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ALASKA.

STATEMENT OF MAJ. W. P. RICHARDSON.

The CHAIRMAN. On page 6 of the bill, you have submitted for annual expenses, in connection with the Washington-Alaska cable, for payment of men at the rate of $4.50, including cost of transportation. State to the committee the necessity for that.

Major RICHARDSON. That is an item under the Signal Corps estimate. I am familiar with it to this extent: The officers of the Signal Corps travel in different parts of Alaska from time to time, inspecting the line and supervising the work of construction and maintenance, the care, and so on. Heretofore, they have only been receiving the regulation 7 cents per mile, or four cents per mile and transportation. They must always stop at roadhouses, and generally pay $1 for a bed and $1.50 to $2 for a meal for their living. Under this system, the old regulation, an officer is sometimes compelled to make a trip and pay most of the money out of his own pocket.

Mr. SLAYDEN. It costs him more than his allowance?

Major RICHARDSON. Yes, sir. For instance, he may travel a hundred miles, taking five days by dog team, and it may cost him $25 to make the trip, for which he would be reimbursed $4. It is not always practicable for an officer to take an outfit for the purpose of cooking his own meals, and therefore he gets his meals at these road houses.

The CHAIRMAN. It would apply to other officers as well as to telegraph officers.

Major RICHARDSON. The original bill appointing the road commission stated that the members should get the actual expenses of travel while on duty.

The CHAIRMAN. They are doing the work of construction of roads, are they not?

Major RICHARDSON. Yes, sir. Inspection of posts has always been performed in the summer. Inspectors travel over the water routes. The posts are all located on the seashore or rivers, where they are accessible by water, and in that case the expenses of travel have not been greater, I think, than the amount received under the old law. This appropriation applies to travel in winter by dog teams. Officers traveling by water get their transportation, including berth and meals, on board the ocean or river steamer. I have heard no complaint on that kind of travel.

The CHAIRMAN. You have submitted another item, Document 378, asking for $400,000 for next year.

Major RICHARDSON. The reason for that is set forth briefly, at least in part, in the note following the letter of transmittal, which is an extract from a letter which I wrote originally to the War Department, giving the reasons for this estimate. Among the principal reasons, one being the increased cost of construction the past season in Alaska, owing to the road commission being restricted to the eighthour law in all of its work; also on account of the cost in certain sections being greater than was anticipated. I wish to say, however, that this estimate, particularly the estimate for the coming year, is intended to cover work which was not embraced in the estimate last year, or only partly so, which is explained in the letter also.

I would like to point to a map here, if the committee cares to look at it, which will illustrate what I mean.

Mr. SHERWOOD. How many men (troops) have you in Alaska? Major RICHARDSON. We have a full regiment and one company on Signal Corps duty. We have from 800 to 900 men and officers altogether.

The CHAIRMAN. How far from Valdez is Fairbanks?

Major RICHARDSON. About 357 miles. There is no exact measurement. We have estimated for money enough to construct a wagon road through the Keystone Canyon out from Valdez, because there is no likelihood of a railroad being built for some time. They are building a railroad to Cordova along the coast to the coal fields. We expect this road will be extended in time up the Copper River as far as the mouth of the Chitina for the development of copper properties in that region.

Mr. CAPRON. Are they actually digging any coal there now?

Major RICHARDSON. They have been opening up the fields and are about ready to ship. They expect to be hauling coal to Cordova in October. Under the conditions at present we do not expect to be able to take advantage of any part of this railroad for travel to the interior for a long time, and for that reason desire to improve the conditions of travel through Keystone Canyon and over the Thompson pass.

Mr. STEVENS. How far is it from Fairbanks to the Yukon?
Major RICHARDSON. It is not over 125 or 130 miles.

Mr. STEVENS. Fairbanks can be reached in the summer?

Major RICHARDSON. Yes, sir. It is at the head of navigation on the Tanana River.

The CHAIRMAN. This is a main road that you are building?

