The month of October was a good one in point of weather and the roads were, generally speaking, in good condition for travel. While our figures show a greater attendance than last year, an analysis will show that at monuments where our figures are most accurate, there is little change.

While I look for an increase in travel in the Southwest this year over last on the basis of the recent business revival, I do not yet have proof of it. Arizona and New Mexico papers are, however, full of the news of heavy reservations at the winter resorts and dude ranches.

We needed five more permanent men on duty last month than we had on our rolls. I don't know what we are going to do about the undermanned situation at White Sands. At present things are wide open except on Sundays and holidays when our part-time custodian is on duty. Our new headquarters buildings are reaching the finished stage and, as soon as the transfer papers come through, we are sending a man in to take charge. He will be so swamped with visitors that I cannot see how he can do more than stand on the office steps and pass out leaflets and give instructions to the 125,000 people who are coming to see his monument next year. On his days off, I suppose we will have to practically shut the plant down. We need three full-time jobs to handle the public with any degree of satisfaction to the public or ourselves, and we have only the one.

Our three CCC camps, our Casa Grande side camp, and the Mobile Unit at Chaco Canyon were operating satisfactorily during the month although at two of our camps we could get much more efficiency with a little more funds for operation. We need more materials money.

During the month we had a meeting with representatives of the Branch of Plans and Design, and developed the plans for our six residences and one administration building which we are getting under Public Works money, and they are now putting in overtime getting out the work drawings for us. As soon as we can get those, we will be ready to go and we think we can get into action with the funds, the weather permitting, by the first of January. Three of these places, Navajo, Wupatki, and El Morro, are remote from the railroad and winter construction is going to be slow.

Financially we are solvent in that we did no expend as much of our funds as we had thought we would need in the first quarter of the year and are thus a little ahead of our estimates.

Among the personnel the morale seems to be high and service during the past month to the public was good.

James W. Brewer, Jr., is transferring at the end of the month from Aztec Ruins to Navajo National Monument, thus filling the position left vacant by the transfer of William Leicht from Navajo to the Boulder Dam Recreational Area.

The office force has been hard pressed to keep abreast of its work during the month. I don't know how we are going to give annual leave without going behind very seriously in the office work. It must be remembered that we have no winter slump in office work such as comes to many of the units of the Service; it seems as if we are always on the peak of production with a few dead-lines just ahead. Chief Clerk Soule effected a complete rearrangement of the office furniture and equipment during the month, gaining space and improving the lighting on the desks. He also put about $300 worth of steel shelving in the files-and-storage room, doing away with the old lumber shelving, and thus gaining some space and eliminating the fire hazard.

When considering the plans for the two new residences at Montezuma Castle, we developed a plan of using the present house, when it is vacated, as an administration building until the final administration building as shown on the Master Plan can be built. The present building is well situated for the purpose, being in the center of the parking area, and will need little overhauling to put it into use. It will advance our educational program at the Castle several years and relieve us from certain obligations to the Utility Operator whose room we are now using. We will have an official office, a good sized museum room, work room, storage room, and some basement storage for tools and light equipment under this arrangement.

Study has started on the preliminary lines run by the Bureau of Public Roads form State Highway #89 over to Wupatki Ruin in the Wupatki National Monument. Agreement seems to be reached except as to going north or south of Doney Mountain. We would like to go to the north to develop a wonderful view of the Painted Desert but the cost is high. The Bureau has agree to study that section a little more and see if their estimates can be reduced. Studies have also been made at Chaco Canyon National Monument with a view to relocating headquarters away from the vicinity of any of the ruins, getting a better crossing of the Chaco, and throwing the road within the monument away from all ruins. Reports have been made to your office on these preliminary studies.

On the whole, the month has been satisfactory.

Cordially,