The CHAIRMAN. Does that money go into the Treasury? Mr. ALBRIGHT. Yes, sir. The total cost of the Yellowstone Park to the Treasury this year, that is, the net cost to the appropriation, over the revenue, will be about $60,000; but next year we estimate it will be about $15,000. Of course that does not include this deficiency. The situation with reference to the deficiency is this: These storms occurred on the Shoshone River. The Shoshone River along the edge of this road goes through the park, and when a cloud-burst or a storm breaks that brings down the flood waters, which bring down trees and logs and other débris to the river and the débris is oftentimes thrown directly against the road, so that very often the river will go around the bridges. It is a meandering stream, and frequently it meanders around the bridges and over the roads. The CHAIRMAN. It goes over the abutments of the bridge and on the outside? Mr. ALBRIGHT. Yes, sir. In order to protect the road from that sort of thing we have built a great deal of revetment work. We have wing wall dams in the river to throw the stream back, and we have our bridges very well protected. In 1918 a sudden storm took out this road, and the sundry civil bill happened to be pending at the time, and the money was included in that bill to take care of it. However, since then we think we have made the road impregnable against that sort of thing. These two storms struck Sunlight Mountain and the Ptarmigan Mountain. and took down a lot of stuff that went onto our road. The heaviest flood waters came down on the north side of the road and then crossed to the south side, opposite, so that we got it on both sides. Another interesting thing in that connection is this, that Canyon Creek gathered so much débris that the main channel of the stream was blocked up, and it cut through a hill right here [indicating on map] and came in below. That is the State road. It came across through the hillside and out to our road and 100 yards inside of our line. That was our damage, although the State cooperated with us in getting the road open. That storm took out three bridges, the Gunbarrel Creek bridge, the Clocktower Creek bridge, the Canyon Creek bridge, and undermined the Clear Water Creek and Elk Fork bridges. Those bridges have got to be replaced or repaired. All that we have are little temporary low bridges at the bottom of the stream that we are able to get over in low water. During the month of May those bridges will probably go out, and during the months of June and July the roads will not be passable. The CHAIRMAN. This money is for the purpose of replacing the bridges? Mr. ALBRIGHT. This money is for the purpose of replacing the bridges and the revetment work. The CHAIRMAN. And the retaining walls? Mr. ALBRIGHT. And retaining walls; it will put the road back where it was. The CHAIRMAN. Is that road being used now at all? Mr. ALBRIGHT. No, sir; it is not being used now, and it will not be used any until the work is done. But we are afraid if we do not do the work, with the road unprotected, it may most us $100,000 or $150,000 to get in condition to use. The CHAIRMAN. You can do it now while it is frozen? Mr. ALBRIGHT. We can do it now. We can begin the bridges right away. The CHAIRMAN. After the frozen ground and stream breaks up you can not get in to do the work, can you? Mr. ALBRIGHT. After the snow melts. The snow will begin to melt in the latter part of April, and we could get most of our work done during the month of March or early in April. At some points the rocks and mud were as much as 8 feet deep. The CHAIRMAN. Are you going to put in permanent abutments on those bridges? Mr. ALBRIGHT. Yes, sir; we plan to put in concrete abutments. The CHAIRMAN. Far enough away from the water so that you will protect the bridges and the road? Mr. ALBRIGHT. We will protect them with revetment work. But these low bridges we have now will go out. Here is a bridge [indicating on photograph] which cost us nearly $20,000 seven years ago. The water undermined that bridge and let this corner down 18 inches, and then went around the bridge to the east of it. We have already incurred an actual deficiency of $5,577.56 in trying to protect that bridge and in emergency repairs to the road and other bridges. We have repaired the abutments and raised it back to the level. We have also built pile protection, so that it will not happen again. That storm was the most terrible thing ever known in that section, from the standpoint of a cloud-brust. As I said, the thing that bothers us more than anything else is the fear that it will be a great deal worse if we do not fix it. I have here a picture which shows how we fix it. We have driven piles in this long crib, and that holds the water. These figures have been very carefully gone over by engineers, and we have reduced them to the lowest possible amount. The CHAIRMAN. How long will it take to do the work? Mr. ALBRIGHT. It will take until the 1st of July to finish it; but we will get the principal part of it done during the months of April and May. We will get some of it done in March, if the deficiency is available in time. We have already most of the material ready to go to work with. The actual deficiency now is $6,000. We had only $8,400 in our regular maintenance fund. The CHAIRMAN. That is what you spent to protect the abutments of the bridge? Mr. ALBRIGHT. Most of it was expended on that. The CHAIRMAN. To build the crib and piles? Mr. ALBRIGHT. And repair the bridge, and for materials for work to begin this spring. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY, 15, 1924. BUREAU OF EDUCATION. STATEMENTS OF MR. JOHN J. TIGERT, COMMISSIONER, AND MR. LEWIS A. KALBACH, CHIEF CLERK. EDUCATION OF NATIVES IN ALASKA. The CHAIRMAN. We have before us an item for education of natives of Alaska. You want to make it $31,000 instead of $19,000? Mr. TIGERT. No, sir. Mr. Chairman, in the appropriation for the education of the natives of Alaska the Congress last time set aside specific sums for different purposes; and they allowed us $19,000 for freight, including the operation of the Borer, a ship which we were operating this year for the first time, and we exceeded the allotment for freight by more than $11,000. The CHAIRMAN. And you want to add this to the $19,000? Mr. TIGERT. No, sir. We have got something like $24,000 or 25,000, without any liabilities against it in the appropriation; and we simply want to get an authorization The CHAIRMAN (interposing). To use $12,000, in addition to the $19,000, for this purpose? Mr. TIGERT. