Seward daily gateway., 1924-05-17
|COL. JAMES G. STEESE ARRIVES YESTERDAY:
 l GIVES OUT PROGRAM

 Col. James G. Steeac, president of the Alaska Road Conn. ssion, arrive ed in Geward on the Northwestern, on his way to the Interior. To Col. Srese, who recently returned from Washington, is due tre large appro priation received by lae Territory this {. ear.
 Col. Steese and Col. Gotwals both appeared before the house commit tee which made provisions for th7 Commissions funds in accord with the estimates approved by the bureau of Budget. While, in general, condu:+ of bus.ress was slow on account of the investigations in progress in Con- gress, when the Ar0ly Bill was ac tually reached, we were very favor ably received and lioerally treated. And as occurred last year the great incr-t t,se in our appropriation over the Budget allowan 2 was due to the insistence of Senator Jones'" said Col. Stcese.
 Hearings were also held before the House Committee on r.als on the proposal to extend the Federal High way Set to Alaska," s;li Col. 5 eese No ac on was taken by the committee when lc left Washington and ro"e, so far as he has hcen info med, up to the present time.
 Road for Palk
 The Alaska Road Commission has been gwen authority over road ant' trail development in Fit, Mckinley Na.i,nal Park un'e.r an agreement with the National Park Service, it was annoureed. A bili authorizing the development of 1Ja and trail sys tenn has been passed and signed by the President and at the present time there IS pending congress a measure which N i'll provide funds fer this rur- pose. Approval has been given to the construction of an automobile road sume :?S miles +, length connecting to 100 miles of trails. The estimated cost of this worx is S272, 900, which will a. ailable within the next two years. This, said Cri. Steese, will make it possible for the Commission to complete the work by the end of the seasf n cf 1925. Work w'll be started this summer along t'e entire route. Bridges will be put in next winter and surfacing and ether work com plct4d by the end If the working sea son next year.
 Other work for tee Park Service will include lepainting totem poles in the Sitka National Monument eserve. and miner repairs. Funds T tiis activity are available.
 Go. Steese spent mach e his time in Washington appearing before Con- gressioa al committees on the Alaska Railroad estimates. Although he was relieved of duties last fall in connec- ii, Il with the operation of the road and fl service on the tfficial board in the Territory, he was retained as the chairman for the purpose of appearing befole congress. He completed this work and severed h.s entire connec- tion with the road on March IT. A to- tai f Sf ,135,000 was secured for the rail- pad for the next fiscal year.
 Colonel Steese alro appeared before the Holsc Committee on Territories on several other miner bills now before congress and on which it was expected to secure action during this session.
 At the request of t:.e Secretary of the Interior, said Colocel Steese, ne made a special publicity tour visiting cities IT. several state, with three reel ; of moving pictures and about 80 col ored slides showing President Hard irg'e tour of Alaska. and entitled President Harding's last trip" He visited and gave exhibitions in Buffa 0 and numerous other Eastern cities.
 The recall of Colonel Gotwals from the Commission, said Co' Steese, made necessary a reorganization of that body. The latter was officially appoint ed as Engineer Officer filling the va cancy left by Col. Gotwals return to the States. He will remain in that of flee until later in the season when it will be taken over by Maj. Lunsford E. Oliver, assigned to Alaska from the Mississippi river commission.
 With the severance of the activities and personnel of the Alaska Road Commission from the Alaska Railroad Col Steese said there was no longer necessity for two main offices and all of the Commissions headquarter fore es will be concentrated in Anchorage, instead of being divided between Ju- neau and Anchorage as during the past year.
 Col. Steese left with General Man. ager Landis of the Alaska railroad, on +ha lattar'c 1rivata car RI h11t will