The weekly Alaska citizen., 1919-07-28

WASHINGTON, D. C., June 25- Notwithstanding all the doleful pre- dictions and bombastic attacks on the Alaskan Engineering commission, it seems to have performed its functions with sufficient efficiency to satisfy the United States senate.
 Yesterday the senate passed the sundry civil bill with an amendment giving to the commission $12,O0O,O for the completion of the road to Fairbanks in 1921 reserving for ap- propriation in 1920 $5,475,000 which includes the cost of the steel bridge at Nenana and standard gauge equip ment for the Fairbanks-Nenana divi- sion.
 J. l.. McPherson of the Alaska Blu reau of the Seattle Chamber of Con- merce completely reviewed the work of the commission in the past and also the estimates for future construc- tion. It was on the facts presented ny llllu IO IlC OCAuIC committee that the senate was con- vinced of the necessity for the large liberality displayed in their appropria- tiOn
 He convinced the committee that the work thus far performed, when compared to similar work previously done in Alaska, and to work done in the states during the same period, was performed economically. He pointed out that altho the road had been built during period of high est labor and material costs it will cost only 301 per cent more than the original estimate called for. He showed that it's construction cost on completion would be $10,000 per mile less than the Copper River & North western railway had cost it's con- tractor to build. The figures are $73,OOO per mile for the A. D. c. and 83,OOO per mile for Michael J. Heney. He showed that whereas the total in vestment of the c. R. & N. w. was now over $246,000 per mile, including equipment, terminals, rolling stock, etc., the A. B. c. would have all told less than $1OO,OOO per mile invested. The Alaskan end of the White Pass & Yukon has an investment value of over $115,OO0 mile as compared to the A. E. c. $99,200.
 This latter figure he showed was for railroad vastly superior to either of the others in all respects, both as to physical and operating conditions, and included rolling stock, equipment, harbor improvements at Anchorage, public utilities at An chorage and Nenana, employees resi- dences which will return their cost in a few years from rents, coal mines producing the railroads fuel supply, public buildings at Nenana and An chorage, the development of the towns and country along the line of railway to aid in creating traffic for the line.
 He argued that Alaska would re- turn every dollar of the cost of the road in a few years and that the completion of the road by 1921 was an absolute necessity for the contin, ued prosperity of the interior.
 A wagon road is to be immediate. ly constructed connecting the ends of steel as much to accommodate traffic for the interior as to facilitate railroad construction. Work is to be pushed to the limit of economical possibility all along the line and every effort made to encourage min ing, industrial and agricultural de velopment.
 The hope of those in responsible charge of the project is to develop Alaska on broad and enduring scale "a scale which shall make for per manent growth of the whole of the interior. Champions of the project in the house are convinced that Al aska's agricultural possibilities have been greatly underrated, that she vii produce wheat, meat and dairy pro ducts in vast quantities and sup port a population equal to that O. Scandinavian countries, of Finland Lapland and Northern Russian provinces.
 There is reason to believe that al attempts to crystalline opposition, tt the road on the part of those polite ally opposed to the Alaskan Engineer ing commission will fail.
 It is recalled that similar attempts were made to discredit the Panam; Canal commission because that pro ject originally estimated to cost $110 100000 actually cost nearly $400,000 900. failed because the objector could cite nothing tangible but onl. general allegations of extravaganza and incompetence. Congress is no impressed by that sort of campaign It is too universal in respect to al government undertakings to merit al tention. Facts congress will not ie nore; abuse, innuendo and unsupport