The Cordova daily times., 1920-12-31
Liberal Policy 0n Pdrt Of GOUer1nlent Needed
 To Deuel0p Territory
Committeeman Mcbride Says People of Territory Are Unit in Demanding Unlocking of Alaskan Resources So That Settlers Who Come Will
 Have Incentive to Stay and Help Development

"The day has arrived when the fed
 eral government is called upon to evolve some plan for creating tonnage 1 for the government railroad between Seward and Fairbanks" said J. c. Me- Bride, Republican national commit teeman, discussing features of his re- cent trip to the westward, in an in terview with the Juneau Capital.
 What Is needed is for the govern ment to supply free farms to say 100 settlers and their families and aid them financially in developing the great farming lands along the rail road Just what shape this aid must take is gauged by what I have learned of the needs of the southwest.
 Before the government Is finished with the railroad project some 60 odd millions of dollars will be expended, yet nothing is being done to create tonnage for the road. incidental with the completion of the project comes the imperative necessity for creating tonnage.
 My idea is to have the government select regions along the railroad where farming is practicable, then bring in 100 families of farmers, stake them to a farm, and then place a credit behind them to the extent of $10,000 if necessary and help them create tonnage and at the same time give us population and produce our own foodstuffs. Private corporations have done this in a measure, and there is no reason why the United States government could not do the same thing. In the days of the South ern Pacific and other railroads the government went behind the roads bonds, gave them every odd town ship or section, and in turn they col onized and built up a great nation in the west. It is not asking too much that the government should do the same for Alaska. for we have every thing necessary to success. If the government is going to retain control of the railroad (and it must do so be cause no private corporation wants it without lands to develop with it then it is up to the government to go the full program and complete the ;,, tho Y.ri- vate corporation would complete it.
 "If 1t is necessary to give man 320 acres, give it to him; give him livestock on a credit basis with all the time he needs to pay for 1t. end a credit by which he may build hab- itable home where he may raise a family and stand by him until he sue ceeds. There may be wasters and failures, but the general average will vindicate the effort
 "What Alaska needs is families. not the blanket wanderer,' who will all ways float. To get these families the government would make good in vestment to have them selected on their merits and brought here free Of charge and placed as suggested.
 "In line with the above we are talk ing steps to have the legislature me- morialize congress through our dele gate, Dan Sutherland, and hope to hrins the entire territory behind the move.
 "Not only will the needs of south western Alaska be thus served, but l believe we should go further and take each section and it needs and place them before congress in the proper manner and in each case have one community support the other in it's claims. By this method I believe we will get action.
 "On my trip westward I talked to men from the interior and technical men connected with the railroad pro ject and they are unit in the state ment that it is necessary to imme- diately begin movement for coloni- zation and unlocking the resources so that people will have something to hold them in Alaska and an incentive to give In return the best efforts in it's development"
 Sun Maid Raisin Bread, always 2 favorite at tho City Bakery.