Valley frontiersman., 1952-04-03
INTERIOR APPROPRIATIONS

 year now being considered in the House was reported from the House Appropriations Committee with S5l,l10.8l4 earmarked for Alaska activities.
 The budget request had totalled S88,585,393 for Alaska including S12,380,579 for the activities of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Alaska. The S5l,110,814 earmark- ed in the bill as reported to the House does not reflect appropria- tions for the Indian Bureau in Alaska as the House committee made deep slashes in the total amounts for many of the activ- ities of the agency throughout the country and no final determlna- tion or allotment of the funds al- lowed has yet been made by the Department of the Interior.
 ALASKA PUBLIC WORKS
 The budget estimate of S20 mil lion for the Alaska Public Works program was reduced to S7 mil lion by the committee.
 
 appropriated during the 1852 ifs cal year, the committee report concluded. The committee re- ceived testimony during the hear ings which would indicate that very little effort has been made by the Alaska Public Works Of flee or by the municipalities benefiting from this program to raise their half of the cost of the desired project or even to pre- pare final plans and specifications on which solid estimates could be based, before seeking feder- al funds from the Congress. It is not the committees intention 10 appropriate in a vacuum. Deli nite evidence to the effect that the municipalities seeking beae- fits from this program have made positive efforts to assume thelr share of responsibility will be required for all projects here after
 T am concerned" Delegate Bartlett informed the members of the House, because approprla- tions for Alaska public works have not been at the level con- tenaplated when the basic act was approved.
 "The practical effect of some of the committees remarks If fol- lowed to conclusion would be to set LID different set of require ments for participation in this program than are contained m the basic law G949) and hence would introduce not expedition but con- fusion and delay
 THE ALASKA RAILROAD
 The sum of S9094000 sought for reconstruction of the Seward Portage portion of The Alaska Railroad was denied by the com r7ittee in allowing only g ,906'000 of the requested SIS million tor Alaska Railroad activities. In ad- dit:7n, cut of s million Was made from the requested S6'9oo-- O0g t7r freight equipment ana fac1i-.es.
 The Rehabilitation funds for the Seward Portage program were strongly recommended to the committee by the Department o1 nefenee through representations made by It. Gen. William E. Rep ner. COmmander-ln-Chlet or the Alaskan Command, and Assistant Secretary of the Army Karl R' D1!!etoe1 GeneraI Kepner strongly urged the appropriation of the funoS and concluded: There is no prac- tical alternative to rehabilitation of The Alaska Railroad line be, tween Seward and Portage ana the providing of adequate oock facilities at Seward that can meet the strategic requirements impos- ed bv the magnitude of the Alas kan defense effort"
 ALASKA ROADS
 The largest sum allowed m the bill for Alaska was the full bud get request of S20,319.000 for road construction and maintenance ST million of which would go for construction and S3,31o,00O for road maintenance.
 The funds would permit the construction of a new bridge across the Chena River at Far. banks. winter maintenance Of Thompson Pass out of Valdez and partial construction Of the a-Richardson H 2 h W y road. In addition, funds would be available in the amount of Sll,, 80O,OO0 for asphalt surfacing of k1oo1,o C1crp and Richard