The Alaskan., 1928-05-04
THE ALASKA RAILROAD MUST
 BE MAINTAINED

That the Alaska Railroad must be maintained to give ample oppor- tunity to test out the question of development of the vast Territory of Alaska, Is the opinion expressed by Delegate Sutherland to the crit ics of the Railroad. The question was under discussion during the lat ter part of February In the Sen ate, when Senator Howell sought to have the Interior Department appropriation bill so amended that the road would only be maintained from Anchorage to Nenana. The article recently published by Colonel Wllds P. Richardson, was gen erally referred to as tending to dis courage the further financing of this project.
 Not only does Delegate Suther- land maintain that the Alaska Rail- road has it's defenders in both branches of Congress, but special writers from Washington hold out the hope that the government will carry on in the future, as in the past, when the needs of the road are made manifest. Senator Frank B, Willis from Ohio and Chairman of the important committee on Ter ritories who visited the territory last summer, was most active in defeating the amendments made by Senator Howell to the appropria tion bill in the Senate. Represent ative Vestal, Republican, Indiana. who also was a visitor in Alaska last year, has sought to justify the governmental expenditures in Alas ka in replying to criticisms express ed in the House.
 The specific proposals of Senator Howell in connection with the ao- propriation bill, which he will re- new when the proposed investiga- tion gets under way, are that the government discontinue the oper- ation of a thirty-mile stretch of narrow gauge which runs from Fairbanks northwest to ChatanikA and also 114 miles of road at tha southern end from Seward to Ar, chorage The thirty-nine mile stretch according to his contention, is op- erated solely fir the convenience ot the United States Smelling, Refining and Mining Company Boston, cor poration, which he says, made a net profit in it's various activities last year of $4,000,000. This company should operate the line itself, Sen- ator Howell asserts.
 The lower end of the road from Seward, a port on the Gulf of Alas ka, to Anchorage, is not necessary he says, because of the fact that Anchorage, which is on Cook Inlet, furnishes a suitable harbor for ocean vessels. Senator Howell aI- 90 thinks that the section from Nenana to Fairbanks, a distance of flfty-six miles, eventually should be abandoned.
 The appropriation bill recently under consideration provides $1,300, 900 for the Alaska Railroad for tho fiscal year 1929. Of this amount $90O,000 represents an operating deficit and $4OO,O00 proposed ex. penditures for new equipment
 Senator Willis thinks there Is Dc reason for Encouragement as to the future development of Alaska.
 We have the same kind of prob lem in Alaska that we had in Kan sas and Nebraska seventy-five years ago and In Montana and Idaho for ty years ago." said Senator Willis 3'TEe only question is whether we shall have the vision and the Ameri- can spirit to go ahead with the so- Iution of this problem or whether we shall be frightened and finally destroy and emasculate the whole nronertv ao that the vast emnire