218 GRAVEL AND PLACER MINING IN ALASKA. [bull. 263. 
One-fourth of said fund, or so much thereof as may be necessary, shall be devoted to 
the establishment and maintenance of public schools in said district; five per 
centum of said fund shall be devoted to the care and maintenance of insane per- 
sons in said district, or so much of said five per centum as may be needed; and all 
the residue of said fund shall be devoted to the construction and maintenance of 
wagon roads, bridges, and trails in said district. 
Sec. 2. That there shall be a board of road commissioners in said district, to be 
composed of an engineer officer of the United States Army, to be detailed and 
appointed by the Secretary of War, and two other officers of that part of the army 
stationed in said district, and to be designated by the Secretary of War. The said 
engineer officer shall during the term of said detail and appointment abide in said 
district. The said board shall have the power and it shall be iheir duty, upon their 
own motion or upon petition, to locate, lay out, construct, and maintain wagon roads 
and pack trails from any point on the navigable waters of said district to any town, 
mining or other industrial camp or settlement, or between any such town, camps, 
or settlements therein, if in their judgment such roads or trails are needed and will 
be of permanent value for the development of the district; but no such road or trail 
shall be constructed to any town, camp, or settlement which is wholly transitory or 
of no substantial value or importance for mining, trade, agriculture, or manufacturing 
purposes. The said board shall prepare maps, plans, and specifications of every road 
or trail they may locate and lay out, and whenever more than five thousand dollars 
in i he aggregate shall have been expended on the construction of any road or trail, 
contract for the work shall be let by them to the lowest responsible bidder, upon 
sealed bids, after due notice, under rules and regulations to be prescribed by the. 
Secretary of War. The board may reject any bid if they deem the same unreason- 
ably high, or if they find that there is a combination among bidders. In case no 
responsible and reasonable bid can be secured, then the work may be carried on 
with material and men procured and hired by the board. The engineer officer of 
the board shall in all cases supervise the work of construction and see that the same 
is properly performed. As soon as any road laid out by the board has been con- 
structed and completed they shall examine the same and make a full, detailed 
report of the work done on the same to the Secretary of War, and in such report 
they shall state whether the road or trail has been completed conformable to the maps, 
plans, and specifications of the same. It shall be the duty of said board, as far as 
practicable, to keep in proper repair all roads and trails constructed under their 
supervision, and the same rules as to the manner in which the work of repair shall 
be done, whether by contract or otherwise, shall govern as in the case of the original 
construction of the road or trail. The cost and expenses of laying out, constructing, 
and repairing such roads and trails shall be paid by the Secretary of the Treasury 
out of the road and trail portion of said " Alaska fund " upon vouchers approved and 
certified by said board. The Secretary of the Treasury shall, at the end of each 
month, send by mail to each of the members of said board a statement of the amount 
available of said "Alaska fund" for the construction and repair of roads and trails, 
and no greater liability for construction or repair shall at any time be incurred by 
said board than the money available therefor at that time in said fund. The mem- 
bers of said board shall, in addition to their salaries, be entitled to receive their 
actual traveling expenses paid or incurred by them in the performance of their 
duties as members of said board. 
It will be of interest to state that during the twelve months ending 
June 30, 1904, the total amount collected from license fees outside of 
incorporated towns was $145,043.65. a 
«MacLennan, M. F., Receipts and disbursements of the United States for the fiscal year ending 
June 30, 1904, Treasury Department, p. 14. 
