Seward daily gateway., 1931-07-17
A Strange Situation, Visiting Congressmen!


With resources of unexampled variety and abund ncc in the field of the Alaska Railroad under cmah conditions identicay the in the corresponding attitudes of northwestern Europe, where more than 2O 100000 people reside, the railroad IS not 1nanclany sefsupporting the country it serves IS not developing las should and serious efforts have been or are oe ling made to better the situation by responsible oflclas in Washington. m
 Why? That is the big question you will ask your selves at every mile of your journey through Alaska Why? Why? Why?
 Coal of every grade from Ignite to anthracite is here abundance of it, as you will see literally tI1lhons of tons of it. Best authorities in Washington, Oregon and California say that those three States alone offer la tremendous annual market for Alaskas anthra- cite coal Anthracite coal is brought from Pennsylvania and West Virginia to San Francisco and other cites Of the Pacific Coast and sold at retail prices of $ ton Alaska anthracite be laid down in San Francisco and other coast cities at net cost under SO per ton
 A haul of ,0O0 tons per year from the anthra- cite coal fields of the Maanska district to Seward at S2 per would yield $200000O per year in revenues to the Alaska Railroad
 Why is it not done? Why are there no coal bunkers l at Seward to handle any coal? Why have no efforts been put forth to do those obvious things of prudent business?
 It's strange situation you will readily perceive. On the kenai Peninsula between the Kenal noun tans and Cook Inlet and in the Sustna valley and it's
 tributaries there forests of the best qualities of cot t0nWood aspen and brch hundreds of millions of board feet of them The cottonwood in those regions by de-
  averages 20 inches diameter is straight and clear for 30 and 50 feet to the first limbs It makes the best ve neer of any wood for fruit packing crates, being light, tough and pliable The California fruit and vegetable industry needs 1OOOO0000 square feet of it every year. It be supplied from these Alaska forests at lower prices and of better quality than the unsatisfactory te1ia that State is compelled to accept Those cot tonWood forests from 10000 to 60O00 board feet per many thousands of in places along the Susitna river and it's tributaries, and along the Mata nuska and the Talkeetna rivers.
 7. Why these magnificent forests not developed? Why efforts being made to have them developed ! Tough wrapping paper made from cottonwood pulp also is in great demand all the United States. Why efforts made to provide mills to manufacture pulp for the manufacture of such wrapping paper?
 There no other available forests of cottonwood on the Pacific slope. Why is this Alaska cottonwood s not put upon the market? Why? Why? The pulp industry for print paper, too, why ; is it not developed? The spruce and hemlock in the Chugach National Forest surrounding Seward, 200 miles east and west and 100 miles north and souh and the spruce and henock of the Tanana valley for 300 miles above the Alaska Railroad at Nenana all within the
 field of the Alaska Railroad to be rafted to it down the numerous rivers that bisect the timber: cruises above 2000O00000O board feet It is better pulp ma teral than the spruce of Oregon and Washington giving l. tougher and longer fibre.
 a The 20,00O,OOO,OOO board feet more in that vast forest is enough to produce 500 tons of newspn per day indefinitely without depicting the supply Most o1