The Alaska daily empire., 1917-10-23
ROAD BUILDERS SHOULD HAVE A CENTRAL BOARD Territorial Law Should Provide for An Ex-
 pert Highway
 Engineer. LOCAL CONTROL NEXT Gen. Richardson Expresses Views on What
 the Territory
 Should Do.

Explanatory of the paragraphs of l his open letter to the people of 1 Alaska, which was printed else where in The Empire yesterday in which he refers to the subject of ] amendments to the existing Terri toral road law and the necessity of cooperation with the Federal government, Gen. w. P. Richardson said there should be a Territorial board to have general charge of the roads and that there should be pre- cinct boards to make recommends tions concerning work in their sec tions. He urged q Territorial high way engineer an expert trained in the work of road building, and Di- visional highway engineers who should supervise the work in their territory.
 Gen RichardsOn's views on this subject were expressed in the past by letters at the time the Territorial Legislature was considering the road law which was finally passed. In these he said the Territorial board of supervisors should consist of the Governor Territorial Treasurer and highway engineer to be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. He op posed the present system of a Di visional board of supervisors, and urged precinct boards to be elected by the people and to serve without pay.
 The Plan in Detail
 The following quotations give a fair outline of Gen. Richardson's ideas:
 ''The general board of superviS ors at Juneau and the precinct SUI pervisors, in their respective pre- cincts, should be charged with the general supervision of the work with the auditing and approval of accounts, and with the allotment of funds for specific work. For 1 the executive part of the work, there should be a highway engineer for the Territory and a division en- gineer for each Division. The high
 
 board of supervisors, should prepare general plans and instructions for work in the Territory, and the Di- vision engineers should add the~more detailed instructions necessary, and exercise supervision in the separ- l ate Divisions. The principal routes should be immediately under the 1 Division engineers. FOremen in the various precincts should be selected and assigned to their work by the precinct supervisors. subject to the approval of the Division engineers. ** The general board of super visors should prescribe the regula- tions with regard to the work in stead of having them enacted into law"
 | Gen. Richardson estimated that such an organization, with such draughtsmen, assistant engineers, bridge designers and clerical help as may be needed, would consist of 13 or IA persons, and. quoting again:
 This would simplify the Legisla- tive end of it, and also make it far more workable. These are only suggestions. but I have given much thought to such organizations. and I am sure that the above would be more suitable to the conditions in the Territory than the provisions of the bill proposed"
 Still Entertains Same Views
 Gen. Richardson still entertains the belief that the Territory should have central board in charge of the road business of the Territory By that means it would be easier for the Federal Alaska Board of Road Commissioners, the forestry bureau and the Territorial authori ties to cooperate in their work for the Territory. and cooperation among the various road building authori ties would not only get more satis factory results. but it would make it easier finally to concentrate the work in the Territorial board.
 Territory Should Control
 Gen. Richardson has recommended in the annual report for this year that as soon as the Territorial or ganization has proven itself" the local roads should all be turned ov' CT to that organization; and that the Alaska Fund for road work should be turned over to the Ter ritory at the. same time. end that the Territory then become . bone