives the word.
Final action on the bill in Congress came
after a long debate in tn Senate, the re-
,ort Of the conference committee appoint
ed to settle differences between the two
houses being adopted by vote OF y to -.
The measure authorizes the construction
of not more than one thousand miles OF
railroad to connect Alaska's coal fields
with the coast, the route to be selected
nv the President. to whom also are left
many other important details. Vie is to
decide whether railroad lines already con
structed in the territory shall be pit
chased as part of the government sys-
tenn, and whether the road is to be oper-
ated by the government itself or leased
after it is built.
DEBATE IN SENATE.
The discussion to-day was principally
on a suggestion by Senator Cumlnins that
the Senate conferees be instructed to in
sert the language of the bill as passed
by the Senate and stricken out by the
House, providing that the President, in
constructing the railroad, must if exist
ing railroad lines in Alaska are to be
bought and used a part of the system,
buy or arrange for the purchase of these
lines before construction of extensions is
begun.
Senator Cummins declared that leaving
it discretionary with the President
whether the government should begin
erecting lines into the interior at the
northern termin of existing private rail-
roads from the Alaskan seaboard, might
so enhance the value of existing roads
that syndicates could demand a prohibit
tive price from the government.
Senator Pittman replied that such a
thing would be so obviously out
rageous that no President would yield
to any influence which could bring
out such a result
The bill as perfected, he said, direct
ed the President to construct Il con-
tinuous line from the seaboard to the
interior and that, obviously, it first
would be settled whether the main line
should be built BY the government, or
purchased outright or by condemna-
tion from existing corporations before
any extensions were erected in the
Alaskan interior.
There also was extended debate on
Senator Norris contention that the
language of the bill placed on the
President the obligation to make an
effort TO lease the railroad after it
Is built before the government under
takes to operate itself. Other senators,
Insisted, however that the language al
ready made this optional.