The Daily Alaska empire., 1935-04-02
the amount of work that has been done since that time.
 Prediction Fulfilled


 There was one reason I was particularly anxious to see my pre- diction of this opening, fulfilled. You may recall reading in the newspapers last summer after vis- its had been made to Alaska by several Government officials that Alaska was going to have a lot Of airports built by the Department of Commerce or the Territory. Also that air mail would be established in Alaska in the very near future
 Tt would have been a most un- fortunate situation had all these things come to pass and Juneau was without an airport and Pa cific Alaska Airways was not ready to carry mail.
 We have taken nearly three years to study the various air routes from Juneau to Fairbanks. There are great many problems yet to be worked out but the route we have selected up the Taku River and in to Whitehorse over Atlin undoubtedly has many advan- tages over any other route.
 Juneau's Airport
 There is one thing I want you people of Juneau to know and that is that we consider this air. port to be Juneau's airport. We be- lieve that this site can be made into the finest airport in the Ter ritory and it should rank, when completed among the best combi- nation land plane and sea plane airports in the U. s. We hope you will excuse the unfinished appearance of our air. port at present. I hope you will all come out here and see us fre- quently.
 50 that you may feel acquaint- ed with our force here, I am go- ing to ask each of our people to step cut here and I will intro- duce them to you.
 The Personnel
 Joe Barrows is our Division En- gineer. His job is to take care of our airplanes. One look at that plane should convince anyone that Joe knows his job. Joe has been flying in Alaska for five years and he will be the pilot on this trip. ! This is Mr. Robbins, better known as Bobby. Bobby is one of our oldest and best pilots. I be- lieve Bobby has flown more mail and passengers than any pilot in Alaska. He is what call a skoo- kum pilot.
 Radio Station Builder
 Bob Gleason is our Communica- tions Superintendent. Bob has er- ected four radio stations for us between Juneau and Fairbanks in the last two months. I think that is record that won't be beat in <AAeohd III Wllitti LlIIlt. "McCreary here is our radio op- erator here at Juneau. He has spent quite bit of time around Juneau so suppose most of you know him.
 The Constructor Don Abel is our construction superintendent on this Juneau airport. Don has been with us since the beginning at Fairbanks. If had secured the United States and Alaska I know I could not have found a better man to build this airport. He has made a record here of which anyone can be justly proud.
 To Offer Prizes
 Before I finish I want to say that am very glad to see so many young people out here. A thought ! has come to me that might appeal to you boys and girls who are in high school. We are going to offer three prizes that will be available to all high school students in AL aska, for the three best thesis that are written on the need for airmail service in Alaska The first prize will be round trip over our lines from Juneau to Nome The second will be a round trip Tom Juneau to Fairbanks. The third. a twenty minute flight in this plane either here or at Fair banks or Nome. Details of the con- test will be published in the local newspapers.
 Thank you, again, all of you, for coming out here"