The Alaska daily empire., 1920-02-04
ALASKA EXPECTS
 TO GET S322,0oo
 FOR GOOD ROADS
Item Goes in Bill, Waugh Says, But Pressure : Must Not Cease

H Waugh. of the Alaska Road Com mission, Delegate George B. ,Grigsby and other friends of Alaska, dn iten of s322,200 for federal road work i, the Territory has been Inserted il appropriation bills, it was learned today.
 After June 30 Major Waugh vii be relieved by Lieut-Col Gotwals, a the present time District Enginee for New York, but the major will be retained as a consulting enginee, officer of the commission and also 0 the Department of Agriculture.
 Major Waugh, who has just re turned from trip to Washington said yesterday:
 Finding that the Alaska road iten was cut out, Delegate Grigsby ant I went to Secretary of War Baker He did not seem very enthusiastic and said the people of Alaska ap peared to prefer to handle the road themselves. We informed him how necessary it was for the governmep to continue the work it had started in the Territory, and that we did no have sufficient funds, and that tn Territory instead of objecting to tho Federal work had through it's Legis lature passed bill giving Territoria' funds to the Alaska Road Commis sion. We said while the law was not in effect soon enough to make mucb of a showing last year, we expected to have all of the projects agreed upon so that work could be started this year as soon as the weather would permit.
 General Staff Gave Aid
 "The Secretary then referred us tc the General Staff and the final re suit was that our estimate of $322,20G was approved. While this is mucf below the amount required, and $100, 900 less than approved by the Chief of Engineers, we shall be able tc keep up maintenance, which was i'm. possible last year, and do some nev
 improvement work with other funds which will be available. In fact, we exnect to undertake several new pro jects.
 "The appropriation is now in the hands of the military committee. r is now up to the people of Alaska tc make every effort to see that the members of the military committee in the House and Senate make nc further cut in the appropriation Alaskans should get busy through their friends in Congress.
 "When reached Washington. called on Chairman Kahn to find out when the hearings on our bill were likely to come up. He advised mc that present indications were tha' they would hold no hearings ou ap propriation items until after hearings were finished on the. military reor ganizatiOn bill. I asked if it woulf he possible to arrance special hear ing on the Alaska item as it was ir no way dependent on the reorgani7a ton oill and he said he could mak' such an arrangement but thought if much better 10 take un the matter in forma'ly with the different members of the militarv committee. and to write ont fnll statement which hr would have nrtnted for the records.
 kahr Interested In North
 'Nrr, Kahn seemed very much ir terested in Aloska in gennral and evnressed 2 willin~ness to do everv thing that ha cnnld to aid in the de velonment of the Territory In ac c"rdance with his suggestion I spent all of my available time in present ing the case of the Alaska Road Com mission to the different Congress- men If thev act as favorablv as thev talked. we shall get the full amount
 "Congressiiian Miller of Washing ton State. who has been in Alaska went out of his way to aid me and showed that he is good friend of Alaska and will do everything in his power for the bill
 "The tendency of all committees in Congress is to reduce any item as much as possible. Before going to Washington I obtained letters of in troduction to congressman and Sen ators, from Maurice Leehey, the Saet tie Chamber of Commerce and all the friends could think of Dele gate Grigsby did everything in his power to help me along and said that he would look after the matter personally when the item came be- fore the committee. Senator Poin- dexter told me that he would see that any statement to the House Committee would be printed and pre- sented. We are fortunate to have Col Pillsbury. engineer of the com mission, who is in Washington. and he will appear before the committees at the proper time.
 Gotwals Is Returning {.
 After June 30 1t is planned that 1 shall be relieved as president of the Alaska Road Commission. About the middle of April or the first of May. Lieut.-Col. Gotwals. who was ordered to Washington from New York for conference. will take charge He impressed me with being an unusually competent man. who