Major RICHARDSON. Yes, sir. It reaches from Valdez to the head of navigation on the Tauana River. Valdez, I may say, is the most northerly port on the Pacific, and, I believe, in all North America, free of ice the year round.

The CHAIRMAN. It is provided that not more than $200,000 shall be expended in any one year. Why is it necessary to appropriate the whole $400,000?

Major RICHARDSON. The only advantage would be that it would enable the Board to make contracts, procure equipment, and lay out the work in advance.

Mr. SLAYDEN. You would not need to be authorized to do it?
Major RICHARDSON. No, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. The idea was that the Government was going to complete the road?

Major RICHARDSON. Yes, sir; if the committee approves the plan of the road commission.

Mr. SLAYDEN (to the Chairman). About the propriety of making the appropriation for two years, I understood the Major to say that the reason for it was that it would authorize him to make contracts and push the work ahead.

Major RICHARDSON. We expect to let some of it out by contract. There would also be other work on roads done by hired labor.

The CHAIRMAN. How much will it cost to complete the road from Valdez to Fairbanks?

Major RICHARDSON. That is hard to answer. The character of road we design to put through will be one suitable for teams to drive over the year round, but not what would be classed in the States as a "good" road. It will be an excellent winter sled road and a good summer road in many places, while in other places, owing to the absence of suitable road material near-by and the great expense of construction, it will become soft and cut up like any ordinary undrained country road.

The CHAIRMAN. Is there much use for the road in summer?

Major RICHARDSON. Yes, more and more every year. If we had anything like a decent road through this section mail could reach Fairbanks six or seven days earlier than by any other route.

Mr. CALE. As to the necessity of the road, is there not near Valdez various mining camps using it all the year round?

Major RICHARDSON. Oh, yes; through all that section of country. The only access to the interior the miners have in summer is by this route, and, of course, the more it is improved the better it will be for the country. They now go over from Valdez by pack train and drop off the main route at different places.

Mr. CALE. In other words, the roads are used largely through the summer season not only by those who are operating mines, but by prospectors who have gone into new fields to open up the country? Major RICHARDSON. Yes, sir.

Mr. SLAYDEN. What military necessity is there for that road? Major RICHARDSON. I regard that as a road of considerable military value. There is a military post at Valdez and there is a telegraph line through the country, to aid in the maintenance of peace and good order in that section. This extension [indicating] would be to another military post at Port Gibbon; and at Fairbanks we have a trail across to Eagle, via Circle, and also a route to Eagle known as the Matanuska trail, branching from the main road at Gulkana. This route [indicating] goes to St. Michael and Fort Davis on Bering Sea. This is a trunk line and is the only communication through the interior to Fort Davis and Nome.

We are building a road in the southeastern part of Alaska which I regard as a strictly military road, extending from the post of Fort William H. Seward, at Haines Mission-one of the principal entryways to the interior, up the Chilkat River to the Canadian boundary.

Mr. SLAYDEN. I do not think Congress would view this project with favor if it is to accommodate prospectors only. I think that the United States ought to restrict roads of any kind to military necessity.

At this point the committee adjourned until to-morrow, January 23, at 10.30 a. m.

JANUARY 23, 1908.

QUARTERMASTER'S DEPARTMENT.

STATEMENT OF BRIG. GEN. JAMES B. ALESHIRE, QUARTERMASTER-GENERAL.

The CHAIRMAN. Your whole item has the same language, the same material, and the same purpose, except that you have an increase. There was appropriated last year $6,500,000 and this year you ask for $9,937,156.10. I wish you would explain fully to the committee what is the necessity for such a large increase.

General ALESHIRE. I think the committee will understand the necessity for the amount called for in the estimate if I may be permitted to explain the manner in which the estimate was prepared. I took the army appropriation act and made an analysis of it, showing the items and the purposes for which the funds appropriated were required. I found 37 items under the appropriation "Regular supplies," and in the entire act under all appropriations 190 items. The result is a careful statement of the purposes for which each appropriation may be used, as will appear from the following:

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Of regular supplies of the Quartermaster's Department. Required for heating offices, hospitals, barracks, and quarters and recruiting stations and the United States military prison.

