The Washington herald., 1914-01-25
ALASKA RAILROAD
BILL Is PASSED
Measure Adopted IN Senate
Allows Expenditure Up
to $40, ,0O0, 900.
TWO AMENDMENTS MADE
Fate in House Is Uncertain. and Presi-
dent May Have to Exert
His Influence.

BY a vote Of le to ls. the Senate lat
yesterday afternoon passed the Alaskan
railroad bin. which authorizes the Pres
ident to construct. at a cost not to ex
coed s4o.ooc.ooc government-owned rail-
roads in Alaska.
The bin was introduced by Senator
Chamberlain. of Oregon. and was re
ported out unanimously by the pubic
lands committed Senator Pittman. chair
man Of the Public Lands Committee. was
in charge of the measure with Senator
Chamberlain
Doubt q. to the House.
The fate of the measure in the House
where IL has received three days con.
sideration on calendar Wednesdays. /.
uncertain 1t Is expected that President
Wilson will have to exert his influence
very materially to obtain favorable
vote In the House, IL It can be passed
at all.
Vote in Senate was as follows:
Ayes-Ashurst, Bryan. Chamberlain,
Chiffon, Gore. Hitchcock. Hollis. James,
Johnson, Kern. Lane, Lea, MARITIME,
Myers, Newlands, Pittman, Pomerene,
Ransden, Reed. Robinson. Salisbury,
Shafroth. Sheppard. Simmons. Smith
(Arizona), Smith CMarylan6, Stone,
Thompson. Vardaman. and Walsh, Dem
ocrats; and Borah, Brady, Bristow, Colt.
Cummins. Fall, Gronna, Jones, Kenyon.
Mclean, Norris, Perkins, Poindexter.
Smoot, Sterling. and Works. Republicans.
with the exception of Poindexter, Pro-
gressive-
Nays-Bacon, Shields, Smith (Georgia),
and Williams, Democrats; and Bradley,
Clark (Wyoming1. Dillingham;, Gallinger.
Lodge, McCumber. Nelson. Root. Smith,
CMichigan). Stephenson, Sutherland. and
Weeks.
An amendment offered by Senator Nor
ris, Of Nebraska. to authorize the Presi-
dent to purchase or build number Of
steamers, not fewer than ten or more
than twenty, capable of being converted
into auxiliary cruisers in time of war,
to ply between the Panama Railroads S
Pacific terminus and Alaska ports, was
defeated by a vote Of 81 to II. This
amendment created much debate. It
limited the expenditure on account of es-
tablishing the line to SIS, ,o0o. 900. Only two
Democrats voted for IL, Senator MARITIME,
Of New Jersey, and Senator Lane. of
Oregon.
Two Amendments Made.
Senator Hoke Smith moved to limit
the total expenditure to be made for rail-
1oduS III AId6hd 70 s-Osovutvlp, luSlcdQ VI
$40 0o0, 900, as proposed by the bill as the
Senate passed it This amendment failed.
B9 to g. Senator Smoot had an amend
ment to limit the total to sS5.000, ,00G, which
was rejected. Senator Hitchcock, of
succeeded in having the bill
amended in two particulars. In one the
President is restricted as to the amount
of money he may pay, under condem-
nation proceedings. for the acquisition Of
private lines of railroads In Alaska to
he actual value of the physical proper
les Of such roads-the cost of reproduc-
ion, less depreciation"
The other amendment directed that the
from the sale of lands and from
the leasing of lands in Alaska be applied
to reducing the bonded debt incurred by
the building of the railroads
As the bill passed, the President is
authorized to expend not exceeding $4o,-
oOo, 900 to locate and construct lines of
from tdewater ports to points
in the interior Of Alaska. The President
Is authorized to operate them under gov
eminent control or to lease them for
not longer than twenty years. He is
authorized to acquire any existing lines
Of railroad by condemnation proceedings
Z he deems it expedient, for the purposes
Of extending them to meet the require
ments Of the bill.
May Borrow Money.
The bill appropriates $1,000, 900 to
initiate the work, and provides that
the Secretary of the Treasury may
borrow, on the credit of the United
States, the s40,0o0,00O necessary to
construct the railroad lines, the gov
obligations being issued |
herefor in denominations from $50 up |
ward, redeemable in gold at the pleas !
Ire of the government after ten years, |
out payable thirty years from date, |
With interest at per cent, payable |
quarterly in gold.
The bill limits the total mileage of |
always that may be constructed un-
Ter the act to 1000.
Senator John Sharp Williams surprised |
some of his colleagues in the course of i
he debate by the statement that the |
Attorney General had entered into an |
agreement with the representatives of
certain railroads in Alaska that are priv
ately-owned, that the government should
AXE no steps to enforce the collection
" the tax on Alaska railroads, imposed
~ the last tariff bill, because it had
'een represented to the government off,
,ers that IL the railroads were compelled
o pay the tax they would be thrown into
he hands of receivers. Senator Williams
that representatives of the
Alaska Railroad had called on him and
,ther Senators, urging them to use their