The Cordova daily times., 1915-09-23
ROAD CORNERSTONE ANNUAL REPORT.

The Board of Road Commissioners for Alaska preparing its annual report after approximately years of exist although stated in the report by of the fund available need for preliminary examination and reconnaissance of roue its work proper be said to have begun in the spring of 19O6.'
 The mileage constructed and maintained during this period is round numbers 900 miles of wagon road 575 miles of winter sled roads, and than 2OOO miles of trails The Board notes that the total amount received from the Alaska Fund.- is $105867 less than the total of special appropria ton by Congress- but state that this difference has probably been than made receipts from the local road tax law (which operative until repealed by the first Alaska Legislaure together with voluntary subscrp tons principally from the towns of Fairbanks, Codova and Nome thus making the amounts received from Federal and from Territorial sources practically the same.
 After years experience the Board gave the following figures the average of the different classfcaons of roads and trails: Wagon roads, $2 200 per mle winter sled roads, $250 per me and trail $00 per mile These figures round numbers $00 for wagon road $325 for winter sled road and $O0 less for ra ncudes surveys main and all office and overhead charges since he beginning of the wor few of the expensive bridges detached feres and the temporary stalking of winter trails carried separately The report continues in uart as follows
 ''The cost of maintenance of the wagon
 road has been relatively high, might be expected
 from the soil and climatic conditions in Alaska and the
 type of road (prevousy described what would be
 chased as good country road), to which the Board
 is compelled to adhere account of limited funds.
 It is difficult to separate accurately the expenditures
 for construction from those for repair and manten-
 ance, ''repar'' frequently necessitated improve
 upon the original construction but 1t is safe to
 that not to exceed of $2OO0 per mile has
 
 been exceeded, naturally and multiplied three
 four times in instances, whereas in other
 ons where the traffic light and the soil conditions
 favorable, relatively smaller amounts have been
 qured.''
 The Board does not class any of the roads constructed auomcbe roads, and has not felt justified in encouraging the of automobiles upon them Nevertheless there at this time the different roads than hundred trucks and passenger The report to state that number of machines have been passengers the wagon Fairbanks and Valdez the Coast and Willow CreekChitna branch the railroad making the distance out Valdez three and one-ha days and to Chna in less than three The service would become continuous and regular the road cond it. These routes accurately measured for the first time showing Fairbanks Valdez 37O miles, Fairbanks Chtina 328 miles The cutoff from Will Chitina is 39 miles, making the total mileage in round numbers, 409 miles.
 This road two main also glacier streams which, being fed by the melting glaciers and the summer against which protection is difficult and expen sive During the past for six eight weeks the struggle against this destructive agency has been extremely costly.
 Referring the of road work it stated that the atvey high scale of wages and cost of subsistence especially the interior make the cost of such work in Alaska not less than double the cost of similar work under conditions generally prevailing in the States Day aborers receive from $250 $500 per day with board and the of other employees correspondingly high