The Daily Alaska empire., 1940-03-31
BUSIEST F MONTHS IN
 (|TY'5 LIFE
Railroad, Aviation, Gold, Matanuska Contribute
 Toward Prosperity
By NORMAN BROWN Chamber of Commerce


 through the busiest 12 months m it's history Anchorage bankers re- norted s25 100000 had changed hands within the city during the neriod There were no big golo discoveries. no oil wells had come in Looking back these bankers could see no reason for a boom. The new spending could be ex- plained only by the fact that An chorage had become a city II which its people had faith, place where most of them intended tc make their homes. It had assumed it's majority as the leading city oi Western Alaska.
 The trend toward permanency had been foretold in both pubic and private building, evidences ol which were apparent during the mast half dozen years. Many new homes had gone up as new famliies established themselves in Anchor age. Two years ago it became ln- creasingly obvious that the school system was far too small and as result a new concrete elemen- tarv school building costing S2oo'- OoO was completed last summer.
 New Hospital
 Almost simultaneously the Sis- ters of Charity celebrated the com nletion of their streamlined s45O,- 00o Providence Hospital. Now more than 60 percent completed Is new Federal Building and Post Of- fice which will cost the Govern ment close to ssoo,ooo when com pleted.
 The structure will be among the finest in Alaska and will house a. score of Government agencies in- cluding the administration offices of the Alaska Railroad, the U. 5. Signal Corps, the Weather Bureau the United States District Court, the Alaska Road Commission, the Civil AeronauticS Authority, the United States Commissioner, the United States Land Office, and others
 The building, which will include such modern gadgets as pneumatic tubes and teletypes, is scheduled for completion next September. Gov. Ernest Gruening has been in- vited to lay the cornerstone and dedicate the building next sum- mer
 Railroad Is Backbone
 The backbone of Anchorage is the Alaska Railroad with it's round- houses, repair shops, and general offices which bring yearly pay roll to the city of million and a half dollars.
 Second in size and as important an industry from the standpoint of transportation is aviation. More than 40 planes are based at the airport and at least six other op- orators look upon Anchorage as their supply base although their homes are far off in the Interior.
 Aviation is important in An chorage because it serves as, the commercial headquarters for a huge area to the west and north west of nearly 25,000 square miles which has hardly a trace of a road Some 5000 trappers, traders and miners living in the area between Anchorage and the Boring Sea and the Aleutian chain and the Yu- ken River all depend upon air. planes to supply their needs. Every thing from knitting needles to cows goes to the Interior by air. plane. Once 12 live reindeer were delivered intact to a movie com pany which found it cheaper and easier to bring the deer to. An chorage than to go where the deer were living. e
 Common as Committing
 Travel by airplane is as common
  as committing in the States. Not long ago a woman flew in from Dillingham; to get permanent wave. w. E. Dunkle, mine opera tor north of Anchorage, has his own planes in which he hops be- tween city and mine much the same as a businessman Outside would drive his car. A young law yer hops from town to town in his Fairchild plane instead of wait ing for trains and boats. This second largest industry represents an investment of nearly million dollars in machines, hangars and equipment. .sss
 The Civil Aeronautics Authority has found it convenient to make it's Alaska headquarters at Anchor age, a fact that speaks in itself foi Anchorage as flying center. The GAIA inspection service has beer .esta blished in Anchorage for some time and more recently the division of eairways aids has come. From here is directed the work of in stallation Of flying aids along 2