The Washington herald., 1914-03-29
Judge James Wckersham, Alaskan Delegate to Congress,
Tells Of His Early Battles, Fitting Him for His
Great Fight Against Monopolsts
IN Tacoma Later On.

10 me, are the highest In the civilized
world Every white man, woman and
cnno IN the territory has Rn annual
freight bill Of $50. Such is a part Of the
tribute We pay to the Alaskan syndicate"
moreover, the syndicate owns ali the
warehouses and stores. Independent
merchants going into the country. Judge
Wickersham states. soon become bans.
rupts The syndicate, by its own YES
seIs. carries provisions. clothing, tools
nacninery. and hay from Seattle to Cor
ooVa- II hauls these necessary supplies
Tor living and working over its rail-
road TO Chitina and thence in its own
sieos to Fairbanks. No outside man.
partnership or corporation can compete,
suase "ickersham points out. against
sucn an all-embracing monopoly
So Judge wIckersham came to believs
that the national government should
puiio railroad from a southern port In
Alaska to Fairbanks and thus Hberate
sesoe white Americans in the Territory
from the extortions of the syndicate.
DE claims that no private interest in
the United States could get the SIS, ,oooO 900
necessary for the construction of the
railway. The syndicate is so powerful,
ne says that the banks in this country
would be afraid to finance the project
''Lobbyists Roasted on the Rails,
Therefore. he went before Congress
with bill for a government road from
the shore Of the Pacific Ocean to the in
terror waterways of the Territory. The
bill was debated and became a law,
though lobbyists" Judge wickersham
says ''roosted on the gallery rails of
the Senate and the House of Represen-
praefdank ~
choose the route and build the road.
Army engineers. no doubt, will recon-
mend route and. II Is equally as certain
that they will superintend the work Of
construction Judge wickersham believes
that the road will be started this year
and viii be completed by the autumn Of
1915 He hopes. Of course, that Fair
banks, his home, will be the northern
terminus Of the line. Branch roads will
open the great coal stores Of the Terri
tory. 1t is about $50 miles from the
Pacific Ocean to Fairbanks. The law
limits the President to the construction
Of loo miles of railway and to the ex-
penditure of S35.0O0,0o0. Also he must
reach coal for the use Of the army and
navy.
The President of the United States dug
the Panama Canal There was neither
graft nor mismanagement. Congress n
sure the President can construct a rail-
road in Alaska without scandal or any
loss Of money. Once the road 10 built.
II will be operated by the national gov
ernment or leased. under regulations, to
private interests. As yet that matter has
not been decided Leasing. however. is
favored by many members Of Congress-
II Alaska, finally. Is liberated" then.
logically, Judge Wickersham years hence
will be called the '1iberator." He looks
the part and has lived up to II ever since
he began his great battle with mo-
nopolists in the city of Tacoma, though
Tacoma was only a small village at the
time. He had arrived in Tacoma with q
wife, a baby, and SIS in casn.
But he was born back in Illinois on a
farm. 'T went barefooted." he told me,
until I was eighteen years old" He put
on his shoes at that age, walked into |
Springfield and studied law with Gen.