THE KUSKO TIMES
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Entered as secona-ctass matter Au-:
eust 29th, 1923, at the postoffice at
Tokotna, Alaska, under the Act of
March 3, 1879.
Takotna, Alaska, September 6, 1930.:
SENATE HEARING ON RAIL
ROAD OPENS AT ANCHORAGE;
TOM GAFFNEY’S TESTIMONY
(Anchorage Times.)
Here for the purpose of investigat
ing the “operation, economic situation
and prospects of the Alaska Rail-!
aroad,” the Senatorial committee, con
sisting of Senators R. B. Howell of
Nebraska, John B. Kendrick of Wyo
ming and John Thomas of Idaho, con
vened i nofficial session at the federal
•court house at 2 o’clock this after
noon for the purpose of obtaining
.such information pertaining to the |
subject of their inquiry as might be
presented to them by Anchorage citi
zens.
With every seat in the court room
•occupied by interested spectators and
witnesses summoned by Harry F.
-Morton, president of the Anchorage
•Chamber of Commerce, Senator How
<ell, as chairman of the committee,
^formally operfedr*the hearing with a
Treading of the Senate resolution au
thorizing their investigation. He ex
plained that the committee had pro
ceeded from Seward to Fairbanks,
where, after some investigations had |
Ibeen made by the members, they had
lheld hearings bearing on the ques
'•tion on increased tonnage for the
-Alaska Railroad. “As you are aware,”
he explained, “the railroad is being
•operated at a monthly deficit of about (
#100,000. The purpose of the inves
tigation is to obtain constructive sug- -
:gestions that will be of assistance in j
wiping out that deficit.” The com- ^
imittee, he said, is particularly inter- (
iested in the suggestions that may be j
<made in Anchorage, and emphasized
the desire to obtain constructive sug- ,
jgestions and definite information per- (
taining to the subject under investi- ;
jgation.
Seated about the long table with ,
Chairman Howell were his two col
Jeagues, Senators Kendrick and (
'Thomas, Frank McManney of the In- j
iterstate Commerce Commission, and ^
-Leroy S. Price. The official report
ing is being done by Frank MUberg,
and in close attention also is Secre
tary W. C. Hefner.
Thomas Gaffney First Witness. ]
Thomas Gaffney of Nome ,a resi- :
•dent of Alaska for 30 years and a 1
former member of the Territorial ■
Legislature, who is a visitor in An- :
ehorage, was the first witness called.
After having been sworn in by Chair
man Howell, the oldtimer was asked:
‘What suggestions have you to make
to eliminate the deficit of the Alaska
Ralroad?”
Mr. Gaffney explained to the com
mittee that he is heTfe as a citizen of
Nome and that his observations had
been that a very considerable part of
the Second division, along the lower
Yukon river, is materially benefited
by the operation of the Government’s
transportation system—the railroad,
extending fro m Seward to the in
terior, and by the river steamers
which form the connecting link be
tween the railroad at Nenana and
the lower Yukon river terminus of
derations at Marshall. The raiiroad
and its connecting boats, he ooinfed
out. enable residents of that remote
section of Alaska to receive supplies
Lpproximately a month earlier in the
spring and much later in the fall
than they can by the all-water route
fro rnSeattle via St. Michael.
The witness was questioned at
some length by Senators Howeli and
Kendrick regarding the operation of
boats on the river and between Mar
shall and St. Michael and Nome. They
Hske'J about distances, the number of
people served, rates charged and the
time required to travel between given
points. Mr. Gaffney, having only re
cently made the trip up the Yukon
from St. Michael, was able to answer
ill the questions promptly and in an
enlightening manner. He said he had
nnid S5>n tn travel from Nome to St.
\nchael on a boat operated by the
Lomen company, $26 fro m St. Mi
chael to Marshall on the river craft
operated by the Northern Commer
cial Company, and $61 from Marshall
;o Nenana, on a steamer operated by
;he Government in connection with
che Alaska Railroad. Approximately
LC days had been required for the en- j
ire trip to Nenana, seven of the days 1
being required to go from Marshall j
Lo Nenana.
In answer to a question by Senator
£endrick, the Nome man admitted
hat he did not have any suggestions
o offer relative to the elimination of'
he railroad deficit, but he declared j
lis belief that the continued opera-!
io nof the transportation system is j
ill important to the well-being and j
levelopment of the lower Yukon!
