THE NENANA DAILY NEWS
Application made April 1, 1918, at the postoffice at Nen&na, Alaska,
for eniry as second class mail matter, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
“WHERE RAIL AND RIVER MEET”
Published every afternoon except Sunday, by the Nenana Printing
Company, at First anj B Streets, Nenana, Alaska.
R. G. Southworth...Editor and Manager
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STATEMENT ISSUED
BY SECRETARY LANE
ON RAILROAD WORK
Head of Interior Department Informs the Members of
Congress of Progress Made Since Commencement
of Government Enterprise In Alaska. Statement Is
Answer to Wickersham Letter.
I
(Continued from Yesterday)
"The full table of deductions made by Mr. Wendt is as follows:
Purchase Alaska Northern Railroad ... .S
Its rehabilitation, repair, etc.
Purchase Tanana Valley Railroad ...
Its rehabilitation, etc......
Material and supplies on hand and in transit..
Operation and maintenance expense .
Townsite expenditures (reimbursable in part) .
Rolling stock for use in operation, consisting of locomo
tives, freight cars, passenger cars, etc.
Construction equipment, consisting of steam shovels, ditch
ers, unloaders, scrapers, etc.
Marine equipment .-.-...
Coal mines ....
New wharf at Anchorage ..
Shop and plant machinery....
Machine shops, engine houses, etc.....
Plants at Anchorage and Nenana, consisting of office
buildings, storehouses, quarters for employees, mess
houses, hospitals, heating and lighting plants, freight
handling machinery, etc .
1,157,839.49
2.403,563.75
300,000.00
46,407.00
2,889.248.56
628.626.99
304,731.52
570,741.54
1,382,136.59
244,058 16
193.725.34
124,618.16
126,703.48
218.314.34
1,538,947.17
12.129.662.09
_■
_
29,872,277.17 !
12.129.662.09 !
17.742,615.08
"If now we duduct this amount, which should be excluded as not
properly chargeable to construction cost of new main line road from the
total amount expended, the result is as follows:
Amount exnended
Less deductions
$29,872,277.17
12,129,662.09 j
Cost of newly constructed road $17,742,615.08
Cost per main line of track . <2,716.00
“If the sidings and yard tracks are included, the cost per mile of
track would be approximately $64 754. (No allowance is made for the
78 miles of grading and clearing.)
“In arriving at his cost per mile,
Mr. Wendt has deducted as part of
his cost of construction equipment
which cost $1,382,136.59, consisting
of steam shovels, ditchers, unload
erc. scrapers, and other tools. This
was in large part bought in the first
year of the work partially from the
Panama Commission, and is in the
opinion of Mr. Wendt, worth as
much today as when purchased, ow
ing to the increase in values since
the war. Its value evidently is
what it would bring on the com
pletion of the road. Had private
contractors built the road they
would have had it as salvage. Much
of it would have had to be bought
for the maintenance of the road
after completion. Whether it will
be worth what it cost or how much
less at that time is a question no
one can answer. This is also true
as to marine equipment.
“The two terminals which have
been built at Anchorage and Ne
nana are permanent towns. They
are built not as construction camps,
but with a view to the necesities
of the road in the future, as per
manent parts of a working railroad,
and would have to be built after
construction was completed in order
to properly operate and maintain
the road. It is to be noted that this
work has been undertaken in a
region where it was necessary to
build through a forested wilderness,
(where, indeed, a way had to be
dredged from the channel to the
wharf); where there were no roads,
no towns, no experienced labor,
and where everything had to be im
ported a distance of from 1500 to
5000 miles. And it was thought
best to build not a mere pioneer
road like those that are driven
into our Western forests for the
jrineing out of lumber or for the
caching of some gold mine, but a
•oad that would be always the main
•onnecting line between the Interior
>f Alaska and the ocean. For this
-eason the work has been done not
.vith the end of having so many
miles of road built but of having a
:omplete road with all the equip
ment for its operation, which in
cludes not only cars, locomotives,
and tracks, but complete and well
supplied bases and developed mines
for fuel.
Two estimates were made in 1914
by the Alaskan Engineering Com
mission as to the cost of the road:
(11 From Portage Bay to Fair
banks, at an estimated cost of
$59,742 per mile; (2) from Seward
to Fairbanks, in which figures esti
mated for the road from Kern
creek, or mile 72 north, where all
of the new construction has been
done, was $55,340 per mile.
"The only government-built rail
road—that across the Isthmus of
Panama—cost $221,052 per mile.
The only two recently built rail
roads in the .United States are (1)
the Virginian, built by H. H.
Rogers, which cost, exclusive of
equipment $151,000 per mile, with
labor at from $1.35 to $1.75 per
day and all machinery, fuel, rails
supplies at its door; and (21 the
Milwaukee line to Puget Sound,
which is estimated as having cost
$130,000 per mile, exclusive of
equipment.
