The Alaska daily empire., 1916-04-11
ROADS OF ALASKA
 MAY GET S650,00O
 WASHINGTON, REPORT
(,yashington Correspondence in Seattle
 pogt-Intolllconcer)

l
 post-IntelliConcer)
 WASHINGTON. April 4.-Unlcss Con- gresa experiences an attack of drastic economy, sufficient money will be ex- ! trnctcd from it thia nc8slon to lnau8u- lrntc a real program of road. bridge and 1 trail construction ln Alaska. Trans portation needs of tho Territory nrc prea9inr. The becinnlng of conBtruc- tion work on the government railway, ao fnr from reducing thc requirement. in the way of wagon roads, Instead if enhancing them.
 There ls now before the House Com mlttce on Military Affairs tho rccom- mondatlon of the Secretary Of War that half a million dollars be appropriated this year for new road. trail and bridge construction. In addition to tho item of Sf50O00 for maintenance contained | in the original estimates. The adop- ton of both of these Items means that $66OOoO will be ayailaole Tor eNpen,el- turo by the Alaska road commission
 The JArgcat sum ever secured from Congrcr8 before this was $3bO.OVO in f910 out of which the start wos made Co make O good road from Valdez tc Fairbanks, O great trunk connecting the coast with tho Interior. Since then practically nothing more than enough to maintain this and other roads and trails previously undertaken has been forthcoming.
 Valdez dlrbanko Rodd NecdS hcpdlra
 Tho Valdez -Fairbanks road. while open all the way. is far from being q good road, particularly for tho extra ordinary heavy traffic put upon i' for the hauling of mining machinery and other heavy loads characteristic oi mining country It was not through before automobiles began to operate on lt as rough as it was.
 In tho opinion of Colonel ". P. Rich ardson. U. S. A.. chairman of the Alas. | Ia road commission. at least S30O,OOl Of the expected $650.O0O should toe eX. pended on this highway. One hundred | thousand Of tho expected money will go to a road from Ruby to Long Creek and an extension toward the coast. The Nome and Seward peninsula will absorb considerable, for the needs there are pressing.
 Conditions In Washington are rather more favorable to legislation of this kind this winter than for several years past While Gen. Wood was chief of staff. and during the periods while hr. StimaOn and Mfr Garrison wore aecro- tary of war; the department attitude was against tho army being charged with work of this sort. it being held that it is not properly a military duty and should be carried on by civilian branch Of the government. which par ticulor branch the department did moi attempt to say.
 OnlcCLiONo 10 ENptUQlAlIC Dy hFlNI
 Another objection was that tho ape prspriationa for all constructive work Of this kind was charged by the pa clnsts aa "the cost of mlltariam." and "the huge expenditures for our present standing army" Even in such author atiye pnblications as sne treasury state tate mont these public works costs were always Included in the gross figures for the purpose of exhibiting the cost of maintaining the army.
 At various times proposals have been before Congress to have the work of building roads md trails in Alaska taken up by the department of the inc terlor and ngain bv the department of agriculture. but Congress stcadfaat- lv has refused to take it away from | the army
 This wear. however Congress having pretty well indicated its attitude. the war department appears to have ac- cepted the situation and to be ready | tO make tho commissions rccommen- dations it's own. At least the Eecre- tary, himself IS urging tho increased ex- nendituiea ea One moving reason. no doubt. is that the treasury department hns decided to make a truer prescnta- ton In it's statement of government costs and Co present public works ex- pendihTes under the war department exa ctly as such and not as part Of tho cost of the fighting force.
 Both the si50.000 Item and the $500. 900 Item will be considered in the mak- Ing of the annual army appropriation hll. work on which has been delayed because the army reorganization bill has taken the committec's whole time In all probability tho house committed on military affairs will not reach these items until lnte in tho month. Col Richardson will be granted a hearing to present tho reasons for the approp- rlation.
 While Col Richardson. like every other detached officer. is being held in readiness for Mexican service In thS there is no immediate prospect of his being called for that duty. Being de- tnchcd he is not assigned to any rcgl- mcnt and all existing regiments now have colonels. This means that his services will probably not be needed unless volunteer troops aro called. when he would probably be given higher com mand.