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Is that what you want? The CHAIRMAN. That is what I said. Mr. TIGERT. I beg your pardon, sir; but there is no increase. The CHAIRMAN. You can not get along without doing that, you say? You can not operate the ship without it? Mr. TIGERT. We have already operated it; otherwise we would have had to close the schools and hospitals. The CHAIRMAN. What was the situation that made this necessary? Mr. TIGERT. The situation was this. This was the first year that those appropriations were set out in that language, setting aside so much for specific purposes; and this was the first year we had operated the boat; and although the estimates were made on our own figures Mr. CRAMTON (interposing). As I remember it, Mr. Chairman, it is a large lump sum for general purposes of education in Alaska; and last year for the first time we put in some limitations. We took their figures. The CHAIRMAN. And said that they could not spend more than a certain amount for a given purpose, which they indicated? Mr. TIGERT. Yes, sir. Mr. CRAMTON. And as to this one they seem to have gone over, and as to others they kept under. Mr. TIGERT. Yes, sir: that is the situation. As to this boat, as we had never operated it before, we had no basis of experience on which to make an estimate; and, further than that, they encountered a great deal of rough weather in the Arctic Ocean, which detained them approximately, according to the best figures we can get, two months. Day after day we would be notified that they were held up on account of storms, etc., and the aggregate cost of operating the boat was, of course, increased. The CHAIRMAN. It was $12,000 more than you thought it would be; is that right? Mr. TIGERT. Part of that was due to the operation of the boat, and then we exceeded on freight that was carried on commercial ships likewise. I can give you the exact figures. The amount on the Borer was $5,827.52, and the deficit on freight carried on commercial ships other than the Borer was $5,488.81, making a total of $11,316.33. The CHAIRMAN. What do you want the other $700 for? Mr. TIGERT. We have simply said "not exceeding" that amount. We are allowing a little leeway there. The actual amount was $11,316; and we have $23,881.63 in the total appropriation against which there are no liabilities, and from which we would like to have authority to take it. Mr. CRAMTON. You will turn back about $11,000 into the Treasury, in any event? Mr. TIGERT. Well, I do not know whether we will do that. We can not do it. Mr. CRAMTON. You ask to have $12,000 made available for this purpose; and that will leave $11,000 to go back to the Treasury. Mr. TIGERT. If this were the end of the fiscal year Mr. CRAMTON (interposing). Oh, yes; I see. The CHAIRMAN. Have you any part of your appropriation in reserve? Mr. TIGERT. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. How much? Mr. TIGERT. It is 10 per cent, is it not, Mr. Kalbach? The CHAIRMAN. How much in dollars? Mr. KALBACH. I do not remember the exact amount. The CHAIRMAN. How much was the total appropriation? Mr. TIGERT. The total appropriation is $355,000. The CHAIRMAN. That would be $35,000 in reserve; so you really have not got anything there? Mr. KALBACH. They did not reserve that much, Mr. Chairman. NOTE. The amount reserved is $2,500. Mr. CRAMTON. Is this $23,000 in addition to the reserve? Mr. TIGERT. This $23,000 is without taking the reserve into consideration. It is the committed part of the entire appropriation; that is to say, it is the entire appropriation without taking the reserve into consideration. It has no liability drawn against it. Mr. CRAMTON. Well, have you any reserve in addition to that $23,000? Mr. TIGERT. No, sir. The CHAIRMAN. That is all, is it? Mr. KALBACH. Mr. Chairman, out of our appropriation for medical relief, which is $90,000, the reserve set aside is $1,000. The CHAIRMAN. Then you have a little over 1 per cent? THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1924. THE ALASKA RAILROAD. STATEMENTS OF COL. JAMES G. STEESE, CHAIRMAN, AND MAJ. JOHN C. GOTWALS, CHIEF ENGINEER, THE ALASKA RAILROAD. The CHAIRMAN. We have before us a request for $245,000 for the fiscal year 1924, to supplement an appropriation of $1,000,000 which already exists and which was made to supplement the earnings of the Alaska Railroad. That would indicate a loss of $1,245,000 on the operations of the railroad for 1924. I wish you would be kind enough to tell us why it is that any such loss should exist, if we are charging proper rates for the movement of commodities, or if we are operating as economically as we should. Colonel STEESE. The Alaska Railroad has been some eight years in building, and as fast as the track became passable it was put into operation. This last July, for the first time, the track was completed through to Fairbanks, which is the terminus, so that trains are now operating through from terminus to terminus. During the construction period some $3,000,000 in revenue was developed from the operation of broken or intermittent parts of the line. The CHAIRMAN. Now you have the line completed? Colonel STEESE. Yes, sir; it is completed so that trains can go over the total trackage. NUMBER OF MILES OF RAILROAD OPERATED. The CHAIRMAN. How many miles of road are operated? Colonel STEESE. The main line is 470 miles in length, and there are coal and gold spurs that make the total mileage 560. The total operating mileage is 560. That mileage is in operation both for freight and passenger service. ESTIMATE OF RECEIPTS AND OPERATING EXPENSES, 1924. The estimates submitted last year, from the best information available, contemplated revenues of $900,000 and an operating deficit of $1,350,000. That was reduced by the Budget last year to $1,260,860 and then reduced by the committee to a flat $1,000,000. The figures that were prepared last year have turned out to be pretty close to the fact. The revenues have been a little greater than was contemplated. The actual revenues have been $758,000 instead of $715,000. The railroad's budgets for the current fiscal year was $1,000,000, and the management made every effort to get by with that $1,000,000. DAMAGE AND LOSS OF REVENUE DUE TO FLOODS. Had it not been for those two excessive floods, one occurring during the first week of June and the other during the first week of October, and of which we will speak later, and of which we have photographs illustrating the damage that was done to the tracks, we would probably have been able to skin by with it. As I have said, we suffered |