The Alaska daily empire., 1915-08-23
ROAD FUNDS

That Juneau lawsuit to prevent the distribu tion of forest reserve money equally among the four Judicial Divisions is~not such serious affair after all The Alaska road commission in and indirect way has taken up the fight for the Second. Third and Fourth Divisions and will see to it that the First Division does not get more than Is coming to t in the way of road work It the Juneau politicians are sue cessful in their efforts to inyalidate the action of the late Legislature, and retain for the First Division all of the forest reserve money derived from the sale of timber in tho rongass reserve the road commission will reduce the First Division appropriation sufficiently to off set the loss of forest reserve funds to the other divisions
 The Alaska Board of Road Commission ers of which Colonel Richardson is chairman, has allotted to the First Division. to be expend- ed on new roads the sum of SSOO0O When the members of the Territorial Legislature from that Division asked for an injunction Go restrain the distribution throughout the Terri tory of forest reserve money amounting, in round figures to S52000 the road commission promptly announced that the S30,00O previous iy allotted would be withheld pending the out come of the suit. If Juneau wins the forest reserve money. the Road Commission money will be used in the construction of new roads in other sections of the Territory
 So Juneau really has very little to gain by winning the suit. and precedent will be es-
  lawmakers of the First Division seriously to regret their selfish attitude. If it is right to exDend forest reserve money for the exclusive benefit of the locality in which 1t is collected, it is just and proper to limit the distribution of coal land royalties and other revenues which some day win enrich the Third and Fourth Di- visions if that policy is pursued. In the mean time we have the assurance of the Alaska Road Commissioners that they will treat fairly in the matter 5f the allotment of funds at their disposal. which is Q most satisfactory arrange ment under the circumstances. lt means that we will be none the loser, though we may fail Go establish our right to a share of the pro ceeds of the sale of Tongass Timber.-CFair- banks Citzen)
 Yet the newspapers of Fairbanks and esewheF arp about the "selrshness" and "sectionalism" Southeastern Alaska
 That S30000 which was appropriated to Southeaster Alaska is only about 65 per cent of this Divisions col ribution to that road fund In addition to getting per cent of the First Divisions contribution to tf oad fund through the license tax system. the oth' Divisions get all of the s165oOO general appropriate the First Division gets none of 1t under any circur .tance.
 And Congress said when 1t allowed the States an Territories to have 25 per cent of the proceeds fo National forests that the money should be expende Or lle ocutll or Lut NVuuly UT tvuHsiSo m f'N-@ he forests lie It is large county that contains 2Ol square miles The First Division contains approxmat y 5OO0O square miles. Judge Jennings in his opnio sustaining Territorial Counsel cobbs demurrer to u complaint in the road funds suit said. while not deci Ing as to whether or not Judicial or Legislative vision in Alaska was the equivalent of county other political divisions of the United States, that Co gress intended that the money should be expended f Inc benefit of those in the vicinity of the forest
 By giving up without complaint large part aer own contributions to the road funds and by new making any claim to any of the general road appro -iatons for Alaska. the First Division has shown yond cav that she has not made fight for the palb SsOOOO that was allotted to other Divisions by the Le slature when it distributed the TOngass forest T ,epts-the First Division was and is contending sole for principle that Congress has written into h statute books of the Nation.