THE COST OF MAIL
IS NOT EXCESSIVE
The following Is from the Fairbanks
News-Miner of December 8 and con
tains much Interesting Information
concerning the malls.
For the entire period of eight months
from October 1 to June 1 Interior Al
aska gets 5B tons of mall from the
stutes under the contract let by the
United States government to the
Northern Commercial Company. Un
der the terms of the contract an equal
amount of mall Is sent out of interior
Alaska. For handling 112 tons of mall
between Cordova and Fairbanks, a dis
tance of 437 miles, the Northern Com
mercial Company receives 3126,200. Un
der the contract the Northern Com
mercial Company Is supposed to carry
the contracted amount, 56 tons, In each
direction. The Northern Commercial
Company therefore received 31.127.87
per ton for the mall.
Is Is Excessive?
To the government this rate may
seem excessive. To the man who does
not unuerstand the difficulty of living
up to the contract, the tlnest that may
oe imposed for failure to live up to
the contract, the cost of food and feed
on the trail, and the like, that may
seem like a high rate. Rut is it? A
higner rate is paid for express. The
price or express is 6U cents a pound
from Cnintina to Fairbanks, and, un
derstand, tuis contract is binding be
. iween Coruova and Fairbanks and
>t nen me ranioau Is blocked between
coruova and Chitina tne mall must be
bruugnt from Values, and penalties are
imposed tor luruiness or lateness in
uelivery.
Tne Northern Commercial Company
maintains and feeds 26 men on this
end of tne trail. It keeps and feeds 135
head of horses. The contract is In
operation 2o2 days. The horses have
to be kept all summer. Rut granted
that omy the elgnt months the con
tract Is effective is taken into consid
eration whut and where does the ex
orbitant charge comes in?
A noise eats so pounus of lead a day.
in hairoanks that feed is worth 4 1-3
cents per pound. On the trail it is
worth at least 1U cents a pound. Then
the average price of horse feed per day
per horse, for the sake of argument,
cun very safely be placed at 32.40 per
<luy. At that rate each horse for food
alone would cost 36U4.S0 per contract
season. Then the feeding of the 135
horses would amount to 381,688. The
men employed work, for the sako of
argument, at an average wage of 3110
per month. There are 26 of them be
tween Chitina and Fairbanks exclu
sive of the office force, and they work,
again for the sake of argument, eight
months a year. Their wages would
amount then to 322,880.
The Northern Commercial Company
sub-leases to the Copper River and
Northwestern railroad the contract for
hauling the mall between Cordova and
Fairbanks. For that they must pay a
certain price. They likewise feed their
men on the trail. That also costs
money. They maintain a couple of
autos. They also cost money. The
horses have to be shod. The wagons
and the sleighs and the double enders
have to be bought and kept In repair.
That also costs money. So, after the
cost of horse feed and man hire the
contractor has but 321,732 left to do all
that Is required to maintain an effi
cient service. Including the feeding of
the men.
There’s one rubber boot
that has “made good”
in Alaska, and that’s the
Goodrich
White Boot
‘With the Red-Line 'round the Top”
You know that when a boot comes in and
simply sweeps the whole country like
“HIPRESS” has done, it’s GOT to be
SOMETHING UNUSUAL,
hite Goodrich “HIPRESS” Boots actually wear
longer than iron or steel! You don’t have to half
sole them with leather—they far outwear hob
nailed leather soles. The reason for this unusual service is that
HIPRESS” are constructed by an entirely new process—fifty years
ahead of the old.
Made of the same tough rubber that goes into Goodrich Auto Tires—welded
together under enormous prussuro INTO ONE SOLID PIECE!
Nothing to come apart—they can't leak, peel, crack or split! They're comfort
able, too—shaped to the foot while it’s working. We promise that once you start
wearing White '‘HIPRESS’' you’ll never be satisfied with anythiug else. And
remember—it has a lted-Lino ’round the Top,
DEALERS—Write at once for samples and prices.
The B. F. Goodrich Company
_ a i,___ al;. SEATTLE BRANCH i t
Factories: AJtron. Ohio *3* Th. B. F. Goodrich Rubber Company j
Branches and Dealers Everywhere W 113-16 Kin* Street
Not Philanthropist*.
It should not be taken from this that
the Northern Commercial Company are
oslng money. The stages carry pas
iengerg and express In addition to the
nail, and considerable revenue Is de
rived from those sources. But there
Is not a concern better equipped to
landle the mall Into the Interior than
he Northern Commercial Company,
tnd If they cannot make money out
xf the bare mall contract nobody can.
