The Seward gateway daily edition, and the Alaska weekly post., 1919-01-23
REPORT OF
 GOVERNOR

Ia NO\tillOi ANlSSS >P''
 mittsd to congress by Secretai? Fraun.in h. Lane, the subjects ot tea- eval roads, territorial banks, Oabo. conditions. buceau oI puOUy,vy, rooI administration. puoUy ,and anu maya. pa,.o. are tcuchod upon a. follows,
 Federal Roads
 Inc Alaska road commission, coE- stitutcd by act ot congress approvcu January ., 1905, is composed (. threy officers oj .Ie army who repor. to Ih, war dcpa,,mcu, through the office ot the chief ot engineers.
 The total expended for all cousgU,- tion and maintenance Co June %, l9I> is $l,7SS,5,593. Of this maouu, 2.Su0.u0a. or 5g per ceu,, Was apPsc. priutei at different times by coDgres, anu SI.g0S 5g6.9&, O. q per cent. fron tae A,aska s.a.. One thousand av, six m,',s ot wagon road, G.. mile of sled roat aua 23aG miles O. ua. have been constructed and ua.a,an ed since 1905, Approximately so ml es oi wagon road has 8 light -.ay. surface.
 A ,ota. ot S5)Io2OiS w@s e.9on. ed ariae ,,, fiscal year ending Jun 30, 1918. 0. tas amount S2I4, a2o.t. vas r,-rn1.n.eaanca ot existing road bridg,s ant trails, and S522,59l.I Wa, charged to construction most the oxpcr.y of construction being -' extensive improvement of prcse" roals and rya1s. During the year .h mileage vas increased gs follow Twcu.y-six miles of wagon road, ", miles of winter slcd road and D. mile of trail. lu addition Co this new woyN several new b~,Jgc5 were coust Ucteo Approximately S.25,O0J Is avai.aGN for road work during the present is cal year Ugl9l. The crying ned c. the territory is for roads it will ney, CT reach a high state of deye-cpmeu, until a sys,em of good roads ,oyers the entire country. Almost al, route. ot travel cross long stretches oG eogg. country over which it is impossible |, drag a wagon. in consequence, iev,. opmcut is along primitive lines whG once the established routes of rans por.ation are abandoned. The scope o work of the Alaska Road commission CTS could well be doubled or ue5., without increasing their overhead eN penscs. Appropriations of S750oO0 o SI.O0O,OOO per annum would be only |, fair amount with which 10 continu their excellent and constructive work
 Territorial Roads.
 In addition to roads constructed anj maintained by the Alaska road com mission, the territory has appropri atcd S2OOOOO yearly for roads no otherwise provided for; this amour is equally divided among the four ju dicial divisions, to be expended unde the direction of a road commission elected in each division and an ad- visory body of two assistant road com, mlssionerS appointed by the governor
 Abou. Petroleum
 Petroleum is now being produce, in paying quaulities from a few saal low weiis near Katalla, with fmtag drilling in progress, There. are scsp ages and other oil indications on .a' Kenai peninsula, the Seward penn Sula, the Alaska peninsula, Cook in let, at Yakataga, and persistent ID mocS of o.l pools found near the linc or the government railroad north ol the Alaska range. The finding Of oi in quantity in any one of these locali ties would be a wonderful boon to ,h> country, which is rapidly going on ar oil-burning basis as price and supply will permit. The petroleum found i of a very high grade and has a par affin base. The small plant at kataii, produces gasoline and distiilate, .h residue being sold for fuel oil. A matters now stand the oil lands O Alaska a~e entirely tied up in gove n ment withdrawals. When Legislation now before congress has been enacted an attractive field will be opened ul to the prcspector financially able U bear the expense incident to oil OK