The Alaska daily empire., 1917-10-22

of the Alaska Board of Road Com
 missioners, who has received or ders to report to the Adjutant Gen eral at Washington City for temper ary duty on account of the exeg
 encies of war Saturday gave out an open letter to the people of Alaska. The letter follows:
 Juneau, Alaska, October 20, 1917. To the people of Alaska:
 The close of the season of road
 work in Alaska for 1917 brings with it change in conditions and future
 outlook, and gives propriety to this letter. This is due in a measure to the existing state of war, but
 aside from this fact, there were al ready indications of a coming change.
 Most notable was the inclination of the Secretary of War, during the past winter, to have the work trans ferred in the near future to some
 of the persistent opposition from certain quarters in the past to the Departments efforts, unless as set forth by the Secretary in let ters to the Committee chairman, after the present appropriation had the floor of the House.-Congress should enact some more specific law, authorizing the submission of proper estimates which would not be subject to the point of order" The Secretary gave support and approval to the existing appropria 1 ton of $500, 100000 for the fiscal year 1918, and this, with the numerous md urgent representations from commercial bodies and residents of | he Territory as to the need for the appropriation, and with the assis- tance of Delegate Sulzer, who ar rived in Washington before final action procured the re-insertion Of 1 the item in the Army Bill, by the Senate Committee, and it's subse- luent passage by Congress. The appropriation was made available
 
 that the same was to be used for the completion, as far as possible, )f work under construction, and for the maintenance of roads already built
 Approximately S150,000.00 of this sum will be carried over for field work next season, and an addition Il estimate of $1O0,000.00, all that could be asked for under the cir ;umstances, has been submitted for he next fiscal year to meet the increased cost of labor and supplies. Thus, with the Federal appropria- ion and the amount expected from he Alaska Fund" together with he Forestry and Territorial funds, here will be available for the sea son of 191S-if not as much as could be desired for expenditure 70 meet the many needs-yet, a fairly good working fund, and the work will go forward as usual. Recent changes in the organization 1f the Board embrace the appoint nent as Engineer Officer, of Captain Wm. H. Waugh. Engineer Officer
 Reserve Corps, formerly Senior High way Engineer of the Bureau of Pub lie Roads, Department of Agricul- .ure; and the appointment, as Sec retary and Disbursing Officer, of Capt John Zug, Engineer Officers
 Reserve Corps, long associated with he Commission in different capaci- ties. The work will fall into con- potent hands, and the distribution
 of the funds expected to be avail
 able has already been agreed upon, IS far as practicable, and following out the previous policy of the Board, to deal equitably with all sections. It is hoped that certain amend ments may be made at the next ses sion of the Legislature to the exist ng Territorial Act for Road Con struction, to make the same more effective; and it will be fortunate