Seward daily gateway., 1924-01-21
ANCHORAGE IN DoLDRUMS

Anchorage citizens generally are III d pessimistic vein these fire spring days. owing to the present policy oi retrenchment adopted by the heads ot the Alaskan railway. and the uncer- taiNty as to where lightning will strike next While the only uneasy head is supposed to wear q crown, Manager Lee II. Landis has crowned a number Of former heads, and the re- sultant uneasiness is felt in business and financial circles in the Cook Inlet metropolis
 That Manager Landis is making a wonderful record in the few short months he has been in charge is eVi- denced by the fact that already say ing Of 0,000 per annum has been af- fected by the change Of policy That this change was badly needed is shown by the saving, as efficiency has in no wise been impaired.
 In a recent interview Manager Lan- dis has intimated that from now on towns along the right-of-way must be more self-sustaining and depend less upon government support. Seward fed on government pap at the begin ming of construction work on the rail road until our citizens really believed when this support was suddenly with drawn that the town could not go On without it. But Seward struggled on, and has risen to heights unthought Of at the time the bubble burst, and is really better off today than had it depended upon government support Our people are more independent business is more stable, and condi- tions are better than in many towns on the coast
 Anchorage must be chastened by the same travail She must awaken to the vast opportunities surrounding the admirable townsite. Other payrolls than those of the railway must be built up. There are no heights to which she cannot build if her citizens take the railway as an added blessing and forget about it. Constant picker ing with the management in regaro to patronage or preferment will Work great harm to both the railway ana to the town. MT. Landis has been placed in charge of the railway ana should receive the hearty cooperation of every town and citizen along us length He knows his business, which is running railroads. To quarrel wltn him over the manner in which II IS rnn only adds to the burden he has as sumed. which is to place 1t on pay ing basis. The Gateway believes tha' he should be left alone to work ou' tho nroblem unhampered by criticism caused by a desire to get both lee in the trough and feed from the poli horra, If he wants to turn the roao he'd upside down and run hls cars oi +he ties let's get in and help him d' so.
 Anchorage has a great future' No from being the headquarters ol LII railway, but from choice Of locauo and environment. It needs the co-oi aration of other towns ln securing federal building, and in securing pay rolls Instead of being detrlmen to inc growth of Seward let us 100 at if that Seward cannot live Wlthol inc support and patronage of lnterle towns. Let us drop our petty Jeai nsies and get in and make the ral road belt hive of teemlng lndusr' Our motto should be that ol u Three Musketeers, All for one al one for all"
 And above all let us stand hrm
 hehind the present head of the Ala lza railroad. Unless retrenchment
 made soon government aid Will ceas
 and we will then be worse oil by Il
 being prepared.