The Newark journal., 1919-11-20

fy E5&Q NJ feritahe treasure trove to the United
 States and is only at the beginning = ifs development Some of these facts are here s5vea with credit to the various representatives.
 Ar. Curry of Gallferna.-AIr Chairman, in 1867
 aen Alaska was purchased through the efforts af Secretary of State Seward from Russia for s .a00e90 which was less than ? cents m acre ziie European nations poked fun 1t the tniied states. and the papers of the United States ridl. ai'ied Secretary Seward and referred to Alaska IS .$eRanis Iceberg"
 The climate of tl.e most of Alaska k better than fliat uf Scandinavia and New Foundland Vege. tables and cereals can be and raised there. sfnd 1t k tie richest undevelopcd mineral section en tiie face of the earth.
 Time has justified Stewards purchase of Alaska 3er she United States. Since 1SG9 Alaska has rro- tced ever SS40000000 worth of wealth: Sl0O- f10009 of that from her fisheries. most nf the rest from her mines and from her furs. In the alne time Alaska has bought from the United states S400do0000 worth of property. It has done that under existing law that practically ties up the resources of Alaska and prohibits them from being developed.
 In 1914 under these conditions knowing that Alaska should he developed and that a railroad eauld not and would not be built hy private enter fr5se. the congress Of the United States enacted law authorizing the president to construct q rail- road or railroads in Alnska. not to exceed 1000 ibGeS ln iCN@Nll= sHi HHiuhFKCU ile expenditure ny him of S3500a000 for that purpose, The presI Jent placed the construction of the road under the control of the secretary of the interior and he 'n urn organized what k known the Alaskan engineering commission to take practical charge of he work.
 The original authorization of $350000oO would Lave constructed this road under ordinary coudi- lions and circumstances. but the Har came along. teees increased 59 per cent. the cost of material Increased up to 161 per cent and transportation up ta 1f7 per cent Under those circumstances the s:}5oo0000 is not sufficient 10 complete the work. if is therefore, absolutely necessary, unless we wish to sacrifice the S35oo0o00 already invested, that this sf700oe0a authorization be allowed
 The road when completed, will he G0l miles in length The nrn line, from Seward to Fair5anls, NH he :71 miles in length The spurs and branches and side lines will make up he G0l miles All or The road has been completed with the exception of some work to he done 10 complete thc first T miles from Seward north and gap of 1Go miles and another small gap of 25 niles Most of the lOo.miie gap has been surveyed and some of the raalred has been made
 The road started from Seward the southern neiat ef Alaska. and went to Anchorage, Part of gbef road--7i miles-had been constructed. From Anchorage over to the northern terminal of the rnad Fairbanks is located on the Panama river. The Panama river is a branch of the Yukon rYcf, md the Yukon river and the Tannna rxer are
  commission commenced building from the saaih- ern nolnf north. They brought tie material 10 seward and Anchorage and they commenced to hvfl3 from fine northern terminal south, SC that they could save time and save money.
 The road already reaches to the coal fields There the 1.292 square miles of coal fields In Alaska that ha9e been explored and exported by fhe coast and geodete survey, the gcologieal sur. ,-av and bv the Alaskan engineering commission That fs al oil the inc of this road Ii is estimated that there are 20G000a06o0 tons of coal that will ha openca to commerce by this road. and 15,eo0 toG0go tons ef it will be hgh-gradc coa which t,opd nc used for coil,ng and smeting ore. and si,eb furnoSes and the rest of 1t for fuel and mat -aye of that kind In Alaska fl has been estimated that fbere are 1J9G00N0o000 tons of ceal No nerson knows how much there is.
 Mr Strong of kansas.-fhere has been discoy cred in Alaska not only gold. but silver. copper. rnal lead ron antimeny. tungsten and platinum in ,nrga auantiiies In addition, there llns been .l,eae.erad lurc., fields of oil It has sp'ehd agr ,.i,lt,,rel advantages. II is estimated that t has ..,.eS fe9f.9 eGaie nes of fii,al,le land II has
 .rov.ina se.lsea of lG0 days, and because of the