Seward daily gateway., 1933-01-14
OPEN LETTER
Continued from page 1) your interest,
 Very truly yours,
 VIM. SHERMAN.

tive actuated the letting of this contract, or contracts, to the above named firms, and that the same should be thoroughly investigated in view of the fact that it is felt that 9 product superior in last ing qualities and competitive in price should be given preference or at least an opportunity to bid on the contract.
 Needless to state we are all in tensely interested in the hope and belief that some day the govern ment railroad in Alaska will be on self-supporting basis and we pre- sume this to be the objective sought by the Federal government itself. Therefore due attention should be given to unwarranted expenditures and fostering of policies which are ruinous or un- economical It appears to this body that short-sighted policy is being adopted in the purchase of railroad ties, some 300 miles from the railroad, when better product can be obtained for the same or less money within five to 10 miles of the railroad, delivered on the right of way, and at almost the same figure when the freight is paid to Seward on ties bought Out side. A better and more service able tie can be cut along the right Of way of the railroad, and a tie, which forestry and timber experts agree, will be a great deal more serviceable and which will last at least Cne-third longer than the grade of fir ties purchased in Washington or elsewhere whether creoSoted or not.
 It appears apparent that the ask ing for bids on CREOSOTED TIES is but a subterfuge to prevent cri- ticism by Alaska tie cutters, and those interested in their welfare, who cannot of course furnish a creosoted tie. It is presumed that the calling for bids with this par ticular specification Intentionally eliminates competitive bidding from Alaska residents and the fol- lowing statement is endorsed by men who have had considerable ex- perience in railroad construction work:
 Creosoting crossties does not
 increase the spike holding ca
 pacity of tie. creosoting
 does not reduce the mechan-
 lcal wear or protect a tie
 against mechanical wear If
 anything it reduces the resist
 ance of the timber against the
 wear of the rail. Sawed fir
 lumber of the quality used for
 ties splits very easily and ere
 csoting will not prevent this
 fault. and if anything aug
 ments splitting.
 4 great deal of the damage
 to cross ties on the Alaska
 Railroad is caused during the
 winter months by shining
 against frost heaves. Fir ties
 will not stand shining as
 they split very easily and in many places where sawed ties
 have been shined, replac-
 mentS have been made annu-
 ally.
 It will be a great many years
 before the Alaska Railroad will
 be standard ballasted, and un-
 til such time as business justi-
 fies standard ballasting it
 would be much better and
 safer to use heWn ties and
 more especially on road with
 many heavy curves, such as we
 have on the Alaska Railroad.
 A hewed tie naturally has a
 much better purchase on the
 ground and less ballast than a
 smooth and smaller sawed tie.
 so-called creosoted ties are
 not usually pressure impreg-
 mated, but just dipped in creo-
 sOte Such dipping affords only
 protection against wood de
 stroying insects, of which there
 are none in Alaska.
 Below we call your attention to an article which Col. Otto F. Ohl- son, General Manager, Alaska Rail road, caused to be published in the T Ts o