The Alaska daily empire., 1921-12-12

terday, and q special excursion train left Anchorage on the morning oi November 25. loaded with railroad officials and Anchorage business men, reaching Fairbanks on Sunday morning, November 27.
 JubiIation In Interior
 "The Interior people were wild with enthusiasm and the celebration f arrival of the first train from the oast to Interior was the couse of ] great demonstration. On Monday November 28, the excursionists were banqueted and given a dance at Fair banks During the time there the railroad officials conferred with the business men on prospective rates.
 "Nenana was visited on Tuesday pleasure and business occupying the time of the excursionists there. We returned on the special train reach ing Anchorage two days later.
 Train Service
 "A mixed train leaves Seward for the Interior every Monday anl Thursday and arrives at Seward from the Interior Wednesdays and Saturdays. The trains are not be ing operated at present during the night time and four divisional sched ules are involved From Seward to Anchorage is one division, and the train remains at night at Anchorage The next morning the train is oper ated to Deadhorse and remains there all night The next morning the train is operated to Riley Creek, this station to be known as Mount Me Kinley The train remains there one night and then proceeds to Fair. banks. The stopover points are the same on the way from the Interior to the coast When complete sur facing has been finished, which will be early next summer, the train schedule will perhaps be from Sew ard to Fairbanks with only one nigh. lay-over and possibly this will be eliminated and the train will go through, making the trip, actual run ming time, in about 20 hours.
 Fine Wedtner FTeVdilS
 During November We laid 26 miles of rails, north of Broad Pass on dirt which had not been touched by frost The weather so far has been extremely mild, there only be ing about two to four inches of snow from mile AS to Nenana, with the ex ception of two feet of snow at pres ent. in the Broad Pass section. We expect no trouble this winter | keeping the road open with the two rotaries and two snow blows.
 Freight Rate Proposed
 "At present Frederick Browne, who was engineer in charge of the Northern Division, and myself are working on a tariff schedule. So far we have arrived at a rate of $4j a ton. general freight from Seattle to Fairbanks. Of course this depends upon the steamship companies oper- ating from Seattle to Seward and Anchorage. We believe they will take their ocean haul of the through rate which will leave a certain profit able rate for the Government Rail road
 Living Be Reduced
 ''The $45 rate will cut the cost of living in the Interior about 50 per cent. The rate from Seattle to the Interior via St. Michael. has been SIC and the rate, Seattle, via the White Pass & Yukon route, $76. It is not the rate alone which will cut the living cost but the ability to secure commodities ifrom coast points.
 For instance, when the excursion train was in Fairbanks, there was a shortage of oats. which were selling for $150 a ton Anchorage and Sew ard supplied oats which plus the freight rate, were laid down in Fair banks for $75 a ton.
 Sugar was selling at Fairbanks for 16 cents a pound. Seward and An chorage supplied sugar for Fair banks at cents pound. plus 6 freight rate of IF cents a pound.
 Heretofore the Interior merchant has been required to have shipped to him supplies to last from seven tc nine months. This ties up a great amount of money besides the mer chant must also nrpvide for warm and cold storage. -sSWith the com pletion of the railroad the Interior merchants can have his commodities shipped in any quantity and also where it is of perishable nature. a better quality. The railroad put