Seward daily gateway., 1924-04-18
FUNDS NOW AVAILABLE
rUK NAiLAUAD UUNA.
LANDS OWES ILala.
(Ancflorage Alaskan)

The forces OIL Cne ALASKA RaiIroau
VIII be douDled Immediately anu The
wage scale tor labor VIII REMAIN as i.
az last se.>1~4 accofu4A9 ~ d oIa,.-
ment made yesterday by Colonel Lee
II. Lands, general manager of the rail
road, in an interview with a represen-
tative of The Daily Alaskan.
ihe sum o 9zuvo mas Deen author
lied to be expended in improvements
to the government dock in Anchorage.
The appropriation for the Alaska
Railroad, amounting to over a million
dollars, which was recently authoriz-
ed by Congress is now available.
Bona fide miners and prospectors
will be given the preference in en-
ployment on the railroad during the
winter months.
FARMERS and homesteaders located
along the railroad belt will have the
opportunity of disposing of certain ties
made from timber on their lands, thru
the regular channels.
In stating that the personnel of the
railroad will be doubled, this means
that at least 900 more men will be en-
ployed and according to Colonel Ian
dis, the hiring of men for the rehabi-
lltatlng of the Alaska railroad started
two days ago, locally and in the states.
Two crews Of men for the Interior riv-
er transportation service left Seattle
yesterday on the steamer Northwest
ern.
Nineteen men are included in this !
party but this number will be augu-
mented here by an additional force,
to assist in rec inditioning the river
steamers and to operate them the com
ing season.
Steel for three bridges, the Eagle
river bridge, at Mile 1877, the Moves
Slough bridge at Fairbanks and the
Placer River bridge at Mile 81, is in
the local railroad yards and work is
actually under way.
Faster and increased passenger ser
vice will be made possible within the
next few weeks upon the arrival from
the Outside of two railway coaches, a
diner and two pullman sleepers. En-
gines are being rebuilt and overhauled
in the local shops but the Mikado To-
comotives will not arrive this summer,
according to Colonel Lands. Specifica-
tons of the Mikado locomotives are
now being gone over by the railroad
engineers and when approved the huge
engines will no doubt be available next
fall.
The sum of $4,000 authorized to be
expended on the local government dock
will be used for the purpose of improv-
ing the piling and general condition of
the ocean terminal The work on the
dock will start at once.
The policy of hiring miners and pros
pectors on the Alaska Railroad will be
continued wherever possible, Colonel
Lands stated, particularly during the
winter, when the prospector comes in
from a season spent in the hills and
needs work to enable him to get to- ;
gether a grubstake for the following
summer. Colonel Lands said: eve are
not running a pension bureau or any
thing like that but if we are putting
on men on the road and we know that
prospector has made application for
the work, we will at all times give him
the preference"
There will be no immediate change :
in the wage scale for common labor on
the railroad and it is not anticipated
that there will be in the near future.
There can be no change in the pres
ent policy in force of purchasing ties
from individuals along the railroad
belt, the Colonel stated, for, according
to Government regulations, ties must
be bought by bid. However, farmers,
or others who devote
part of their time to getting out good
ties, with the exception Of ties made