The Nome nugget., 1921-02-12
BUREAU
 NEWS LETTER


 Barton Payne of tie Department of the ! Interdar, declares in favor of the es- tablishhnent of q government operated line of steamships to Alaska, even at a Lass. and to provide an adequate service at reasonable rates" Secretary Payne declares against any larger measure of local govern ment in Alaska. This is interpreted to mean that he is out of sympathy with the suggestion made by his pre- decessor in office, Franklin K Lane who so vigorously urged the creation of an Aktska Development Board, re- Sident in Alaska. to take over the au- thorty in the disposition of lands and resources in Alaska. now held by some | twenty-five different bureaus and com missions in Washington
 In accordance with the report of the | Brooks committee. it is considered q wise course to coordinate the differel [ l departments of the government having | to do with Alaska thru d. committee consisting of Il representative from each department. Accordingly such com- l mittee has been named, as f,iiaws. N&. Department, Major Clarerce O. Sherill corps of engineers: Navy De partment, Capt. w. c, Cole, U. S. Navy; Interior Department George A. | Parks. mineral examiner and chief of l field division. general land office. AL aska Postoffice Department. James B. Corridor, superintendent of railway adjustments; Department of Agricu!- ture, F.. A. sherman associate forest CT; Department of Commerce, Dr. | Hugh NJ. Smith. comfnissioner of fish cries; United States Shipping Board, H. Y. Saint staff assistant. office of director of operations.
 In the estimates prepared for con- sideration by Congress Alaska figures heavily every branch of the sovern- ment having to do with that territory, 1 Il ka engineering commission requests only S4,000,00O for the railroad as against the $7,0Oo, 900 it had last year. The largest individual item of this estimate is s40350O for the bridge over the Panama River. The army requests S955.000 to be expended by the Alaska road commission in the construction or roads. trails and bridges as against the s35o.00O obtained last year For the maintenance of it's Washington Al aska telegraph and cable service. the army asks SIP 434 as against $14O,O0O last year.
 The navy asks S1,Oo0.0O0. the same as before. for mining coal in Alaska The depa rtment of the interior asks that the salary of the governor of AL falsl<a be increased from $7.0o0 to $7.5Oo and that his contingent expense ac- count be increased from $500 to $11 100 to permit him to repair the gov ernor's mansion and to have more clerical help.
 The geological survey wants $190. 900 for Investigating tlie mineral resources of Alaska-an increase of $75.000. The bureau of mines wants $75.000 for the purchase of a site and the erection of a building for it's experiment station at Fairbanks The bureau of educa- tion wants s419,0O0 for education of natives of Alaska-an increase of $144,0O0: also $125,00O for medical re- lief-an increase of $35300O: and 5000 for vocational training of Alas ka insane-a new item. For the care and custody of Alaska ins 'ne, $13i.150 is asked-an increase of s13- 520. For the support of it's reindeer 15,000-an increase of sS,600 For the protection of game in the terri tory, s62,54O is asked-an increase of $37.54O.
 Alaska road work for next year will call for congressional appropriation of $955,000. and an expansive million a year program for ten years will also be sought, according to the statement of Col. James G. Steese. one of the three officers of the corps of engineers, regular army. who compose the Alas ka road commission. Col. Steese. ju;t back from Alaska, was in Seattle on his way to Washington. where he will report to the secretary of war and ap- pear before a congressional commit tee.
 The comprehensive ten-year pro- gram planned by the commission. Col. Steese explained. provides for about 1000 miles of through routes or trails. and 2.500 miles of short spurs and de-