Seward seaport record., 1954-03-12
By MEX

AncnOFdBe. AnCnOTaSe, O.S.A. Why bother with "Alaska" when Anchorage fills the whole pie ture? That is the fast growing impression of many smaller AL aSkan communities. Upon read ing the report of the Anchorage Port Commission compiled by Ralph Browne, the impression is in no way lessened. WE are the biggest city in the North. WE are growing so fast that we need the bulk of Alaska Public Works money, and by gosh, we are going to get it." And they have! The critical needs of small CT towns have been overshadow- ed by the demands of the big fellow who is climbing to the top of the heap in ruthless dis regard of all others.
 Now. Anchorage begs a port development and crasslY de- mands that the neighboring town of Seward must be destroy ed in order 10 give Anchorage businessmen any measure of as- surance that a port there could be made 10 pay.
 This attitude of the Port Com mission is stated by Ralph Browne when he reports. "To insure financial success of the project ii is imperative that the Port Commission and others in- terested in seeing the Anchorage port developed. exercise EVERY MEANS AT THEIR DISPOSAL TO THWART rehabilitation of the Seward-Portage line."
 This one statement is enough to finally convince the die-hards in Seward that the efforts of Anchorage Chamber of Com merce and other groups from the. Big Town to maintain confi- dence and friendship of Seward are phony. Smile in your face and stab you in the back tactics have destroyed the painstaking work of three years of trying to be friendly. Now, work m e n, home-oWners business and pro- fessional men and women in Seward are seething with anger and firm determination to boy colt everything that is Anchor age including banks, whole salers, salesmen, entertainment, etc., and turn all business to Ss- attle and Portland.
 For many years the attitude here has been that I've cannot afford 10 antagonize Anchorage" Now the very leaders of that thought have done an about face and the parade is headed in the opposite direction. and this is a stubborn people.
 As for the report itself which has brought the question into the open, a few quotations were made exultantly by the Anchor age Times in the issue of March g. (The Times is a proponent of the port project and state hood for Anchorage)
 In analysing Browne's state ments, it is well to compare it with another paper done by the same man when he was an em- ployee of the Alaska Develop ment Board. In fact, he has lift ed wholesale several pages from the first report (without a credit line to ADB) to insert in the Port Commission report-saved him the time and trouble of writing something different and helped fill in the 62 page Anchorage book.
 In the ADB report Browne says, Tremendous quantities of freight move across the wharves at Seward and Whittier, vital ports for Anchorage and the in terior. Handling of this freight to rail cars brings substantial payrolls to Seward, bulwarking the economy of that seaport com munity. Whittier is used mostly for trans-shipment of defense materials, but good part of that ports payroll FINDS ITS WAY TO THE ANCHORAGE MARKET. It is largely the vol ume of freight for Anchorage which permits the Alaska Rail road to maintain it's present ire quency of service"
 In the Anchorage report. big hearted Bro owne says. We (meaning the kind. conscientious pressure group behind him) com slider inc people of Seward and their welfare 10 be of the utmost importance. They need not be confronted with economic ruin and made destitute" Oh no! Why "oiher activities will take up much of inc slack" fhen he mentions as "other activities the tourist trade and FARMING! lrnyt- Gs--R A.