Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1923-07-12
. WHY PRESIDENT
GOES To ALASKA
DEVELOPMENT OF TERRITORY is
CHECKED, AND He DESIRES
TO LEARN THE REASON.
RAILWAY ONE BIG PROBLEM
Only Line Built and Operated by the
Government Has Been Much criti-
clzed-Feeder Wagon and Motor
Roads Are Needed.
RY HOWARD 3. cLARK

Observation-Disclosures are Onc1alS In
Washington who say that President
Harding's Alaska trip will discover no
new thing 1t is Mt their intention
to belittle the Importance of the trip
for they add quickly that If the Pres
ident finds out nothing which is new
he at least may be able to find things
which will explain finally good many
things that are old-and in large
measure it is said that this is what
the President is going to Alaska for.
When the United States bought
this northwestern territory from
Russia there were people who said
the money spent was money thrown
away for a barren wilderness which
never would become productive of
anything worth WHILE There were
reasons for the purchase, however,
which were not at all based on pos
sible financial gain. The reasons were
political and in a way geographical,
for some Of the American statesmen
OF the time when the territory was
bought were farseeing men Who be-
Heved 1t was not good for this coun-
try to have Russia as neighbOr even
It she was a somewhat removed one.
Alaska has paid back to the United
States some hundreds of times the
amount of money that was expended
for its purchase, but recently the re-
turns have been falling off, or at least
they have not kept up the pace of
yearly increase which might be ex-
pected Something is wrong with
Alaska and the Harding administra-
ton knows 1t, just as two or three Of
the preceding administrations have
known it.
Alaska Railroad Problem.
The Alaska railroad, it Is expected,
will occupy a good deal of the Presi-
dents attention while he Is In the
Northern country. A good many
criticisms have been made of this
road and of its location, and a good
many doubts have been expressed as
to whether or not it is going to be
Of any material service to the country
in the future. One result of the Pres
ident's trip probably will be a recon-
mendation that means be taken quick
~ to provide proper feeder wagon
and motor roads for the rail route
roads along which produce can be
carried to provide freight for the rail
road in order to make it give more
earning return for the expense OF
building.
About a quarter of a century ago
the first systematic effort was started
to make good wagon roads and disable
trails between certain places in the
territory between which communities
ton was necessary, and in order, of
course, also to open up new country
to exploitation.
Road building in Alaska was a DIFF
f1cult job. A road commission was
established and for many years its
chairman was an army officer who
starting on this work as junior OF
the service, stuck to his task for many
years until finally he came out Of the
territory as a colonel at the time the
United States entered the World war
He was then made a brigadier gen
eral and sent overseas, where he per
formed high service In the field fol
his government.
This officer was Brig. Gen. Wilds P
Richardson, who is now on the re
tired list of the army. He construct
ed about a thousand miles of com
municatfon routes in the territory
bridging chasms, skirting cliffs, avoid.
Ing swamps and, generally speaking,
picking the points of least resistance
in a difficult country and completing
his job to the satisfaction of his SUI
periors.
Only Road of It's Kind.
General Richardson was still at his
work of wagon road building when
the United States congress concluded
that the government should build a
railroad in Alaska. In order that the
railway might be removed from the
field of possible suspicion that it was
to serve some private capitalistic en-
terprise It was proposed that the gov
GEuWlOuI Ou1Ad-#Alp Ol1OQ1u OWD
it and should operate it. This plan
was carried out and today the Alaska
railroad stands as the only govern
ment-built, government-handled and
acknowledgement railroad The
persons who believed in government
ownership hoped that the railroad
would be a success in every way. 1t
is charged that it has not so proved,
and now, therefore, the desire is to
find some means of making it pay.
The Alaska railroad is said to be
well constructed but there have been
charges made that in the desire to
keep its construction entirely away
from anything like suspicion that
great corporations were seIfishly in
terested in it in any way, its rails
have been laid in a field which Is not
likely to be productive of business for
the road.
Troubles of National Committees.
There is much political activity in
washington today notwithstanding the
fact that the President is away, con-
gress is away, and good many of the