The Alaska daily empire., 1921-04-02
ROSS ROAD BILL
 TO DECENTRAL|zE
 ROAD AUTHORITY

DeCcHITdilZdClOn O' duIuOilly III road construction by the Territory is apparently the main purpose or House Bill No. 16, intrduced yester- day by Representative H. H. Ross or Fairbanks, who was formerly Divis- ional Road Commissioner in the Fairbanks Division under the act of 1917, and acted as assistant com missioner to R. E. Sheldon in the same division 1917 to 1919. The proposed law, it is said, is com promise between the Act of 1917 and the present law which was passed by the 1919 session of the Legislature.
 Mir. Ross bill is framed to carry out certain platform promises made in the last campaign by both his and the Second Division. and it IS understood to have the support Of the House members from both Of those Divisions. Decentralization Of authority is accomplished by pro- posed creation of elective Divisional Road Commissions, each clothed with supreme powers of expendl- lures in it's division and with abso- lute control of the funds allotted by the Legislature as long as they do not overlap on projects undertaken by the Alaska Road Commission.
 Under the terms of the Ross bill, the Territorial Road Commission, as it is at present composed, of the Governor, Surveyor General and Territorial Treasurer is retained but it's authority is greatly curtailed and the central board becomes large ly connecting link between the Territorial Treasury, Federal funds. and the Legislature for the proposed Divisional Commission. In this con- nection it is empowered to act for the Territory in the receipt of funds and allotment thereof from any Fed eral source for road building pur- poses; to furnish the Legislature when it meets with estimates forI road work in each Division; to ap- portion and to transfer to the Di- visional Commissions moneys appor- toned by the Legislature and to- appoint a Treasurer for the four Divisional Commissions. The Di-I yisional Commissions are empowered to disburse all funds appropriated through the Treasurer.
 Changes Cooperative Scheme
 Under the provisions of the exist ing Road Act, the Territorial Board alone has the authority to enter irto cooperative agreements with the Federal road building agencies in the Territory. This power is taken away under the Ross bill, which provides in Section ':
 "It shall be the duty of the Ter ritorial Board of Road Commission Road Commission, to enter into CO operative agreements with the Alas ka Road Commission and the Sec retary of Agriculture or other Fed eral road building authority, for the construction, repair or maintenance of any public road. bridge or ferry within the Territory; but no such cooperative agreement shall become effective until approved by the Di- visiOnal Road Commission"
 Changes Divisional Commission
 Under the existing law, the Divis- ional Commission in each of the four districts is composed of two elective members serving without salaries but entitled to $10 per diem on actual road work in lieu of other salary, and a third member appointed by the Territorial Road Commission and serving without pay. The Ross bill provides for a Di- visional Commissioner to be elected in each Division at a salary of $2- 800 per annum, and an assistant Commissioner in each recording precinct to be appointed by the Di- visional Commissioner. The assist ant Commissioners would draw no salary but would be entitled to nec- essary travelling and living expenses | while on official duty.