The Alaska daily empire., 1916-12-28
ALASKA CROWS WITH PROGRESS
 OF ITS ROADS
Development of the North Depends on Its Many Trails Says Gov.
 J.F. A. Strong.

wagon rOaCS anC trallS III AlaShd,
 one of the great subjects which per. tains to the development of the Ter.
 rltory occupies some space in Gov
 J. r. A. Strong's annual report. Up'
 on the subject Gov. Strong says the
 era of wagon road construction in
 Alaska began only within the past
 decade. Prior to that time there
 were no roads in Alaska. There were moose and caribou runs or paths in the interior country which l were welcomed by the sore-footed and tired prospector and miner;
 there were crude trails hewed
 coast and in the interior country, over which the weary traveller car
 ried his pack or. if he was fortu- . nate to own horse, the poor animel stumbled over the trail through 7 swamp and timber more often knee deep in mud than on solid ground. And now, when one takes q back ward look. he geeG that much has
 been accomplished in road building
 in the past few years. despite mea- ger annual appropriations and the
 many adverse conditions that hedge
 about the building of roads in Q new
 country like Alaska, where condi-
 tions ere totally dlssimilar from those found elsewhere and the cost
 of construction therefore, much great
 CT. A beginning has been made,
 however, but that is all, for the
 country is one of great magnitude
 and its needs are great. The roads {. of atn nr
 the fine highways Of many Of the
 States, but they mark beginning of
 a system of military and post roads
 which are of incalculable service in
 the development ot the regions
 through which they run. and they
 have made the lot Of the pioneer prospector miner and trader less
 arduous. Much money must be
 spent before Alaska shall have the
 roads that are an essential factor
 in the opening up and development
 of the Territory; but that progress
 Is being made is attested by the
 .act that in almost every town auto
 mobiles may be found. In the town
 of Juneau, with only about % miles
 Of roads or less. lOSding into the ad-
 jacent country districts and towns, there are upwards of 100 automo-
 piles in constant use. The pity of
 1t is that the road mileage is so
 small. Automobiles during the open
 season negotiate the reed between
 Valdez and Fairbanks. and CEitina and Fairbanks. making regular trips. The past summer, mail WIS carried
 over this road and delivered in eX- cellent time. The further develop.
 ment of the mineral. agricultural, and other resources or Alaska is as
 much dependent upon the construc. ton of roads as upon railroad con
 struction, and perhaps more so. Rail- roads will open to development eX- tensive districts, to be sure. but the
 wagon road must, in the last andy sis, be depended upon to develop ton nage for the railroads.
 It is stated on excellent authority that the United States is spending we'll toward S2O0,00O,000 year on rural roads-perhaps twice what the country was spending for that pur- pose 10 years ago. Faith in g0ol roads has probably increased during the decade in an even greater ratio, and it will be surprising if the ex- penditure 10 years hence is not double $200,0O0,OOO. This Is mainly of course, an effect of the autOmo- bile. and. strange as it may seem to some, the automobile is doing it's share in the work for good roads even in "far-away Alaska and the Federal government ought to con- tribute liberally. for highways are a ,I legitimate interest and nowhere more so than in this Territory Through the agency of good roads the natural resources of Alaska will be develop ed; over these roads mail routes will be established and the present cost of transportation largely reduced, l and therefore they will be money | savers as well as money makers, 1 fer the national wealth will thereby | be greatly increased. The Federal | appropriation for roads in Alaska for the present fiscal year was substan- tially increased, and I have to urge | that Congress annually hereafter ap- propriate not. less than S500,00O for this purpose for a period of years. It will be an investment that will be productive of lasting results. The Territory is cooperating with the Federal government in the building of roads and trails so far as its means will permit and it is probable that hereafter the sum available from the Territorial Treasury will be substantially increased. This of- flee is indebted to the Alaska Road Commission for the following data concerning road work in Alaska dur ing the fiscal year;
 The expenditures by the Alaska Road Commission during the fiscal year amounted to $300.720.62, of which $135,7OSS9 was received from the Alaska Fund and S1G5.0OO from 9 special appropriation made by Con- gross, plus S1173 reyerting to this appropriation through overpayment. The total mileage June 3O 1916 was Wagon roads, 922 miles; sled roads, 627 miles; and trails. 2.210 miles. By comparison with last years re- port 1t will be noted that approXi- mately 21 miles were added to the wagon roads and 30 miles to the sled roads, while the trails were reduced about 10 miles. The total mileage of all roads and trails was increased about GA miles. The diminution in