The Chitina leader., 1914-01-20
ALASKA RAILROAD BILL DISCUSSED IN THE SENATE


its original form. Many of the amendments which
were attached to the measure have been withdrawn
by the senators and congressman who were respon-
sible for their introduction 1t pointed out in
the conference that the position of the bill was
different from other measures. The Alaska railroad
bill drafted by the House committee on terri
tories from the three bills introduced by Delegate
Wickersham of Alaska, Representative Lafferty Of
Oregon and Representative Anderson of Minnesota.
1t provides for appropriating $350O0,O00 from the
treasury and empowering the president to build
railroads in Alaska to be owned and operated by
the United States. The bill also makes an appro-
priation of 100000 Immediately available for
the purpose of carrying out the provisions of the
act.
Since the senators and congressman have
returned to their labors here after spending the
holidays in their constituencies they evince desire
to get through with the regular session as soon as
possible. Many of them have discovered that new
factions have developed in their constituencies
during their long absence caused by holding over
the special session which was made to run into
the regular session through the opposition to the
administrations tariff and currency reform meas
ures. Other important measures await action and
it is largely due to these facts that the track has
been cleared for the Alaska railroad BILL
WASHINGTON, D. c., JAN Ex-senator
Jones, of Washington state, spoke on the Alaska
favored the construction and operation of the
trunk lines by the government but strongly opposed
the government steamship amendment as intro
duced by Senator Poindeyter He declared that it
was not the-iiitenton of HE government to create
monopoly but to provide transportation which
would develop the territory.
WASHINGTON, d. c. Jan. 2O.-President
Wilson told number of reporters who called at
the White House by appointment that the Alaska
railroad bill would soon pass both houses and that
it would afford him much pleasure to sign the
measure. He considers the Alaska measure one of
the greatest which will be enacted during the pres
ent term of congress-
WASHINGTON, d. c., Jan. Ex-senator
McCumber, of North Dakota attacked the Alaska
railroad bill this morning. declaring that it was the
first step towards paternalistic socastic govern
ment." He was opposed to the government owner
ship OF the roads and believed that it would have
been better to guarantee the bonds of private com
panies if it was necessary to do So The govern
ment could still protect the private interests in the
territory from exorbitant transportation charges
through the Interstate Commerce commission.
VALDEZ, Jan. 20-Angus McDougall, the
well known Fairbanks miner returned from the Mel
china diggings today and reports that the camp
will be big producer He has been developing
SI~uHu oH McDouSdl ana L laC creeks With good
results. He has ordered Empire drill, fve-inch
core, to prospect the wet ground on his claims
lie reports that there are $50 men in the camp
with only three women Guy Birch, the Seattle
attorney, who went in recently secured some good
ground which was thrown open on January l. The
ground had been staked but had not been recorded,
ss ~a4nfitR brothers, Of Fairbanks have taken an
option, on three claims on Crooked creek with an
option to buy for $4,000. They have drill working
with 9nch core. The property belonged to- par
ties living at Knik. A new discovery has been
reported from Dublin Gulch about IS miles from
Crooked creek. There only four claims of
Dublin but the ground is shallow and rich Eigh-
teen inches of pay dirt on bedrock pans from 25
cents to $10O per pan.
A negro, Erwing, the first to reach bed
rock on Shovel creek. He had hole down 40 feet
and found good coarse gold and was drifting with
pay increasing when he was drowned out. Much
of the ground is wet and will have to be worked by
open-cut method The new finds have ged
the miners and they preparing for next sum-
mers operations. There will be several drills in
the district before spring to prospect the wet
ground. Teams are leaving with supplies for the
diggings every day and freighters are preparing
for rush toward the end Of the season.