The Alaska daily empire., 1922-12-07

economical ends in avoidance Of
: duplicated effort
The highway from valdez and
Chitina to Fairbanks, originally called
| the Richardson trail, starting from
| the coast and penetrating the very
heart OF the interior, mileage OF
S12, forms tho nucleus OF the Alaskn
/ Road Commission prograng II
is trarersed by automobiles IN sum
| mer and dog teams in winter and
although it's use mas been ttrtailed
| by the completion Of the railroad. its
permanent value ard tae wisdom Of
| its upkcep cannot be- doubted. Popu
| lation Will demonstrate It's utility
and the far sight eiuess Of lis build
ers.
| Naturally it is the unopened in
terror that most urgently requires
| roads ami trails, and these cannot be
| pushed too rapidly. \ CONTINUOUS e1-
penditirc Of {1,5V0,090 annually
should be authofiEcd. Arteries to
the railroad ale essential that ii may
the more quickly come into full use
fulness and be made 10 pay. Prom
ising mineral districts, notably the
| kautishDa, the Copper River and
Kuskowin, wait for roads and trails
to make possible their development.
| In the forest reservations on the
coasts-20, 000, 900 acres, embracing
many sections Of interested lands
where the Burcan OF Roads operates.
! the probicms OF transportation, oO-
J viously, arc in great measure those
/ of water. Therefor, in Alaska, tha,
| organization is unable to contribute
| largely to the general development
of the Territory. though abundantly
| provided with funds. It's projects, in
I the main, are essentially local. II
cannot build roads outside the forest
! reserves. It's achievement OF most
marked utility to date, perhaps, is a
! Weil-brilt roahN&y from Hyder at
/ the head of Portland Canal, To the
/ rich mining properties adjacent to
THE British Columbia boundary on
the Alaskan sid, where big indus
trial activities arc impending.
l. A portion OF the BAreau OF Roads
| funds c0uld be diverted from uses
in The rosorve; II the building OF It
road into Ait. Mckinley Park With
enduring benefit and such authorize
ton by Congress would clearly be
1.-THE part OF Wisdom. The opening
of the park is most desirable. Like
wise this is true of Mt katmai Park,
! the Valley of Ten Thousand
Smokes" which has no roads or
trails. Both parks, with their nat
ural wonders, ii made acce ssible,
would attract thousands of visitors.
River transportation Problem.
Steamer service on the Yukon, be-
low Dawson, has been SO greatly cur
tailed since the completion OF the
Alaska Railroad as to cause serious
hardship to communities along the
great river. 1t is OF the utmost inn
pOrtance that freight and passenger
facilities be provided during the
nayigable season. Otherwise vast
sections will be out of reach Of the
necessities OF life and rendered IN
inhabitable. The situation is urgent
is willing 10 put ON boats and oper-
ate them in conjunction with the
railroad the only apparent altcrnd-
tive is to induce private enterprise
to establish and maintain line OF
steamers, between Dawson and Ne
mana. at least, by means Of liberal
subsidy. Ii is true that this would
rebound to the benefit of the White
Pass System, which found the river
business below Dawson Improbable,
but this would be uverbaianced large
ly by immediate. benefits 10 American
settlers in Alaska. The abandon
ment OF the Yukon as Il means OF
transportation would be disastrous.
1t is natural ronte and feeder to
the railroad. The General Jacobs
an army boat, operating from TT
Gibbon CTauana). furnished relief
during the season to river points as
far as Eagie, but troops have now
been withdrawn from Gibbon and
continuance OF this boat service is
uncertain. Action is imperatively
required, preparatory to the naviga-
ton season OF 1925 As the White
Pass is interested only in carrying
travellers to and from Dawson, Il
tourist traffic arrangement by In
side Passage and over the White
Pass, down the Yukon TO Tanana and
thence by the Tanana River to Ne
mana and by rail to Fairbanks, and
out over the Alaska Railroad to An
chorage and Seward, with returning
difficult. Manifestly. however, il
would be a most popular tour and
seems 10 offer possibilities OF profit
Improved river facilities ON the
lower Yukon below Tanana are also
needed.
Utilization of the Forests.
Pulp ana paper manufacturing en-
! terprlses, 10 which Alaska offers ii
most inviting field, are forthcoming.
Companies are formed and BEING
formed. Adverse enonomic condi-
tons and difficulties Of capitalization
/ have delayed the contamination OF
such projects. but Alaska is surely
destined to supply in large measure
Inc pulp and print paper needs OF
America British Columbia. however.
| with liberal concessions and favor
able manufacturing terms. has gained
big and profitable start
The vast forests of Alaska are on
the coasts, where the annual precipi-
tation is abnormal, and they are
mus virtually unendangered by fire.
Otherwise. covering 20.000.01 of re-
served acres. IN army of fire war
dehs would be necessary for their
protection. Whila Washipotop Orc