Present Condition
“The work has been conducted
with its main base at Anchorage,
which is at the head of Cook Inlet.
This point was chosen as the near
est point from which to construct
a railroad into the Matanuska coal
fields. That was the primary ob
jective of the railroad, to get at the
Matanuska coal. From Anchorage'
it was also intended to drive far-:
ther north through the Susitna val
ley and across Broad Pass, and to
the south along Turnagain Arm to
ward the Alaska Northern track.
iTo secure coal for Alaska was the
first need. So, in addition to An
chorage as a base, one was also
started at Xenana, on the Tanana
river, from which to reach the Xe
nana coal fields lying to the south,
if these two fields were open one
’ would supply the coast of Alaska
!and the other the Interior. This
.program has been acted upon, with
the result that the Matanuska field
is open to tidewater, with a down
' grade road all the way. The Xe
nana road has been pushed far
enough south to touch a coal mine
near the track, which may obviate
the immediate necessity for reach
. ing into the Xenana field proper.
From Seward north and from An
chorage south the road has been
built, so that last fall there was
through communication from Sew
ard to Anchorage. Matanuska and
the Susitna valev.
“There is an open stretch across
Broad Pass to connect the Susitna
valley with the road coming down
from N'enana. and another reach
of a few miles on the north of the
Tanana river before connecting with
the Tanana Valley road outside of
Fairbanks. These gaps closed there
will be through connection between '
Seward and Fairbanks. The accom
panying map shows the road's con- j
dition.
Overhead 1
"The work has been done by men
on the job in Alaska, not by men
in \\ ashington. The only bureau
maintained in Washington consisted
of four clerks in one room. All
the rest of the force is in Alaska
with the exception of the purchas
ing division in Seattle.
“The Commission adopted the sys
tem of construction approved by
the most competent engineers at«
the beginning of construction—a
combination of letting out the work
to small contractors and of day’s '
labor. The only contractor who
ever talked of building the road
asked a guarantee against loss from
the government—what we now
know as a ‘cost plus contract’—and ,
as this would involve a large staff
of government superintendents and
checking officials, with no guaran
tee of a minimum cost to the gov- '
ernment, but every reason to be
lieve that a maximum cost would
be reached, it was thought wise to
follow the course we have pursued.
As the price of labor, suppliesr~and
other things have risen, we have
not had to pay a contractor a per
centage on the increasing cost. }
“In 1918 the wage employees
numbered 3,329 and the salaried
employees 725.
“The road has 1,982 wage em
ployees and 441 salaried employees,
as estimated for in the Book of
Estimates for 1920. (A clerical ,
error in this book transposed ‘Sal
aries’ and ’Wages,’ so as to make
it appear that a greater amount was
proposed for salaries than for
wages. I
(To Be Continued.1
CHARGES TOO HIGH;
PEOPLE DO WITHOUT
LON'DOX, England. — Lancashire
mules and looms are idle while the
world is clamoring for cotton goods,
says the Manchester correspondent
of the Daily' Mail, which adds that
crowds of unemployed demonstrat
ed in front of the Manchester
town hall. Mill-owners have been
criticised, but the real trouble, the
correspondent says, is that cus
tomers cannot afford to pay the pre
vailing high charges.
F. E Stockton, president of the
Manchester Chamber of Commerce,
says that from six million to seven
million pounds’ worth of yarn and
cloth is being held back, although
badly needed in Holland, Denmark
and Scandinavia, and urges the re
moval of restrictions on the export
of manufactured goods to neutral
countries.
Unemployment in the country is
rapidly reaching a climax.
Men are coming out of the army
and are said to be unable to get the
work which was promised them.
WEEKLY FORCE REPORT
For the week ending May 3, there
were 279 employees on the payrolls
of the Alaskan Engineering Com
mission, showing a decrease of 131
employees as against the number
employed during the preceding week.
There were also 76 stationmen or
contractors, and 23 stationmen 'ab
orers. showing a decrease of .‘50 sia
tionmen and of 4 stationmen labor
ers for the period under review
The forces of the C. weie
distributed as follows:
Camp 1, general .41
Camp 1, electric .10
Camp 1, coral . 4
Camp 1, construction.35
Camp 1, store.27
Hospital . 10
rownsite . 4
Sections Two and Three.15 1
Section No. 4 . . . 9
Section Xos. five and sit .17
Camp 415 . 7
Camp 423 7
Camp 432 .18
Camp 440 . 8 j
Camp 449 34
Xenana total .244 1
'airbanks office.3
ranana Valley R. R. 22
ramp 454 . 10
Fairbanks total . 35
Total for division .273
SPRING IS RENOVATING TIME!
Add to the life of a suit or hat—
mprove your appearance at small
expense, by taking your work to
dRS. DORSAYS TAILOR SHOP
NICELY HOUSE
With Belmont In Connection
POOL CANDIES CIGARS
AND TOBACCOS
WARM COMFORTABLE ROOMS
PRICES REASONABLE
Rates By the Week or Month
Department of the Interior
Alaskan Engineering Commission
NOTICE
Passengers leaving on the train
for any point on the line south of
town are required to purchase
tickets before entering the train.
