The Nenana news. (Nenana, Alaska) 1916-1918, 1917-03-24
PLANS OUTLINED
Commissioner Riggs Tells
Of Railroad Work
For Summer

day evening with brief outline of the
work contemplated in this division dur
ing the coming summer season. The
statement covered the plans OF the COM
mission insofar as they can be determin
ed at this time, and indicated that con-
siderable activity might be expected at
an early date, despite the fact that the
funds available for work on this end rep
resent a comparatively small amount of
money.
Congress adjourned on the fourth of
March" said Mr.. Riggs, without max
ing full preparation tor the continuation
of railroad construction. Three million
dollars was appropriated as an emergency
measure to tide the Commission over un.
til congress could reconvene and pass all
the DELAYED appropriation bills. An extra
session of congress is now called for April
second The most important legislation
to be considered will undoubtedly be that
of our foreign relations. After that will
come the bill containing, among other
things, the main appropriation for our
construction OF railroads, a total balance
of about seven and one-half millions of
dollars. This bill should pass and be-
come law before June 80, but l hardly
expect such speedy action.
Unfortunately, as I have stated at
another time, practically all purchases for
all divisions should be made before June
30. Our own first estimates of purchases
and freight liabilities exceeded our present
allotment from the emergency fund, and
the other divisions had combined esti
mated liabilities far in excess of their al
lotments Should we make purchases
which would naturally lend in the end to
economy and efficiency, there would be
absolutely no money left for construction.
AS result, all previous plans have been
! made over. AS we have only gotten we'll
started at this end OF the work the log
ical procedure would be to abandon con-
struction in the Interior and devote all
finances to construction out of Seward
/
es that such action would work incred-
ible hardship on all employees and con-
tractors of the Fairbanks division, besides
running a town which has made such a
successful start in life. BY dint at schen-
ing and pinching he has been enabled to
make this division an allotment which
will keep us running until at least June
80, with an organization as large as our
heaviest month of last year, when either
directly or Indirectly we had something
| over 700 men on the payroll.
Nov it may be that congress will not
pass the Sundry Civil act before August.
but for the benefit of the railroad, the
people, the towns OF Nenana and Fair
banks, and the whole interior of Alaska,
propose to take a chance, and l think
that you would wish me 10 take chance,
and will back me up to the best of your
ability should it come to a showdown and
will be patient if salary or contract settle
nlents be delayed until the main appro-
priation becomes available.
II propose for this year to build from
Nenana to the coal fields. distance of
AZ miles, and TO start aggressive work
just as soon as the ground is thawed suf-
fciently to enable construction forces to
get into the field. Later. when more
funds are available, we will throw all
other available labor into construction
between Nenana and Fairbanks, but our
first objective will be the coal fields.
Now it must not be considered from
what have said that this division is ell
tirely without funds. If everything works
out right, and congress finds itself in a
position to act only fairly promptly, there
will be no occasion to hold up a single
dollar anywhere with an organization such
as have outlined
I'VE cannot of necessity perfect large
organization this year, and our building
plans on the Commission reservation will
be greatly curtailed. All we expect to
build now is wharf extension. a modern
H0r,r,iforx, 10 tor -