The Nome nugget., 1932-10-15
TEXT OF DIM0ND'S
 ADDRESS
tContinued from Page Four)

NSoAIlhoSA AlbAh 0SD AoNA(
 fer has not been urged as a mat ter of economy in road building. but to make possible smaller deficit on the Alaska Railroad and in the interest of effective co-or- dination of related activities now handled by two department" And in the letter of April 4th, Secre- tary Wilbur says, Section 3 of the proposed bill contains authority for fixing and collecting tolls where necessary or advisable in the pub lie interest which would enable us to control competition on the Richardson highway with the Al aska Railroad" So as early as April the 4th the plan was all de veloped, and that plan was prin- cipally and first to put tolls on evrything and everybody using the Richardson highway. And there is no assurance that those tolls would be confined to the Richard son highway Secretary Wilbur knew about it, and in fact was probably the father of the idea, if Judge Wickersham was not. Sen ator Howell knew all about it, and tor Howell knew all about it, and Judge Wick ersham knew all about it if he didn't initiate the pro cedure. But Judge Wickersham never raised his voice and nev- CT did anything at any time any where to oppose the bill or to secure it's defeat. And now he de- fends it. He says it's all right; fhin0 If think it's a good thing to be com pelled to pay thousands of dol lars for the use of the highways of Alaska, and particularly the Richardson highway, why it would be well for you to return Judge 'Wickersham to Congress, and per haps he can think up something else for you to pay at the next session. If you are opposed to this idea of tolls, I respectfully sug gest that you vote for me, because I am against it, and if elected, l will do my best to secure the repeal of the act, and if that is impossible, I shall, in any event, try to see that no tolls are actual " levied. So far as I am aware, no Alaskan except Judge Wicker sham was in favor of this act. In the first place, we know from ex- perience that the poor old inter- for department has never been ab- le to get from Congress even suf- ficient money for the Alaska Rail- road, while the war: department, in recent years at least. has been able to present the needs of Alaska to c,,hcf a ntial q n. propriations were obtained, appar- ently without any great difficulty You will have noted from what I read that even Secretary Wilbur says that the transfer has not been urged as matter of econ omy in road building. To the best of my knowledge. every commer- cial body in Alaska, but one. pro tested against the bill. and par ticularly against the idea of tolls. find from an examination of the Fairbanks News-Miner of the issues of May 3rd and May 9th, 1892, that the local Igloo of the Pion- eers adopted strong resolutions op- posing the transfer and wired the substance of the same to Judge Wckersham. But Judge Wicker sham still persisted in letting the bill go through, and it went thru, and was signed, and was made a law. Not content with imposing out rageously high rates on the Alas ka Railroad, it is apparently the determination of the administra- ticn and of Judge Wicke.sham to impose corresponding rates for the usn nf ho pinhord yh and we who live here have [, :ray the price. J,tge Wickersha doea- Tt pay it, and of course 3e,cEs.y Wilbur aoesn': pay 1t, and Senator Howell doesn't pay 1t.
 Resident Must Pay
 You and I, who are trying to live here and maintain our homes and bring up our children in this vast land, are the ones who pay Do you consider that Judge Wick ersham truly represents the inter- ests fthe people of Alaska in per- hitting, and indeed aiding, in the passage of this bill. It is true that Judge Wickersham was not in Washington when the bill was passed On June 27th, but that does not excuse him; it was his busi- ness to be there and I am going to. treat of that feature of the case in a few minutes. Perhaps you do not know that the only way this bill got through was by un- animous consent It was on what was known as the consent calen- dar, where the objection of any Congressman would have prevented