Seward daily gateway., 1931-07-23
Why These Road Gaps?

III ! |
 Apropos of the present time when enumerat- ing the various neglected of this portion of Alaska it is we'll to bring to light matter of supreme importance, construction of roads, We prone to stress problems of the Alaska Railroad and resources tributary thereto overlooking the immediate necessity of roads, roads that be used by the present popua tion which has stuck with Alaska through adverslty and conservation.
 Since the time President Roosevelt and his friend Pinchot (Pinch-ou clamped down the conservation lid on the Territory, Alaska has failed to progress was and is her birthrlght.
 We need roads which can be used to get products lccal markets at time of rpenng not having to wait week for train to convey same; days after the pro- duce is ready for the market and then sent in poor condition with the resultant loss ot the farmer who lab ored hard
 It is true there is considerable road construction going on but look at hen roads built sporadcally in spots with connecting links gaps which are left year after year while the other ends of roadway are grown with weeds and petitions must be sent to have this cleared away before traffic for those short distances may be traversed There is ample evidence i of this
 For years Valdez had such gaps in her road system before being finally hooked up with the Richardson Highway; Fairbanks underwent similar conditions to her weathproducng creeks Seward has had for years la gem of such situation in the SewardLake Kenal Highway then blank for 10 12 miles, then another magnificent road system in the Moose Pass Hope and Sunrise area Why were not these projects hooked up years ago?
 Why this handicap on the present population? What is to be done with the honesteaders who are being brought to this portion of this great Northern country who when their crops and cattle ready for market unable to send them in until the weekly freight de- parts? Alaskans do not like to continually howl to Washington about these things but it would that those responsible for road construction up here would lat least make conditions easy the folk living in the country they possibly coud but no, it is exactly the opposite.
 Over in Anchorage right now, that substantial and one of Aaskas most beautiful of cities, should have it's meager road system connected with the prolific Mata- nuska farming region; with the mining regions where hundreds of men employed. Likewise down in the Kena Peninsula, the inhabitants isolated by reason connecting roads between that and the roads dotting regions miles elsewhere The proposed Quartz Crek road to Lake Kena from Moose Pass has long been la necessity but is still among the missing
 The Cook Inlet district to the minds of most of merely means a place where few cannerleS come m the spring. put in fish traps along the shore and the
 fish, Some years the pack is big and in others poor We read this notation in the papers in the fall and most of us immediately forget that such place exists.
 This same pack means considerable to the Territory the tax the canned product helps defray expenses hire great deal of their labor locally and leave great deal of money in the Inlet There district in the Territory where the canneres pay out much money to residents they do the Cook Inlet district. This IS due mostly to the fact that the fishing is done by traps set gill nets and requires experienced fishermen The canneres find it very profitable to be able to the hands year after year they have the local knowledge necessary to successful fishing However, contrary to popular belief, the salmon fishing is not by any the only possible industry to