The Chitina leader. [volume] (Chitina, Alaska) 1910-1928, 1914-03-03
coRDovA ROUTES TO BE BUILT FIRST

The conference committee OF Senate the House
met last night and practically agreed upon the differences
the Alaska railroad bills passed and Monday will convene
again and report the back to both legislative bodies
approval Practically all of the House amendments
adopted which places the amount OF to be used
construction purposes $5oo0O provides that all branches
spurs built shall be standard gauge eliminates the bond
and specifies that appropriations to be made annually
covering the cost of the work 1t is certain
that both Senate and House in mood to accept the
conference report this and the final passage of the
bill is only question OF few days President Wilson
enthusiastically of the project and has already given
public that the Congress takes final action
he will be ready to add his signature which will make the
enactment complete.
This the decisive action the part of the govern
men direct favorable attention the Norhand
minerals Additional legislation is also assured and we are
the of real development with that the vast coal
basis that will permit of fuel being mined and marketed in
competition with the products of the states and
British Columbia Few have an adeouate convention of the
immensely of this country and what definite determination to
develop To illustrate the bgness of Alaska
Congressman Faleoner of Tacoma in speech the
ment railroad in the House month today made the
following comparison regarding cher magnificent distances
ALASKA placed on the map Of the United States, with
places Skagway in Southern Kentucky Cordova ST. Louis
Mo- Fairbanks in Northern Iowa. Nome in South Dakota
northwest Of Los Angeles, CALI
Under the Alaska railroad bill President Wilson is
authorized to select the route routes from dewaer o
interior Alaska and purchase any all Of the existing lines
IT, IN his judgment he deems it best The only restriction
placed him is that the total mileage of the roads, built
acquired shall not exceed 1000 miles The commission which
slte Alaska year ago and investigated the several routes
submitted exhaustive report giving their conclusions
the best and most available routes in Alaska which will
develop the country and it's This report
positive in favor of line to Fairbanks from the end of the
Copper River Northwestern Railway at Chitina, with
Cordova the terminus for the that can be
cheapy and quickly constructed the resulting freight rates
will be lower the terminal port offers the best harbor
Prince William Sound and the Boring River coal fields promise
the earlier development because it's product marketed
cheaper After reviewing all the advantages that the Cordov
Chna route offers its competitors the report
Each of these economic features point clearly to the
advsaby reaching the anana valley via the valley of the
Copper river and the commission therefore the
construction of railway from Chitina to Fairbanks
With such endorsement of Cordova as the coast
terminal of of the trunk lines have every confidence
that the day is not far distant when through trains will be
running regularly from this place Fairbanks branch
line in operation the Boring fields and all the coal of that
section handled through this port Surely this is too
optimistic view to take under the existing circumstances
which must impress President Wilson the same as thew did the
members Of the Alaska Railroad Commission in framing it's
unbiased report after most thorough and careful personal
Investigation of Alaska and her needs.