The Alaska daily empire., 1920-03-13

proceeds of National Forests. those expended under the Alaska Board of Road Commissioners and other Al aska road funds.
 Gov. Riggs Speaks for Alaska
 This bill was introduced Febru- ary 27 On February IA, Gov. Riggs appeared before the Committee on Post Offices and Post Boards, and offered the following statement in behalf of consideration of Alaska in connection with appropriations for these roads:
 Mir. Riggs. MT Chairman, I think our time has expired.
 The Chairman. That is all right. Go ahead
 MT Riggs. l am merely asking consideration, MT Chairman, for Alaska, of the enactment of public roads acts, and if possible to ex- tend the present acts to us, pend ing the enactment of others. The way the laws are now, Alaska can not participate in the appropria- tion made by Congress for Federal aid and on roads. We desire to co-operate; we are not asking that you give us roads, but let us CO., operate so we can have roads We need them for the development of a country which is of vast value to the United States. We are cooper ating to certain extent in the various roads under Section 8 of the Federal Roads Act Otherwise, we have no opportunity although we are desirious of doing so in our limited capacity. We have but lit tie taxing power There is very little property vested in private ownership. Ninety-nine and five tenths is government-owned 34,000 square miles in forest reservations, and so we feel that we are not ask ing too much, MT. Chairman, in asking you to allow the Territory to stand as a State does. We are not even asking that the Govern ment shall pay in proportion to lands owned, but to merely give us the same consideration, so We can build roads and develop our coun- try.
 It may possibly be of interest to you to know that Alaska is now pay ing a greater proportion per capita than any other State or Territory of the United States into the Treas ury of the United States, and if the whole United States were to pay an amount per capita equal to Alaska, you would have an annual income of nearly $20,000, 100000.
 The Chairman. That is, from private property?
 MT. Riggs. That is from private property l mean, the Federal tax es levied in Alaska are the greatest of any in the United States.
 The Chairman. We'll, that is in- teresting, Governor.
 MT. Riggs. I hope you will con- sidep favorably our plea, when it comes to consideration of road ap propriation. Every time we build a piece of road---we do not attempt great highways-we open up new industry which immediately becomes taxable to the Federal Government, and relieves the burden of the gov ernment.
 Thank you, MT. Chairman.
 The Chairman. Very much ob- liged to you.
 Alaska's Request Modest
 N. G. Hedin, Road Commissioner for the State of Oregon, who ap pcared before the committee as an expert on Western Roads, comment ing on the statement of Gov. Riggs, for the committee, appended this to the statement:
 Gov. Riggs, who has modestly re- trained from making more than a two minutes speech before your com mittee, represents all of Alaska. You all recall how ridiculous it seemed to pay the original price for that vast northern empire, but through development Alaska has returned a hundredfold above the original cost and we have scarcely touched her timber and agricultural resources.
 Alaska has approximately $200,- 900 on construction money that might be matched, so that limits her request to a very modest sum that no American could turn down as unfair to so great a Territory