The Alaska citizen., 1917-01-22
RIGGS MYSTLFIED
 BY BOND ISSUE

Two things only aro causing the commission any uncas.ness oyer the construction wora tha, should be done between Fairbanks and The coal fields during the coming season. The u-st of these is. when VIII The ap- p.gp..as.vu azaya sgl bs,yasy s7ast' able. and the other. can We get our supplies landed as We require them.
 The above Is a statement made by Th7s Rigs. Jr, member og the Alaskan Ea1.aearine commission. wLo arrived in Fairbanks recently from bIs Headquarters al NeuaEa. With an early passage of the approprla- ton. which has been asked for, and the putting into operation by the Transportation people of fleet of vessels large enough to keep con, struct.on material moving, the rapid completion of the work in the in terior is assured.
 On January 15 an Associated Press dispatch to The CIt.zen, bearing a Washington date line, stated that bonds to tho amount of S-L>3Neao would be issued 10 cover oNpendl- lures on the Alaska railroad Mr. Riggs. being asked j. he knew for what specific purpose these bonds were intended. stated that he did not. He said that there are several ways that they mishJ be handled and applied The bonds could be issued and placed in tho treasury, and upon completion of the road floated to cover the expense of building. This was done in the case of the Panama Canal bonds. Again it is possible that the issue might be placed immediately upon passage Of the measure and the entire amount become available to b. used as need cd to push the actual construction work. If this latter is the case. aIr. Riggs stated that it would be the best possible thing that could be done to hasten the completion of the work. as there would be no limit placed on the work to be done. nor any specific work neglected on account of lack Of funds. But i, may mean that tho bonds are to cover the amount already expended, which is over eleven and one-half mil lions, and the ten million asked for this year.
 In whatever manner the money is to be allowed, however, will make no difference in the work if the ap- propriauon becomes available by March i. If, however, an extra ses- sion of congress is necessary, and the money is hot available before summer it will cause serious delay. not only 10 the connection of Fair banks with the coal fields, but also the linking of the interior with the coast terminus
 At the succession of MT. Riggs, The Citizen yesterday wired Dele gate Wickersham asking for definite information concerning the bonding of the railroad and just how the money for this years work is to be allowed, and when it will probably become available.
 With the appropriation assured, the next most important question is ade- quate transportation It is not enough to be assured that the tonnage that will be offered can be landed before the close of navigation If the sup plies are not on hand when they are needed, the setback to the work will be serious. There are now at DaW- son and Whitehorse, awaiting ship ment, over TOO tons of rails and fixtures. Bids have been opened for 10000 tons more of rails and fix lures, which will be shipped in as soon as possible In addition to this tonnage, there will be a large amount of commissary and other supplies that must be landed before they are actually needed if the work is to go ahead MT. Riggs states that he