The Daily Alaska empire., 1946-11-05
SUNDB0RG TALKS
 ON ROTARY CLUB
 PROGRAM TODAY

George Sundborg, of the Alaska Development Board, who has just returned from six weeks trip throughout the States during which he explained Alaska to Industry today spoke before the Juneau Ro- tary Club on work being done and plans going forward in connection with the board.
 In visiting such key cities as Seattle, Portland, Chicago, Wash ington. Boston and New York City, he said he was met with two main points in the cognizance of Alaska interested business men: the pres ent shipping strike, and a recent Readers Digest article entitled Whats Wrong With Alaska"
 He said mank industry heads are showing keen interest in the possi- bilities of locating plants and com panies in Alaska, hut are naturally proceeding cautiously when trans portation facilities have been un- certain for years past and show no positive indication of improving in the immediate future.
 The speaker mentioned particular ly a concern which before investi- gating the prohibitive cost of get ting it's produce to and from Alas ka, had planned to invest approxi- mately S400,0 900 in the Territory. In arriving at the possible transporta- tion costs in such a venture, con- cern must first calculate the eX- pense of probable delays in Alaska tie-ups, he said.
 Pulp, Paper Industry
 One of the main topics of interest among business men with an eye to Alaskas future is the pulp and paper mill industry, Sundborg pointed out.
 This industry is on the border line of possibility in Alaska he said. By that I mean that at the present there is no absolutely un- qualified and certain future for such an undertaking Undoubtedly in the very near future there will be. At the moment, however, the large sums of money which must go into such a business are being con- sidered carefully It is natural that the tremendous investment needed for this industry much go where there is clear cut picture Of profit and loss. At present the in dustry is just on the borderline. On one side is profit and the other less. It is not risk that big money can afford to take at this time. If the hard-headed business men in the pulp and paper mill industry saw a chance for high profits here they would come into Alaska without any publicized inyi- 1 tation"
 Sundhorg said he knew of two j, concerns seriously considering com- ing into the paper and pulp in- dustry in Alaska He mentioned , the Southeast Alaska stand of tim Der that is "one of the last un- touched stands in North America, and added that the time to take advantage of it would soon be ripe"
 Among other industries for Alaska i that the Development Board is
 pushing, the speaker included crecsote company for Wrangell. Ht said he understood this was goins i forward at the present time. i On Statehood
 1 On the subject Of Statehood, MT Sundborg stated that during hi
 trip he noticed an overwhelming amount Of interest from coast t' coast in the States. At Time
 Square in New York he watchet
 the New York Times electrica
 bulletin board flash the news
 Alaska Votes for Statehood" Residents of the States witt
 whom he talked appeared to b
 pleased that the Territory was vot ing for Statehood at last, he saic and all expressed hope that flask
 would push the idea to realit within the next few years.
 In plans for the Westward an