The Alaska daily empire., 1916-10-19

with the subsequent action of
 Congress in appropriating certain
 amounts from year to year thro-
 the military committee upon es-
 inmates approved by the Secre-
 tary Of War it would appear to
 be the manifest purpose of the
 Congress that the work should
 follow that course.
 "ln this view of the matter,
 Tho President of the Board rec
 commended that Che Board be au.
 thorized to submit at appropriate
 times,
 subject to the approval of the
 Secretary of War. and chargeable
 to civil works under the War
 Department, such estimates as
 are necessary in the judgment of
 the Board for the proper pros
 ecution and maintenance of the
 work; and in furtherance there
 of, that an additional estimate
 be now submitted to enable the
 work to be carried forward dur
 ing the coming year"
 This recommendation was approy- ed and a supplemental estimate of $5OO,OOO was substituted by me, and being approved by the President, was sent to the Secretary of the Treas urp for transmission to ongress.
 If the Delegate were m fact inter esletd in securing or in aiding to procure funds for the work under tie Road Commission 1t might be per;iEont 10 ask why and under what presentation of fact or ar- gument he succeeded in getting re- ported out of the Committee on Ter ritories his bill 464S, empowering the Alaska Legislature to repeal the law establishing the Road Commits sion, and why, under the cover of a memorial Of the said Legislature which merely asked for authority to modify the laws relating to taxes, etc, and 10 hcye control of the Alas ka Fund,-he attempted to put through this additional provision.
 No Member of the Road Commis- sion, l may say here and no person in the War Department, was in any way whatsoever responsible for the passage of the original law creating the Road Commission, and no one in 1 the War Department will, in my opin- ion, make an effort now to have the law continued, if 1t is considered un- desirable or objectionable tothe peo- pie of Alaska, but so long as the responsibility is upon the Depart ! ment every effort will be made by the officers in charge Of the work to get substantial results: and every thoughtful person acquainted with the present conditions in Alaska and interested in a proper development of the Territory knows that some form of Federal aid which means Federal direction, is necessary to get such results.
 It may not be amlss to remind hose who may be sufficiently inter 'sted 10 iead the foregoing com nents that the Army has simply been doing in Alaska what it did in he earlier frontier days of the West, -only more-in the construction Of telegraph and cable lines, and wag. ,n roads end trails; that this is a 'ast and difficult work and has 'een carried on with energy end ef- iciency Gs far as available funds would permit or could be procured trough the War Department and yith an intelligent understanding, - do not hesitate to as5ert-Of the leeds end conditions to be dealt with, and without any expectation of eward or benefit, either from the Var Department or from the people If Alaska; but the Members of our 3oard are entitled to reasonably de. ent treatment from the man who 'retends to represent Alaska, instead f being continually slandered and nisrepresented as has been the case or several years past
 If the Delegate chooses to make enial of the above statements I an only leave the matter to be judged upon the record hero quoted gainst him, and upon past utter nces.
 w. P. RICHARDSON.