The Cordova daily times., 1921-04-12
ROAD ACTIVITY IN TERRITORY
 IN TWO YEARS


A total of approximately $765 ,0O0 was expended on cooperative road projects and in territorial road build ing activities during the biennium 1919 to 1921, under the cooperative road act passed by the 1919 legisla- ture, according to the report of the territorial board of road commission CTS presented to the legislature. Out of that sum about $201, 900 was fur nished by the territory, the rcmaind- CT coming from the department of agriculture and the Alaska road com mission and expended on approved projects.
 The largest cooperative factor was the program. carried on by the three road building agencies combined ill the First and Third divisions. That program involved the allotment of $293,000 by the bureau of public roads for the department of agri- culture, $106,000 by the territorial
 
 the Alaska road commission. Out of these sums there was a total eG- penditure of $386,7SS.60 that had been expended up to the first of the pres ent year and the balance was ac- credited to various projects.
 COOPERATION BIG FACTOR
 In an introduction to the report which was written by Secretary R. J. Sommers, high praise for the CO., operative system is given. MT. Som mers said: "As a result of coop eration between the various road building organizations in the terri tory, it shows conclusively that good results are already being obtained from the territorial law authorizing cooperation, passed by the last leg islature. That these will become more and more apparent as the federal government begins to release other cooperative road building
 
 of cooperation and congress com mitted to a more liberal appropria- tion program, Alaska will witness progress in road building such as never before had been possible in the north"
 MT. Sommes stated further in this connection: "The cooperative plan made possible by the territorial law allows a more constructive system of distribution of the funds for road building, makes it possible to pre- vent a duplication of road organiza. l tions and permits the maintenance of one whole, co-ordinated organiza- tion with sufficient funds at its dis posal to do effective work for the development of aU adequate road sys- tenn in the territory at large"
 COMMITTEE TAKES UP BILL
 The committee on roads and high, ways, chairman H. H. Ross, took up the study of the proposed new road law, having before 1t the report of the operation of the present law during the past two years. Col. James c. Steese and Col. J. c. Got. walls, ranking members of the Alas. ka road commission, and Mir. Som, mers were present at the meeting by special invitation and discussed the proposed changes in the law. Col Steese pointed out two technical de. fects in the draft of the Ross bill and entered into a discussion of the measure fully. He said that the experience of the past two years had proven that the present law does provide workable means of cooperation and it had been the means of securing funds of the de- partment of agriculture that could not have been obtained except by cooperative agreements. He stated that the main end that would be achieved by the Ross bill, if enacted into law, would be "emasculation" of the territorial road commission. He did not believe it necessary to amend the existing law to improve cooperation as no need for improve ment had been shown. He was in- clined to doubt the practicability of the manner of cO-Oneration as