The Alaska daily empire., 1915-08-27


 under consideration and make rec concentrations. We made the best fight we knew how and this commit tee. one Saturday, generally agreed to report the bin back favorabiy pro- vlded 25 per cent. Of the amount was set aside for general school board, whichewe agreed to- Before Monday certain influences were set at work which defeated this agreement and prevented the just settlement of the question throughout the remainder of tho session. The present law on the subject was finally enacted by the Legislature and road supervisor was appointed in each division to expend the money
 There is an ancient writing which starts by saying that "all Gaul is di- vided into three parts and permit me to say that, after having for years the bulk of the road appropriations from Congress and the tax funds and after obtaining SS5,OoOOOO from Con- rress for our railroads. it was all "Gar' that divided our poor iitue forest fund into four parts. The mem bers from the other divisions were very adverse to any suggestions that forest reserves might be created in the other divisions so that they might have the opportunity to contribute on an equal basis to this forest fund. Some of the newspapers in the oth- CT divisions are now accusing the people of the First Division in an at- tempt to create dissension In Alaska but this is not the truth The rep resentatives from the First Division have at no time asked for anything other than what was just and fair in the premises. and it was the mem bers of the Legislature from the oth- CT three divisions who have created any dissatisfaction that may exist, by narrow-mindedly playing small poli- tics.
 The people of Alaska can never be firmly bound together in an united and harmonious spirit by narrow le- gal technicalities. It requires a broad minded desire to be mutually fair and just in our dealings with greatly vary ing conditions over an immense area of Territory, The recent decision of the Court says. in effect, that Con- gross gave this money to the people residing in the Tongass National Forest as part compensation for what the National government had taken from themf. and while this money has been taken away from them, still there is no legal redress except by the United States government. We must make the most-of the fact and be content with the knowledge that we have asked for nothing unreason- able or unjust.
 So much for the Forest Reserve Fund. The funds of the Board of AL aska Road Commissioners are deriv- ed from two sources. first from Con- gress by appropriations in the army bnl for the construction and mainten- ance of military and post roads, and second by a percentage Of the Fed eral tax monies collected in Alaska and placed In what is known as the Alaska Fund The amount Chat has been appropriated by Congress up to the close of last year is S1,6fS,000.00 and this has practically all been ex- pended in the Third and Fourth Di- visions, but as this money is expend- ed by the War Department for mill tary purposes it does not enter into the question we have under discus sion. The Board of Road Commis- sioners have received and expended from the Federal occupation and li- cense taxes in Alaska the sum of ST. 2O3.152.O0. This has been expended in the different divisions as follows:
 First Division ...--.-......... S141,384
 Second Division ........-.--- 2474S1
 Third Division ............ S05,OS8
 Fourth Division ..............- 509304
 The Second Division has received nearly twice as much as the First; the Thrd Division has received con- siderable more than twice as much, and the Fourth Division. has received nearly four times the amount of the First Division Tn this connection it must be taken into consideration that the First Division has paid in practically one-half of these taxes. Colonel Richardson states that he has recognized these facts, but that his Board for the past several years have assumed that the forest monies would be expended where derived. or prac- tically an in the First Division. and would thus tend to balance the ex- penditures for the entire Territory, and yet some papers in the Interior cali us hoggish for asking for what we have been confidently expecting and waiting for several years, and what is conceded Co us by all dis interested parties.
 After the Legislature passed the law dividing the Forest Fund l im- mediately introduced the memorial to the Alaska Road Commission. The members from the other divisions smiled good naturedly and rather synically and sort of gave me the laugh. but said they would not ser iously object to my getting anything could from the Road Commission, feeling quite certain couldn't get Thus in due time the me morial passed and was submitted to the Road Commission together with all the letters and petitions and data that l had been collecting during the session on the road and trail ques- tion.
 At the close of the Legislative ses-