Hyder Weekly Herald

TO MAKE STRONG URGE FOR HIGHWAY

The Hyder Chamber of Commerce is preparing to launch an immediate and energetic effort to draw to official and public attention to the highly important fact that Hyder is the most accessible point in Alaska that can be reached over the Pacific-Yukon-Alaska Highway and also that the Hyder district presents scenic attractions excelling those of virtually every other section of Alaska.

The decision to undertake a determined campaign to place these and other important facts concerning the Hyder district and its close proximity to the projected international highway before the world was taken at a special meeting of the local organization held in the Chamber of Commerce Hall Wednesday evening. The meeting was called primarily to discuss the highway question with representatives of the Stewart Board of Trade with a view to concerted action toward bringing a branch of the big highway to Stewart and Hyder.

The Stewart delegation included H. W. M. Rolston, E. Love, R. E. Haack, H. P. Gibson, W. R. Tooth, W. D. Smith and P. S. Jack, all leading business men of Hyder's nearest communal neighbor.

Mr. Rolston voiced the views of the delegation and presented a clear and concise description of the highway situation, pointing out that there is at present an impression in the minds of the British Columbia officials that the route of the big highway will be located some 30 or 40 miles farther to the eastward of Stewart than is expected locally. Mr. Rolston then outlined on a map of British Columbia the several routes which will be considered by the American and Canadian highway commissioners when they meet to discuss the big project and pointed out that of the three most prominent ones, the westernmost, extending by way of Kitwanga over to the Nass river, would strike closest to this section and would serve the most territory, but would cost somewhat more than a so-called central route running a considerable distance to the eastward.

Mr. Rolston said if we can induce the construction of the most westerly route to the Nass and northward close to Meziadin Lake, it will bring the Highway within a comparatively short distance of Stewart and Hyder.

There is one more important objection to this route, the speaker said. Being close to the mountains, there would be more snow and a resulting shorter season for travel. This fact combined with the added factor that a route somewhat farther east over lower and more level country would cost less might result in the more easterly route being selected.

A short spur some 30 or 40 miles long would connect us with the most westerly route, Mr. Rolston said that in view of the controversy in British Columbia regarding the route to be taken, it was necessary to bring all possible pressure to bear to induce building of the Highway as far west as possible. The speaker said he realized that "Alaska" is a magic word to the tourist and the fact that the Hyder district is the closest and most easily accessible section of the Alaskan territory should be a strong influence in determining the location of the Highway. Mr. Rolston also recited the scenic attractions of the Hyder district and the large government expenditures for highways here as added reasons why this section should be opened to tourist traffic over the Highway. The fact that the government has spent such a large amount on the local roads should provide an added incentive to make as much use of them as possible.

Concluding his remarks, Mr. Rolston said that 125 miles of new road construction would put the Highway right into Alaska at Hyder. Some 30 or 40 miles of this road is already constructed and passable to automobiles and would need but little improvement to place it in shape for large traffic.

Mr. Ernest Blue, Hyder attorney, responding to the remarks of Mr. Rolston, pointed out that the American Highway commissioners were evidently strongly interested in bringing the Highway as close to Alaska as possible. This is shown by the map issued by them, he said. Mr. Blue offered the opinion that the deciding factor in the location of the Highway would probably be the desire to develop British Columbia. He also advised against overhasty efforts in seeking to influence the location of the Highway until such time as the survey engineers had designated their findings.

Mr. Blue endorsed the suggestion that Hyder people should use all possible influence to bring the Highway as close
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Chamber of Commerce to
Make Urge for Highway
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as possible and offered a number of interesting and valuable suggestions to that end.

Mr. J. A. Hall of the Bank of Hyder said it was important to start now to mold public opinion in the desired direction and urged that some plan should be devised to call outside attention to the possibilities of a road into this part of Alaska which is hundreds of miles nearer to the Outside world than any other section of the Territory that could be reached by auto tourists and also offers an incomparable array of scenic attractions.

Mr. P. S. Jack of the Board of Trade delegation also spoke briefly.

Before concluding the session, President E. D. Haddon announced that he would appoint a standing committee of the Chamber of Commerce to act along the lines suggested, the personnel to be announced later.