The Daily Alaska empire., 1934-10-24
N ONE TO BE IMP PROvED BY
 REBUILD DING
Col. E. w. Clark, PWA Of- hcial, Believes Nomeites
 to Have Better City

to Have Better City
 Tn my opinion residents of Nome are going to have a better town than ever before, with the prospective loans and grants and the work which they themselves are doing. Their spurt of action is amazing and the plans for the re- allocation of building sites and plans for streets are well thought out and will do much to make it a better town than existed before the fire" Col. Elmer w. Clark, Ex- ecutive Assistant of the PWA Dep uty Administrator, said today.
 Col. Clark is on his way south for a three weeks trip through the Territory which he made for the purpose of personally viewing Nome and ascertaining how best PWA and other government agen- cies could legally assist residents in the rehabilitation work. He will continue to Seattle on the Yukon and from there proceed directly to his Washington, D. O. headquar- ters. He spent most of the day with Gov. John W. Troy talking over various matters pertaining to the Nome situation and other PWA projects in the Territory.
 Col. Clark has already wired to Washington PWA headquarters his recommendation that EZRA grants and a PWA grant and loan total ling $155,000 be approved for the rehabilitation of Nome and when he reaches the National Capitol will personally follow the matter through to completion.
 He has covered a considerable portion of Alaska on his present trip and has stopped in Fairbanks, Golovin, Seward, Anchorage, Ruby and other localities for short pe- riods. In these various places he has looked into PWA projects and discussed them with local citizens giving much practical assistance and advice. In almost every in- stance the proposed work is worth while and will receive any assis- tance he can give, he said.
 "At this time there is no actual hardship in Nome. Supplies are adequate and what work can be done before next spring, is being done by the residents and govern ment repr e S ent atiyes who are there," Col. Clark declared. Tn surance adjusters are now in the city and are going over the losses with the insured. Allotments have been made for quarters for the Department of Justice and In- dian Bureau quarters and the city officials are going ahead to pre- pare the application for a PWA loan and grant for rehabilitation.
 Meanwhile data is being gath cred for the proposed Federal Building to house. all federal of- fices, except the U. s. Coast Guard and Reindeer service, by the Ter ritorial and Federal representatives now in Nome. N. L. TroaSt and B. D. Stewart are handling the de- tails"
 Col. Clark has, also, already wired his recommendation that tentative allotment of $275,000 be made for the proposed Federal building to house these services and is taking with him sketch plan showing the proposed location of the building and the amount of space needed for each division as estimated by the representatives of the various divisions.
 While in Fairbanks, Col. Clark consulted with Mayor E. B. Collins, of that city regarding the new city hall, for which the city has made for PWA loan and grant. He made the trip to the coast on the Alaska Railroad ac- companied by Col. Otto F. Ohlson, and stopped over night at Anchorage on his way to Sew ard.
 In Seward officers of the Cham Der of Commerce asked his opinion of the loan and grant for the pro posed municipal light plant. In this regard Col. Clark said today that he believed the difficulties about the matter should be settled locally.
 "Alaska's greatest needs at this time are, without question, increas- ed facilities for airplane travel More frequent weather reports, ra- dio control, many additional land ing fields are among the important needs at this time, as there is no doubt but that airplane travel Is the coming thing in the Territory to an even greater extent than it is now.
 Alaska and Alaskans are in- tensely interesting. There is fas- cination about the country, its pio- neer people and its vast distances that I will not forget" he declared.