Iditarod pioneer., 1915-02-20
SENATOR GUASTAD WANTS
 NEW HIGHWAY LEGISLATION


 Der of the Alaska legislature from Fair banks, has prepared an outline of pro- posed new law that provides for the con structon of roads in Alaska under the dl- rection of road supervisors, who are to be elected by vote of the people. He has sent copies of his outline to other newly elected members of the legislature and has asked them for their opinions, according to the Cordova Times
 The law suggested by MT. Gaustad pro- vides for the improvement of the roads Tn each district from money that can be col lected for road taxes and from such funds as the government may direct to be used for such purpose. It is his plan to ask con gress to turn over to the local road funds all licenses collected outside of the incor porated towns and cities, and also to re- quest congress to pass law allowing miners to pay their assessment dues on mining claims to have the money spent in that way.
 The outline of the proposed law, as pre- pared by Mir. Gaustad is as follows:
 Road tax shall be S4 per annum, pay able at the office of the road supervisor or to him personally on or before the first day of June each year; shall become de- linquent on the first day of July when penalty of 5 per cent will be added and if not paid within fifteen days from that date, said delinquent taxpayer shall be liable to arrest, with fine or imprisonment. All moneys derived from this tax shall be used for the construction and maintenance of public highways and trails within the dis trict where same are collected, ard shall be 80 expended by the supervisor.
 "All corporations, partnerships or in dividuals employing labor shall be required to file with the supervisor before the 10th day of June each year a list of all per sons liable to pay road tax who were in their or his employ on the first day of June next preceding and if they neglect or re- fuse to comply with this provision they shall be liable to substantial fine. Such employers shall be authorized to retain from the wages of their employees the sum due for road tax, and pay the same over to the supervisor, taking his receipt therefor
 "The construction of new roads shall be contracted by competitive bids, under su- pervision of road supervisor.
 "It shall be the duty of the supervisor to locate and survey (where necessary all new highways and trails, keep main roads in re- pair, collect road tax and prosecute delin- quents, let contracts and accept work when completed, purchase supplies, keep accurate accounts of all receipts and expenditures, employ and discharge men and have gen eral supervision over all work done in con nection with the construction and malllte- nance of public highways and trails.
 "The salary of the road supervisor shall be s10 per day and actual travelling ex penses (except board and lodging) while engaged in the discharge of the duties of his office.
 "The boundaries of the road districts shall be substantially the same as of the present recording precincts.
 "The road supervisor shall be elected biennially at the general territorial cleo ton.
 "The road supervisor shall select place in each locality where road tax may be paid and shall have power to appoint depu- ties with authority to collect and receipt for such tax"
 The foregoing it is explained by Mir. Gaustad, IS simply an outline from which he hopes to have legislative bill properly drawn, with such changes as may be agreed upon by members of the legislature. It is his intention to have the road super visors independent of the Alaska road com mission, whose duties may be limited to the construction of the main military roads.
 Mir Graustad is planning also, to intro duce bill in the legislature that will pro vide for revoking of the mining law passed by the last session of the territorial legls- lature. The territorial mining law, as passed, he thinks, is confusing and detri- mental to the best interests of the mining industry of the territory.
 There are some minor changes planned by Mir. Gaustad to the old law. One of these is to re-establish the right of men owning contonuous claims to do all their assessment work on one of the clanis, in stead of scattering it over all of them.