The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1914-01-09

"Ao shihA WY "huerstand, were MN,
Ing to keep quiet. lest they sho. gnf
ignorance or predict something ,' susr
might not be fulfilled. "Hien
AS far as the congress OF ~ -,
ed States is concerned, the cn,. onit
law is an experimental measure S.
ators and representatives know ns oE
the banking interests have said :" NAV
vor OF the bill and against Il r, -
realize that the doctors, disagray
II the doctors disagree how a. asa
layman decide? uis
President Wilson's currency -,
ure will not come into full onars.,s
for some time. In Washington ~
suits are looked upon much a.
the results OF the drawings OF tha ~
Louisiana lottery. 1t may be n.,.l
prize Legislation, 1t may be minor NV
legislation, or 1t may be blank lee,., n'
ton representing the loss Of an ~
energy which was put into its naa.sa0
plus the loss of business stabil,tv
Wilson Seems Confident
So 1t Is that the currency measu,.
over the passage of which sigh !,
relief went up because 1t brings u,.a
1t cessation of congressional lahos-
and surcease of present sorrow.
will become the law of the land ~
go into operation without any deani.s
knowledge, SO far as Washington l.
ficials are concerned, as to whethar !,
is to do" the country or to do SOM
thing for the country.
President Wilson seemingly 10 sr..
that money will be eazier. that Wan
street will not get it's hogs sharen !,
times of stress, that stability undor
liesthe law in every one Of its classo.
and yet Mr.. Wilson may be mistaken
He admitted before the bill was intro
duced that he did not understand tbo
currency question thoroughly. Has
he been able to master it in tbroo
months? Other men who have sind
led money and its ramifcations
through the avenues of peace FL,
years are ready to confess today that
they are still cropping. The law Is to
go into operation. There will be M
more surprise in Washington at ia
failure to do what 1t is intended IN do
than at its success. On currency
matters the lawmakers have been
guessing and now after all the weeks
of debating it can still be said that
perhaps one mans guess is as good
as another's.
Remarkable Work In Alaska.
Lieut.. Col. Wilds p. Richardson.
United States army, chairman Of
the board Of road commissioners
for Alaska, has come out of the
wilderness to Washington to report
at headquarters. Colonel Richard.
son and his fellow road builders, Lieut.
Glen Edgerton, corps of engineers;
and Lieutenant Louis A. Kunzig, Thir
tieth United States infantry, have su-
perintended the construction and have
attended to the details Of administra.
ton of government road which runs
from Valdez near the coast to the town
| Of Fairbanks, and over which in the
summer time automobiles find easy
| passage.
Perhaps when one reads this short
statement of road construction the
task appears to be nothing phenome-
nal, but it must be remembered that
this road which the army officers
planned, laid out and built runs
through 400 miles of what is virtually
wilderness. The natural difficult
ties which are overcome seemingly
were enough to dishearten the hardt
est and most resourceful of men, but
the road has been built and it has cost
the government 1000 mile less than
the estimate made by engineers VINO
went over the proposed road nine
years ago.
This government road, which mas
opened up Alaska to wagon traflc IN
summer and to the traffic OF man
sleighs and other Shedding vehicles
in the winter, cost $4,000 a mile %
build. Army engineers fixed the pros
pective amount Of expenditure at ~
500 mile. The road today Is as gooa
as the ordinary country road ana
the government chooses to expena ah
additional $1,000 for each mile OF CON
struction, which the engineers recon-
mended. it can be made one Oh sns
model roads of the country.
Hardest Kind of job.
There is plan at present for tas
government to build railroads
Alaska to be owned and possibly
be operated by Uncle Sam. II Is saa
in Washington that II the goseia
ment's railroad shall be constructeu =
we'll and as economically as the wac
on road which Colonel Ricnarusoa
and his associates have just coM
pleted, the tax payers of the counu,
and the travellers who use tne ZEE
way well may be satisfied Win 81
eminent work. Road building
Alaska is a hard task. All sor.s
conditions must be met. Lanusna .s.s
torrents, glacial action and sai, ~.
OF assortment of problems. to tne -
man seemingly impossible o fsoiu''. ~
confront the builders at Intervals -,
along the line of constructor, \,
years Colonel Richardson has peeA ii
his work and last fall with MS w