Tickets can be purchased from
the station agent, whose office is
in the employment office, on the
ground floor of the general office
Duilding, Alaskan Engineering com
mission.
Tickets will be on sale at any
time during office hours, and can
be purchased in sufficient time be
fore the departure of the trains.
Regular trains leave the foot of
A street on Wednesdays and Satur
days at 7 a. m.
The regular train formerly leav
ing on Monday has been discon
tinued until further notice.
Don't Use
Expensive Paper
For Copies
Of Your Letters
Let Us
Supply You
With
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SECOND
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News Office
t
ATTENTION
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TRADERS
SHIP TO
GEO. R. GOSHAW, Inc.
ALASKAN DEALER IN
RAW FURS
SEATTLE NEW YORK
.A Ik.tea Building 127 W. 27th Stmt
We do business direct with you and solicit your RAW FURS.
Your shipments are handled by expert graders and New York j
Market Prices are paid on correct grading the day received If
desired, your shipments will be kept separate in order that our
prices may be approved by you. Providing that our valuation
does not prove satisfactory, the Furs will be returned to you.
transportation charges prepaid. Ship by Insured Parcel Post or
Express. Ship in dry condition. Always enclose an itemized
list of contents with name and address. Also place duplicate
list on the outside of package or bale. All payments are made
by check on the Seattle National Bank, or in any other manner
desired. Special instructions, if any, must accompany shipment.
SHIP NOW
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The government has
announced the Opening of
the Fifth Bond Selling Cam
paign and Local Patriots are now
Actively Engaged in Disposing of
VICTORY BONDS
YOUR SUPPORT IS NEEDED
to Insure the Success of the Drive.
Your Dollars May Put Nenana Over
the Top. Don’t Hold Back. Buy
!
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^•^••I**I,*J**»,v»**«**3,v*»*vvvww*»,*»**»**»,*»*w*»**»,*»,**,v»,*«4**'*•"*•**•**•**•**•**•**•**•**»**•**•**•**•**•**»**•**»**•*
WANT ADS
f OK SALE—A Singer sewing ma
chine. Inquire at Coghill’s.
LOST—Nugget chain. Liberal re
ward for return to News office.
Prospector. and Contractors!
Now is the time to have that tar
paulin, tent or bag made for the
seasons outfit. Bed and hat nets
a-e now readv. at small cost at
MRS. DORSAY'S TAILOR SHOP.
Third and A Streets.
OLD PAPERS FOR SALE AT
THE NEWS OFFICE
Membership List
Nenana
Commercial Club
Anderson, Herman
Allred, Mrs. Clara
Bergman, Charles
Brown, Jess
Barggren, Ernst
Browne, F. D.
Bresnahan, E D
Blankfield, D.
Bowen, J. R.
Brooker, Ed
Bennett, J F.
Ball, ‘ I B
Brown, Erie
Coutts, ’.V T.
Calderhead, R. \v
Campbell. X. J.
Coghill, YY\ A.
Cooney, M. J.
Boner, Frank
Diver,, R J.
Douse, Fred
Ekeland, Alf
Funk, A B.
Finlavson, K A.
Fisher, Joe
Flower, J. H.
Foster, Steve
Gagnon, YY'm.
Ghezzi, Alfred
Gray, E. B. t
Giicher, YY\ H.
Head, E. A.
Hagan. James
Hill, L. W.
Hagen, Hans
Hoey, Andy
Isabel, L. C.
Irvine, A. J. " '
Johnson, A. G. '
Jones, Frank
Julian, W. J.
Johnson, Joseph
Jepson, Peter
Joseph, H. B.
Koland, Knut
Ketooroky, John A.
Laughlin, E. L
Lund, E E
Lehr, Q, F.
Markus, George
Mortensen, Peter
Myers, R R.
Moore, Frank B
McDonald, R S
Martin. G. S.
Morris, R. C.
Nash, Martin
O’Keefe. Larry
Parks, S. E.
Pennington, G W
Palfy, Paul
Packer, YV. L.
Ryan, YY'. A.
Rosburg, Herman
Roth, Andy
Rodigkeit, YY'm
Sborgia, YV'illiam
Shaw, Harry X.
Schmidt, Carl
Schaeffer, M. A.
Slippern. J. A.
Simson, Lipman
Scott. J. H.
Sellander, C. J.
Schmidt, Pete
Smith, George A.
South'vorth, R G.
Spira. Frank
Taylor, Frank
Tunison, B.
Thompson, Theodore
Toussaint, J G. K
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Tyler, M. V.
Taylor, YY’m. J.
Y’erhaeghe, Cvriele
Van Orsdel, J. C.
YY’oods, Geo. YV.
YY’illiams, E. A.
YV’aechter, R. I.