The Alaska daily empire., 1923-03-05
R0ADS,PENSI0NS SCHOOLS, TALKED
 BY LEGISLATORS
Increased Pensiions,New Road Law and College Appro-
 priation Discussed.


 along with the regular school ap- propriations are subjects exciting the greatest amount of interest among members of the Legislature in the informal discussions held pre- liminaTy 10 the opening of the Legis lature. It seems apparent that these matters will occupy a major portion of the time in the session that opened today.
 H. R. Shepard 1t is understood, has prepared measure of some kind carrying increased allotments for aged and indgent pioneers which will probably be introduced at an early date. From every other Di- vision, members have come prepared to support such a proposition and suggestions for maximum allowances range all tho way from s15 to $50 monthly. with s25. or double the pres ent maximum allowance for men, as the one most commonly mentioned as likely to find the greatest support.
 During the period from June 30 1916. 10 December 31. 1922. the total of disburg rgements made by the Ter ritorial Legislature for old aga al- lowsncos was $112,01123. For oper. atlng and maintenance of the Pio- neers' Home during the same time $276,92656 was expended. while al. ditional expenditures for improve ments and additions 10 the Home brought the grand total to $432. .27071. Other welfare measures, including re- lief of dependent children, and for indigent and poor not coming within the provisions of the old age allow ance law, caused disbursements Of $61 ,56S .65. rescue and relief of lost persons adding another s19,34336.
 Roads Revision Proposed
 Proposals to revise the present system of handling the Territorial Road funds are expected 10 be made shortly after the session gets under way. A revision, which was aimed at the cooperative system, was attempt ed during the 1921 session but was defeated. There is said to be a sen timent, the strength of which Is no. inconsiderable, for the creation of a salaried Territorial Road Commission, some what similar to the one which existed prior to the passage of the present law in 1919 IL would have charge of divisional road projects and would function independently of the Alaska Road Commission and the Bureau of Public Roads. the two Fed eral organizations which now expend Territorial funds comparatively with money furnished by the Federal gov ernmcnt.
 Since June 30, 1916, up to Decem- Der 3l, last, the Territory had ex pended through general road appro- priations $1,0S5,37S.97. This was divided practically evenly among the four Divisions. All of it up to and including 1919 was expended by the then existing Territorial Road Com mission. In that year the present cooperative system was established by law but did not begin to fully function until 1921. In addition there had been expended s24,000 in the Second Division for the purchase of the Seward Peninsula Railroad, and $49 9,987.7O for tho construction of bridges across tho Nzina River in the Third Division Of this latter amount 25.000 was spent coopera- lively with the Alaska Road Commis sion, which is now erecting piers to bear a substantial structure across the Nizina which is expected to cost in the neighborhood of slO0,0O0, the balance of the funds to be provided by the Federal Commission. Shelter cabins during the same period cost S25 5,S54.73.
 School Appropriations Big
 The largest single item of expense made by the Territory since June 30. 1916. is that covering it's schools. The total of general school expendl- lures for the period was s1,21S,945.20 To this was added $60000 for the maintenance and equipment of the Alaska A. & NJ College at Fair banks; $41 ,000 for its maintenance and conduct, and $23,375 for better endowment of it.
 The estimates of the Board of Regents of the college for the next hiern'um have not been made pub lie, but 1t is understood that they will ask for sums sufficiently large to enable the construction of mines building and dormitory on the campus, neither of which it now has. Members from the Fourth Division are especially anxious to obtain the passage of such an appropriation. Those who have visited the inst'iI- ton are warm in their praise of tiie matter in which it is conducted and tie work being done.
 Senator Brown, who came olt nom Nome by way of Fairba nlis spent a day there. ''Prasident Bun ncll is making good there.' he dr- clared emphatically. Two things | am interested in, the college and allowances for the old boys who bIazed the trails all over the North said Representative Dan CailaGhln
 Members of both Houses are n tCrested in having the estinla.es of the Board of Education for ta, -Ax L.ennium include provision for fnn's