Iditarod pioneer., 1914-08-01
COMMISSIONER RIGGS TELLS
 ABOUT RAILROAD PLANS

i4i AA'AAE' NA Riggs, Jr, and his assistants of the Alaska engineering commission. on the evening of June Is, at Fairbanks that gentleman made the following address which is inter esting as gveng details of the plans of the commission and information as to its per sonnel The speech is reported in the News Miner:
 This is my first visit to Fairbanks, and am deeply grateful for the cordial recep- ton which has been accorded myself and party from your citizens. l am delighted to see such pretty comfortable homes, so much good road in the surrounding coun- try and so many evidences of progress Formerly was somewhat skeptical l must confess, aS to the practical development of agriculture in Alaska and in this interior, but l can now say that l have seen with my own eyes enough to convince me that you can have a permanent development in here on the Tanana This has been a great relief to me, and I am glad to be able to speak so frankly my present opinion.
 "To President Wilson and Secretary Lane all credit should be given for their foresight and their determination to open Alaska by building transportation lines For without a doubt transportation is the key which will unlock the treasure house you have
 We are not locating railroad, but rail roads Remember that Many people have the idea that one solitary line Is all that is projected but if you have this idea you must dismiss it. Here in the interior in my own division we shall locate about 600 miles of railroads, from Broad pass down toward the Yukon We shall make these surveys as have already been outlined in the press. and this information IS to go to the President without recommendation from the Alaska engineering commission. He will make the final decision, not us, as to the routes to be adopted
 Many wonder why we are doing so much work this season on the Susltna- Nenana route, but the reason IS very clear when explained. We already have good data regarding the Cordova route, via Chit ina, and in fact the heaviest and most difficult portion of that route is already constructed in the Copper river line We have a seventy-two mile stretch of rail al ready laid from Seward up to the head of Cook inlet By surveying the Susitna route and one down the Nenana we shall have sufficient information We figure, to enable the President and his advisers to make their selection of the cross country routes before congress shall meet again. However, we are prepared to work all winter if necessary to complete this data, for we have taken the field to produce the information at the earliest possible moment and shall do so, It is hoped by the administration to start construction next year.
 Regarding the personnel of the commls sion you are already pretty well informed Commissioner Edes is the senior member and man of national authority in locat ing railroads We feel that in him we have a final authority to whom we can go for final judgment He will have charge of the surveys from Seward north around the head of knik arm, which IS very difficult piece of work, and will also have charge of sur veving all terminals.
 Lieutenant Mears was a railroad engl- neer before he enlisted in the army at the outbreak of the Spanish war, and when Colonel Goethals discovered his previous ex perience he called him to Panama to re- locate the old Panama railroad. This was a difficult piece of work and he did It ad mirably and placed the railroad in its pres ent fine shape. And 1t IS today financial success, I might add. Lieutenant Mears is serving on the commission through spe- cial enabling act of congress, and has charge of the division between knik arm, at the head of Cook inlet, and Broad pass, having three parties under him. Also he will sur vey line to the Matanuska coal fields.
 T was assigned the northern division, with headquarters at Fairbanks. Besides the three lines you know about, we also expect to survey one down the south side of the Panama river to the Nenana and to cover all practicable routes across the flats from Fairbanks to point on the Nenana considerable distance above its mouth.
 We shall be roasted even as we are now being toasted, probably, when final deci- sions are made as to terminals; but remem- Der that we are trying to do our duty, and our duty consists only in laying the requested information before the President for his decision.
 From the old boundary survey turned over five men to the commission before was named as commissioner, namely, w.. E. Reaburn, who is with us tonight; the three Guerins, who are natural surveyors and Ryas, who is with Bacon on the head