Seward seaport record., 1954-03-12
we have been missing a bet.

absorbed in other lines of work and relocated by the railroad. And of course, they can always find a place in Anchorage to live-heck! We've got that many old shacks out here along the highway that we haven't been able to get rid of. AS for Seward itself, when that 1000 is pulled out, he admits that maybe the merchants who have invested their money here in development of this city, may not like it much, so what?
 He seems blissfully unaware that much of the $4,200,000 property assessment here Gap proximately 50 per cent valua- tion) is Anchorage money. That $50 people pay real property taxes on the half billion dollar investment. That's of no conse- quence to Anchorage-they want what THEY want.
 Browne devotes three pages to the climate of Anchorage, at tempting to prove, we assume, that there is no foundation for adverse reports of ice conditions in the banana belt. He goes to great length in quoting his story from the ADB about former Governor Bone's sorrow at the "misconception" held in the States about Alaskan climate. It's all wrong, he walls. Why it's not cold here at all, and rain? Why "Cordova has much more rain and snow than we have" ;" What has that got to do with building a port facility in An chorage? We don't get it.
 Now they do have a little ice in the Inlet. Browne admits ii freely and openly. But "unfor- tunatelY. records have not been kept" SO nobody can prove just how many years. nor how many months of each year Cook Inlet is ice bound. Ii is immaterial. anyway .the writer thinks. be- cause. heck. a couple of ice breakers could easily keep the docks free and clear of ice. Of course. MT. Browne carries couple of ice breakers around in his hip pocket and the cost of operation would not fall upon the shippers. thus adding 10 cost of merchandise!
 MT. Browne was not around during the war when the Army attempted to free an icebound ship at Anchorage. Some of the oldtimers up there should tell him about the time in 1922 or 1943 when an old boat was filled with tar to be used as an ice breaker. The story is well known. It ended by the icebreak- CT being completely defeated and the ship rescued when it became frozen between two ice floes and drifted out to open water.
 Browne does not deny inc fact that the Tidal range in Cook Inlet is great. but. then. it also must be remembered that ii is substantially less than in the l80 mile long Bay of FundY on Can ada's Atlantic Coast. There ii has not prevented establishment of major and minor deep-sea port facilities"
 He makes no attempt to report the tr m n d Cus S amount of money spent on the Bay of Fundy facilities, nor does he explain that the Canadians have not miles of tide flats to coptend with, and no drifting ice floes.
 Tidal bores in the vicinity (of Anchorage) make navigation by small boats during such per iods hazardous. especially when in the hands of inexperienced operators. Yet" he insists. "the Inlet and Knik Arm can be navi- gated with safetY." Why. he ex- bands. Captain Cook consider ed ii no great feat for inc RESO- LUTON and DISCOVERY more than l50 years ago. long before inc advent of power vessels"
 Yes, the bore tides do make it hazardous for small boats, but, we should worry, we don't want the small boats anyway It's the big ones we want. As for Cap tain Cooks little wooden vessels, 100 tons burden at the best, this is the most decided puerile ar gument offered in the whole re- port.
 Now the famous "Treadwell" report is quoted. G. T. Tread we'll, of Seattle, was employed by the Commission as an engin- eer to tell them that their pro- ject was absolutely and entirely feasible. HE OBSERVED THE COOK INLET IN JULY, 1852. 'Nough said! Sitting conditions, TreadWell told them. could be