For cooking and serving food at posts and on transports.

Of heating and cooking appliances.

[For enlisted men, including recruits, guards, hospitals, storehouses and offices, and for sale to officers. (See items 33 and 34, with remarks.)

Required in the operation of modern batteries at established posts.

(Building not including oven.)

Where required for the health and comfort of the troops.

At military posts in the United States and its island possessions. (See items 35, 36, and 37, with remarks.)

Necessary for post school and libraries.

For kitchens and mess halls, each and all for the enlisted men,
including recruits.

(For the horses, mules, and oxen of the Quartermaster's De-
partment at the several posts and stations and with the
armies in the field, and for the horses of the several regiments
of calvary and the batteries of artillery and such companies
of infantry and scouts as may be mounted, and for the au-
thorized number of officers' horses.
For soldiers' bedding.

For the Quartermaster's Department.
For discharged soldiers.

For the Pay and Quartermaster's Departments.
Department orders and reports. "Provided further, That
no part of the appropriations for the Quartermaster's
Department shall be expended in printing, unless the same
shall be done by contract after due notice and competition,
except in such cases as the emergency will not admit of the
giving notice of competition, and in cases where it is imprac-
ticable to have the necessary printing done by contract the
same may be done, with the approval of the Secretary of
War, by the purchase of material and hire of necessary labor
for the purpose."

Item.

Supplies or service.

Purpose for which supplied.

APPROPRIATION

33 Heat.

34 Light.

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REGULAR SUP

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(Actually necessary for the authorized allowance of quarters for officers and enlisted men shall be furnished at the expense of the United States, under such regulations as the Secretary of War may prescribe.

"For the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, nineteen hundred and eight, whenever the ice machines, steam laundries, and electric plants shall not come in competition with private enterprise for sale to the public, and in the opinion of the Secretary of War it becomes necessary to the economical use and administration of such ice machines, steam laundries, and electric plants as have been or may hereafter be estab lished in pursuance of law, surplus ice may be disposed of, laundry work may be done for other branches of the Government, and surplus electric light and power may be sold on such terms and in accordance with such regulations as may be prescribed by the Secretary of War: Provided, That the funds received from such sales and in payment for such laundry work shall be used to defray the cost of operation of said ice, laundry, and electric plants; and the sales and expenditures herein provided for shall be accounted for in accordance with the methods prescribed by law and any sums remaining, after such cost of maintenance and operation have been defrayed, shall be deposited in the Treasury to the credit of the appropriation from which the cost of operation of such plant is paid."

For the purchase of the necessary, required for the equipment and use of the officers' schools at the several military posts

Cost of, on official business received and sent by officers of the Army.

Employed on extra duty, under the direction of the Quartermaster's Department.

For post quartermasters at military posts.

At posts designated by the War Department for the confinement of general prisoners.

Of the United States military prison guard.

Expenses of, to and from frontier posts and armies in the field. Expenses of, to paymasters and other disbursing officers, and to trains where military escorts can not be furnished. "Expenses of the interment of officers killed in action or who die when on duty in the field, or at military posts or on the frontiers, or when traveling under orders, and of noncommissioned officers and soldiers."

"And in all cases where such expenses would have been lawful claims against the Government, reimbursement may be made of expenses heretofore incurred by individuals of burial and transportation of remains of officers, including acting assistant surgeons, not to exceed the amount now allowed in the cases of officers, and for the reimbursement in the cases of enlisted men not exceeding the amount now allowed in their cases, may be paid out of the proper funds appropriated by this act.'

Authorized.

Hire of, in the Quartermaster's Department.

Hire of, for the Army.

Compensation of, to the officers of the Quartermaster's Department.

For the United States Military Prison

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