The Alaska daily empire., 1919-08-22
Juneau Man Asserts Gov- ernment Railroad Where
 Completed, Equals the Milwaukee
GRADES ARE ELIMINATED
Believes Railroad Will Prove Good Investment Even if Cost Mounts
 to $75, ,0OO, ,000

E. s. Hewitt, general agent in Alaska for the Burroughs Adding Ma, chine Company, with headquarters in Juneau, recently returned from trip extending along the coast tc Anchorage He reports the westward towns as prosperous and their citizens as possessed of confidence for the future. This is exceptionally true of Anchorage, and other points along the new government railroad.
 He made the round trip from Sew ard to Anchorage and back to Sew Ard over the railroad, and owing tc conflicting reports concerning the ma ture of the construction work on the roadbed, Mr. Hewitt was requested to prepare a statement for the read CTS of The Empire He gives the following as his impression of the permanency of the work being done by the Alaskan Engineering Com mission: RAs
 There has been so much unjust and destructive criticism of the Alas kan Engineering Commission and ot the present condition of the govern ment railroad, by Alaskans as well as outsiders who really knew com paratively little of either, that 1 be lieve it is up to those of us who have taken the time and trouble tC gather the real facts and the public press of Alaska took place these facts before the public, which is the mo tive for my bringing to your atten tion this matter which is of such i'm portance to every Alaskan When I say that this adverse cri ticism of the Alaskan Engineering Commission as government organ ization has been due to a lack oi knowledge by the public of the req facts and has done as much or more to retard the development of Alaska and the work of the commission thar any one element, do not except my self as an offender But when find myself in the wrong on any sub ject I am always willing to admi, it and just as ready to help build III as I was to tear down, and I believe the efforts of the press to place be appreciated by every loyal Alaskan as well as the Alaskcn Engineering Commission.
 Makes Trip Over Road
 On my trip over southwestern Alaska I arrived at Seward the day before the first through train from that port to Anchorage and availed myself of the opportunity to go by rail and secure first handed the facts as to the true conditions of the road On completion of my business al Anchorage finding there was no boat out from that port for ten days again sought transportation over the railroad to Seward. The day before the commission had planned to TUT a through train, which was Sunday the 10th, an exceptionally heavy rain which amounted to almost cloud burst, covered the track at the head of Turnagain Arm for a distance oi six miles to a depth of from six inches to two feet As some of this track was newly balasted 1t was i'm possible to think of running an en zine over it. Thus those who felt the necessity of getting through with out further delay were obliged to make the trip on speeders and hand cars. which party of three of u, proceeded to do. This gave me ar even better opportunity to see the road and pass judgment than any other mode of travel.
 Road Equal to the Milwaukee.
 I have lived west of the Missis- sippi all my life and travelled be. tween Chicago and the Pacific Coast over every line between the Sante Fe and c. P R. including both Of these roads. Also I have rode over many of the new branch lines in the western states. In all my travels have never been over a new road bed that, from every point of en. glneering, was as well constructed as