The Alaska daily empire., 1921-02-10
TRAILS NEEDED
 TO OPEN GREAT
 MINING VALLEY
Cotwals Enthusiastic About Kuskokwim-Will Return
 To the Kantishna.

Mai J. c. Gotwals, Engineering Officer of the Alaska Road Commis sion, is greatly impressed With the possibility for mining developments in the Kuskokwim district, accord ing to Capt. C. s. Ward, Disbursine Officer for the Commission. who has received a telegram from the former announcing his arrival at McGrath In this message Maj. Gotwals de clared that one cannot overstate the importance of our Kuskokwim routes. Workings from Long to Nc Grath await our roads and these with Nixon Fork quartz development will open up a rich country in the upper Kuskokwim Valley"
 Mai GotwalS arrived at McGrath on February s, and will go over as much of the adjacent country as possible, leaving there tomorrow for Cache Creek by way of Rainy Pass He plans to do some reconnaissance work looking for a route from Cache Creek to connect up with the old mail trail into the Kuskokwim over Rainy Pass. From Cache Creek he will go to Talkeetna and return from there to the kantishna district for the purpose of studying thoroughly the winter conditions on the various routes which have been suggested or the road to be constructed from the Alaska Railroad to open up the Kantishna mineral district. He had originally planned to return to Jul neau from Talkeetna, but realizing the importance of an early start on the Kantishna project, changed his plans accordingly. He is not eX- pected to return here until the lat ter part of March.
 Commenting on the army appro- priation bill, Capt Ward stated that there is included therein specific authority for the Alaska Road Com mission to engage in cooperative work with the Territorial Road Blu reau. The Treasury Department has held that without specific authority from Congress the Commission had no right to expend Territorial funds even though it had been sanctioned by the Territorial Legislature. At the request of the War Department this authority is granted in the measure. Another important provi5- ion contained in the measure is that making the appropriation Tor Alaska road work immediately avail able The Department had request ed that the money be available i'm mediately and to remain available until it was expended, not limiting it's expenditure to the fiscal year for which it is appropriated. The latter part of the provision was eliminated. The provision specifying the expen- diture of $10,000 in making a special investigation and report on the feasi- bility of connecting Kukmk River, Chichago Creek and the Kewalhik mining district by road, tram or other means of communication, said Capt. Ward, was inserted at the request of Representative Kahn, of California The proposal had the approval of Col Steese and the War DepdTlHeHl. u uoco nut iio"N'~i' add anything to the appropriation.
 Preparations for next season work are going ahead satisfactorily, according to Capt. Ward. Mater ials and equipment are arriving con tinuously from the South and sent to points where they will be avail able for use early in the season. Advices have just been received at the Commission offices here from the Depot Quartermaster in Seattle, that 50 tons of T. N. T. are en- route here for the Commission. This will be shipped North on the first available transportation and placed in storage at Valdez from where Il will be distributed wherever needed. Several motor trucks have been re- gently received and others are now enroute here.
 Frank Willard, Disbursing Clerk at Valdez, is expected to arrive on one of the first boats from the West ward and will spend several weeks in the local commission offices go- ing over work for next season. Joe Heacock, Disbursing Clerk at Fair banks, is also expected for the same purpose in the near future.