:ountry and those other mining dis
ricts which are being served. He
nentioned the Koyukuk, Ruby and
Marshall districts, all three of which
lave been greatly aided by the rail
oad, and expressed his conviction
hat mining is the backbone of Alas
:a and deserving of every encourage
nent. In his opinion, the Territory
it present is in a period of transi
ion, with the older Alaskans carry
ng on until their work of develop
nent can be taken over by younger
nen who are increasing steadily in
lumbers and who soo nwill be ready
o assume full responsibility for Ter
itorial progress. It was explained
hat the war had taken all of the
roung men out of the country, as well
is the many older men who had an
swered the call for workers to keep
he wheels of industry going. Alaska,
le said, has never fully recovered
:rom the loss in manpower drawn to
he service of the flag, but the belief
vas expressed that there is now a
'avorable turn. And he assured the
Beef, whole or quarters. Veal and Chickns
Trimmed Ribs of Beef Whole Hogs
Pork Pork Shoulders Pork Loins
Pigs1 Feet, jars or kitts Wieners
Bacon, Mild Cured, 60c Per Pound
JIEAT ENOUGH TO LAST UNTIL NEXT FALL.
CLOUGH & BRINK
TAKOTNA,
ALASKA
senators that the Alaska College is
preparing an increasing number oi
young men, and older ones, too, with
a knowledge of minerals and a desire
to go into the hills in quest of them.
In answer to another question by
Senator Kendrick, the oldtimer said
he felt sure Alaskans ean be depend
ed upon to carry on the development
work if they are given reasonable en
couragement And 'in answer to a
question by Senator Howell, he de
clared emphatically that he believed
the continued operation of the rail
road essential to any development
that might take place in the future.
He explained that the development of
a mining country takes time and that
no discouragement sboUl<J be felt by
Congress because of the failure of
the Alaska Railroad to pay expenses
after only seven years of operation.
When the matter of extending the
air mail service to Alaska was men
tioned by Mr. Gaffney he was assured
by Senator Kendrick that all three
members of the committee favor such
an extension. They see in such a de
velopment, he said, a moat consistent
and practical aid to Alaska as .a re
sult of their observations. “In no
country over which the flag floats,”
the Senator declared, “is an air mail
service more necessary than here.”
In closing, Mr. Gaffney told of the
shortcomings of the mai Jserviee in
the Nome district and of his success
ful efforts, while a member of the
Territorial Legislature some years
ago, to,obtain a Territory air mail
subsidy for spring and fall deliveries
in that isolated section of Alaska
where the residents are in luck if
their first winter mail reaches them
by Christmas.
Committee Will Help Alaska.
Senator Howell assured The Times
today that his committee is here to
help Alaska and he expressed himself
as being pleased with the results thus
far obtained from the investigation.
THAT ©THE RS1DE.
Those Alaskans who make a prac
tice of holding Canada pp as .a model
will be interested in knowing that
“while the Stewart Board of Trade
has virtually been down on its knees
impldring the British Columbia de
partment of public works to start a
road construction campaign in the
Portland Canal district as a means of
relieving the unemployment situation,
the Alaska roads department quietly
and unostentatiously has come out
with the announcement .that an esti
mated $100,000 is to e spent this year
on the Salmon river road.” The quo
tation is from an editorial appearing
in a recent issue of the Stewart (B.
C.) News, which suggests that no
matter what the conditions may be
on one side of the international boun
McGrath
PoolHaU
Fresh Fruits
Candies
Tobaccos
[Pipes
Cigarettes!
Soft Drinks] i
Cigarette Holders
FRANK LANGE
Proprietor
daigr, things bwe a wsy of looking
' just * fitflebetter an Ihe other sde.—
i Ex.
PrfflB « scientist’s statement cer
tain irk «f the Westward Alaska
county is. rich in raateral for study.
At Cape Aiitak.*sld.«at Togiak, two
widely separated regions, figures of.
hidden significance; "the writing . of
1 ancient peoples—illegible ..writings,i
\ carved in solid granite, hieroglyphics,
| by the then»nisir with what . would
j now bn termed rude drawings of an
j imals ^aniiP! seen. Often, it is said,
| these bi*rt«l_vphics extend high on
cliffs and are almost inaccessible. Old
j Indiana in .these regions have been
i ..
asked about tkevorigm'bf the carv
ings and the'anawetaia always the
same: "They> ware, there when my
father’s father,”, ahdvso « nback for
ceturies, was alive. It is evident here
is a source .-rif atfdy Jinck interest to
students and scientists
: Frank J./Guskey
Notary Public
McGrath, 'Alaska
Takotna Pool Hall
fVesh Fruits ^
Tobaccos
Apples
Candies
Cigars
Soft Dm&si
Cigarets
Oranges
£
i
4
i
Charlie O’Halloran
■i
Max Simel :
■Pioneer
.Trader
STATION: FAIR VIEW, INNOKOJUVER.
Miners’, Prospectors* and
Trappers? Supplies
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