Seward seaport record., 1953-08-07
Washington Newsletter
July 30, 1853 INTERIOR APPROPRIATIONS

INTERIOR APPROPRIATIONS
 Five disputed items totalling S38, ,565,000 for Alaska were re- solved in the Interior Depart ment appropriation bill for the 1854 fiscal year when the con ference report between the House and Senate was cleared by Congress this week and sent to the President.
 Major decisions were made when no provision was included for rehabilitation of the Seward Portage portion of The Alaska Railroad, although a sum for Seward docks was granted.
 Il am surprised and disap- pointed at the action of the con ferees,' Delegate Bartlett de- clared, 'in striking from the Interior Department appropria- ton bill S5, ,535, 900 to commence. rebuilding the section of The Alaska Railroad between Port age and Seward The sum had been requested after a personal inspection by Under Secretary of the Interior Ralph A. Tudor, although not included in the first Eisenhower budget.
 Need for putting the railroad in first-class shape was empha- sized by the Whittier fire. Ap- parently 1t was the decision of the conferees that the highway from Seward to Anchorage ob- viated the need for repairing the rail line. This does not square with the contention of the De fense Department that two ports served by railroads are essential to defense. I am hopeful that both the Interior and Defense Departments will renew their re- quest for funds when the next budget is presented to Congress-
 Tn the meantime, it is grati- flying that the confereeS allowed S1l2 million for Seward dock construction"
 Other Alaska items include SIP million for the Alaska Pub lie Works program instead of S14,325,000 as proposed by the House. S4,215,000 for The Alas ka Railroad (S1 12 million for Seward docks and the remainder for rolling stocl0 instead of the S9,750,000 as proposed by the Senate and S2,715,000 first ap- proved by the House; S7,750,0O0 for the Eklutna hydroelectric project near Anchorage Legisla- tion authorizing an increase in appropriations for this project is being considered as the first session of the 83rd Congress draws to an end.
 CENSUS
 Alaska's population on July 1, 1852, exceeded by 2,000 persons the Nevada population, accord ing to statistics recently pub lished by the Bureau of the Cen sus. sd
 The statistics reveal that Ne vada had 180,000 persons resid- ing within it's borders a year ago, while Alaska's population was estimated at 182,000. This compares with April 1, 1850, figures of 123,643 for Alaska and 160,033 for Nevada. The increase of approximately 53,000 people in the Territory is a 413 per cent increase over the 1850 census figure, the largest per centage increase of any given area Arizona with 14.6 percent had the his h st percentage growth between the census of 1850 and July l, 1852, for the States, with Nevada next with 12.4 per cent. The national av- craze of population growth over this period was 3.4 per cent. COMMITTEE TRIP TO
 ALASKA
 Unless last minute change in plans is. made, five members of the Senate Interior and In sular Affairs Committee will go to Alaska to hold statehood hearings.
 The tentative schedule will have Senators Butler, Barrett, Anderson, Clements and Jack son leaving Seattle August 16 and flying to Ketchikan, where a hearing will be held on the