The Alaska daily empire., 1922-09-27
MORE ROADS ALASkA'S CHIEF NEED
IS VIEW OF WRITER FOR OUTLOOK

The one great stumbling block to
the progressive development of AL
aska is the lack of roads and trails,
in the opinion of Sherman Rogers,
special writer OF the Outlook, who
spent several weeks in the Territory
during the past summer. Mr.. Rog'
ers. who made the trip to conduct
a special study of Alaska conditions,
in an interview appearing recently
in the Seattle Times, said There
is one great necessity for the pro
grcssive development of Alaska that
overshadows all others like the pro-
verbal mountain and mole hill. and
that necessity is roads and trails"
He was greatly impressed with the
quantity and quality Of timber in
the forests of the Territory and pre-
dicted the early upbuilding of great
pulp and paper manufacturing in
dlstry here He praised very highly
the inistration of these forests
by the Forest Service. He also. said
he had been informed by repre-
sent alive of one of the big oil com
panies entering the Cold Bay field
that there was no question of oil
being encountered there. the great
est matter of concern TO the com
panies being whether gushers OF
pump wells of lesser or greater pro
duetion were struck.
- Suggests Big Road Fund
Mr. Rogers said:
give the Alaskan interior every
thing her admirers and self seekers
have requested i don't believe there
will be a great deal of difference in
the population in -1aryears and now.
burt give ffasKa. north Of Cape Spen-
Ger, a $25,00O,000 road appropriation
covering period of eight years and
the tremendous developments that
will follow will astopish the Alaskans
every bit as much as it will the cti-
zens of the States. | have never
been in country that needs so
many roads and has so few OF them
framed in the various mining dis.
tricts between Seward and Fairbanks
and could scarcely believe my eyes,
although there was much more ac-
tivity, was assured, than for sew
eral years past.
Roads Are Big Need
"The following phrase was re
~ "
rious, miners, prospectors and farm
ers that | will remember it by heart
II live a thousand years: We
would be doing a lot Of development
work in this district If we had
roads And / would like to say to
the people of Seattle and especially
the Chamber of Commerce that ii
they wish to help Alaskan develop
ment, a constructive fight for ade-
quate road appropriations will bring
quicker and bigger results than any
other single thing outsiders can do
1.-THE Alaska Road Commission
asked. Congress for $10.000,000 for q
1O-year road building program. Did
they get it? They did not. Con-
gress appropriated $467 900, which
was barely enough to take care
of the upkcep of roads already built
True. the commission has accom-
plished wonders with the few dollars
allotted but the money appropriated
was pitifully inadequate. 1t is mere
boys play to grant an Hindevclope1
territory almost twice the size OF
the original l3 colonies an appropria-
ton for road building much less than
IL spent by the average county OF
the western state. In the past 25
years there has been less money
spent on roads in the entire terri
tory north of Cane Spencer than
King county outside OF Seattle hos
spent during the same period. What
a trayesty of judgment or justice.
Take your choice"
Asked about his opinion OF the
Government Railroad. Mr.. Rogers
said: "A few pessim,sts have de-
clarcd there was never any good
reason for building the government
road from Seward to Fairbanks. !
agree with them il the country was
TO be handed back to the Indians
There never was a more necessary
piece OF railroad built and 1t was
,ho bounden duty OF the government
% build 1t. It is one time in the
history OF this country that the gov
eminent has handled big construc-
ton problem as efficiently as any
private concern could do Il. Col.
Frederick Mears knows his business.
He doesn't know what rod tape is
and he has built railroad that will
always be a monument TO his ability.
Gold Mines Operating
However, let me say this: The
Government Railroad will never be
more than two streaks OF rust un-
less good roads are built to every
district the railroad taps, WITH scores