Seward daily gateway., 1927-02-02
MUST EARN ITS KEEP

MUST EARN ITS KEEP
 According to information at hand The Alaska Rail- roads mission henceforh is to increase earnings and duce deficits until it approaches selfsustainng basis It does not have in consideration any step which would curta earnings such reduced freight rates prefer entia departures calculated to stimulate any particular industry departure departure from this principle would be taken by the Department of the Interior to be paramount to making direct does from the Treasury of the United States to the beneciaries whether it d rected to granting coonis rates to settlers the land for mixed carload lots, such granted by pioneer railroad enterprises in the United States preferen tla rate coal to SeabOard Goods and passengers must be hauled at profit.
 So that any initiative from the Railroad Bureau may not be looked for any policy expanding beyond the actual economic operation of the enterprise as profit earning business.
 At the time of the visit of Secretary Work to Alaska along with other members of the Cabinet the hint dropped that Alaskans would henceforth be looked to to work out their salvation independent of direct initiative the part of the Teitorys rulers The fact that the government had built the railroad consid- cred sufficient.
 Generally the initiative in the matter of empire build ing eanates from nucleus embodying the greatest i- teres financially and otherwise for the safety of invest ent hinges upon present and prospective Capl tai account is calculated upon this basis and appropriated accordingly. It would that this hypothesis has not and will not enter into the plans of the Interior Depart men and it's railroad management with respect to Alas ka where the capital of $600O0000 expected to interest if not principle on the present physical assets of the region influenced by the enterprise Like the ArkanSaS hOte proprietor who charged man 4U TOT bed explaned-t takes that amount to this place month and you are the only who has stopped here this month"; It takes much to the railroad and this apparently must from the avail able at the present time and by such development the Alaskans may bring about.
 reasonable time should always be allowed to permit of initiative of policy before criticism is offered That reasonable time has transped and those responsible for conditions ns-the bureaus, including The Alaska Railroad Bureau has not made good the promises made by agents of the various bureaus when The Alaska Railroad was being buided.
 There were promises of governmental stimulus from mental townsites employed all the arts of the ve1ies pea and shell game artist to persuade Alaskans to nves in these townsites. The to how we'll the prom ses kept vouchsafed in such ghost cities as Ne and Matanuska, and other points that under the influence of empire building agencies should have emerg ed what promised for them.
 But like many other enterprises where the govern men felt 1t could perform the task better than the pr vate individual the entire scheme failed for the lack employment of just such agencies private enterprise employs when given free hand and not subjected to dantic theories in lue of common business sense.
 The sum total of initiative in securing population an( development of the Railroad belt has been expressed il effort to attract tourists As tourists are pleasure seekers running away from business possibly there wal the happy thought of making this wing of the American monarchy serving class.
 The stress of irony does not repose much upon thu policy of making of The Alaska Railroad an earnings en
 y upon the fact that in the decade in which the bu reaus have held court in this section of Alaska not promise of the Federal government has made good
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