The Daily Alaska empire., 1940-03-31
By ANTHONY E. KARNES Territorial Commissioner of
 EducatiOn

"A ISNlGW LII SCNCldl plloocso VI OiAS work carried on by the Territorial Department of Education reveals the fact that much progress has been made in many of these dur ing the past few years. It is the purpose of this article to give an account of some of the work ac- ccmplished, and to state briefly some of our present problems.
 Building Program
 The biennial report of this office for the period ending June 30, 1852, written by former Commissioner of Education w. K Keller, points out the need of new school buildings in many of our rural areas. He rec commended a total expenditure Of $4820O for new buildings and addi- tions. If he had had an oppor- tunity to visit more places during his short term, no doubt, he would have made this much larger; how ever, in spite of his recommenda- tion of this amount, the 1883 Legis- lature appropriated only S30,000 for this purpose. It was a godsend to our building program that Con- greSs made available large sums of Federal funds to aid in school buildings, under the PWA, in 1883.
 Immediately after Congress made these funds available, your Com missioner went to Washington, D. C., and conferred with those in charge of the PWA funds regarding the requirements to be met by the Territory, and other matters per- taining to same.
 Application Made
 A hurried survey of building needs was made in the fall of 1883, and as a result, application was made to the PWA for the sum of $175,500 for the construction of 2l rural school buildings, and for a new building at Nome, the same to cost $5C,O0O.
 In January 1884, our application was approved, and the full amount, direct grant, was made available.
 After this first grant, it became necessary for the Territory, or a City, in case City applied for PWA funds, to furnish 55 per cent of the costs of all school buildings, the Government to furnish only 45 per cent.
 "A Rural Schools
 With the aid of these Federal grants, the Department Of Educa- tion has, during the past five years, constructed 24 rural school buildings costing nearly $200,OO0, more than half of which was paid from Fed- eral PWA funds. In addition 10 these buildings the Department mas constructed one new rural scnool building without Federal assistance and has assisted communities m the construction of three more, and purchased one building which had been erected for school purposes.
 During the same period, seven cities have constructed new school buildings, two have constructed au- ditoriums, and two have made ex- tensive alterations and repairs. In most instances, Federal PWA funds have been used to the extent of 45 per cent of a total, of over $650. .000.
 Cooperation With Indian Office
 In 1883, the Department of Edu- cation began efforts to secure tul- ton from the Federal Government for the 1900 or more natives (with one-uuarter or more native blood) who were in attendance in the Ter ritorial public schools, the cost to the Territory being around $220,000 per year. After several years of effort, the Department of Interior finally advised the Department of Educa- tion that it could not pay such tul- ton but could take over our schools where the enrolment was predom- inately native
 The Department of E d u c at n, accordingly, in 1887, asked the Office of Indian Affairs to take over 25 such schools, and that office added sufficient amount to its budget, then being prepared for Congress, to take them over The item, how ever, was stricken by the Appropria- tions Committee in the House of Representatives.
 Transfer Completed
 In 1888, these efforts were repeat ed. the Department of Education asking the Office of Indian Affairs to take over IT schools, all of which were predominately native and in which there were 20 or more pupils enrolled. Again the Office of In- dian Affairs added to their budget a sufficient amount to take care of these schools, and Congress made the appropriation, and the schools were accordingly turned over to the Federal Government on July l, 1889. This item alone is now saving the Territory around $73,000 per year, and this could not have been ac- complished without the complete cooperation and efforts of the of ficials of the Office of Indian Af- fairs.
 This saving has made it possible for the Territorial Department of Education to open new schools