The Point 1st
Now the government will argue that
granting that the mall service Is as low
xs It can possibly be made, the gov
ernment cannot afford to give Fair
banks a better service. The govern
ment Is losing money even on flrst
eiuss mall, argues the postmaster. The
answer Is a simple one. If the United
states loses money on shipping a mux
.mum of 1000 pounds of mall a week
.o Fairbanks under the thrice-a-week
service and cannot give ns a larger
,erv ice for that reason, how can the
government alford to give Nome or
I „uliy or the Chantilar the service thui
.mey no" give loose sections. vViu.
..min; muxe man twice as tar worn
. hirounivs as i'airbanKs Is worn Ctui
vviui me navel over uiioruKe*.
.runs vv itn uog teams. Nome vvitu u
^uijuiation over one-tmru less tnai*
.iin population of f ailOaUKS, geis i,ou„
.,.>111111* of mail, wuiie F atroaui,.-.
x.uoo. t'ne enamour, vvitti not more
Aiian eigut people in the entire dis
At let covering an urea ot huntil avis 01
.uiies. gels xue pbiinus of mall a mouth,
x ne Koyukuk, no more Inaccessiuie
with 30 times us many people in it as
xiie Cnanuiar. gels but *00 pounds ot
mail a month.
Circle and Fort Yukon, with a com
bined population in the two distric t,
not over luo men. gets a pound ot man
,,er capita per week. Fairbanks with
.is many business houses gets about u
naif a pound of mall per capita per
,. eek. And all the districts mentioned
ate putting In additional charge on
.ne hauling of the mail. It costs money
,u carry it from Fairbanks even to
the creeks. Just why the government
should llgure the distributing center
of the tremendously rich Interior of the
tremendously rich terrltrory of Alas
ka us the town that should receive the
poorest mall service of all Is hard to
understand.
Do Not Know.
It may be that It is just Ignorance.
It may be that the postmaster general
and his assistants do not know the
conditions here and have not taken
the trouble to learn If so, they should
be educated.
All Fairbanks wants and needs Is
a square deul from the postmuster gen
eral. The post masters In Alaska are
doing all that they can do. The mall
ing and routing clerks stationed at
Cordova, at Tanana and at Eagle are
not to blame. The postmasters at Cor
dova, Chltlna, at Fairbanks, and at the
other towns In the territory are not
to blame. The trouble rests with the
nostofflce officials In Washington.
Will Carry It.
Now, then. If Wosnington will give
r airbanksans the same per capita mall
service that is given the people ot
circle or Fort Y ukon. Ur, better still,
of 1< airbanksans will b* granted :he
same per capita service as the contract
from Fairbanks or Chatanika to tbo
Chundlar calls for, Fairbanks will get
all their mall all the time.
The Northern Commercial Compur
will undoubtedly carry anuthor il,400
pounds of mail per week between Fair*
j ranks at the cost for the same rate
I per tun that they are now currylrng
j mail. Representatives of the hi nt that
| nas the mail contract went to Wasu
I iiigton and begged bard with the pusi
I master geuerai tor a chauce to give
I r airbanksans ail the mall all the time
| during the eight months tuat tin. Iran
I mail is the euiy in ail that 1- airbanksans
I receive, but Uie postmuslor general
I would not grant them the contract.
Partial Raliaf.
If the postmaster geuerai and his
assistants would study the situation
in Fairbanks, If they would look into
the matter, uud not rush blindly at
conclusions, they would soon reulize
that it is but right and just that Fair
bunks should get a service at least
comparatively as good as that of the
other towns In the interior. Thus we
would get partial relief.
But not until the postmaster geuerai
understands candltlons can Fairbanks
hope to get a better mall service. The
letter that the second assistant post
muster general sent to the Bile'/ary Di
gest, stating that Fairbanks receives
4,800 pounds of mail a week la either
an attempt to deceive or a very sad
show of ignorance on the part of the
man who has charge of the transporta
tion of mails. Fairbanks gets less than
1,000 pounds of mall per week. Let the
whole world know It. In publicity
there may be relief.
—-—
Calling cards printed at Nugget office
HOLLAND’S ARMY
Switzerland is not the only neutral
country In Europe which is assuming
an overwhelming burden of expense in
the efforts to preserve its neutrality
The Netherlands is even In worse case.
That country has recently revised Its
laws governing military service in or
der to make practically every able
bodied man in the country subject to
military duty. By a law which went
into effect in July the number of thor
I
oughly trained soldiers to be kept un
der arms has been increased from 330,
000 to 550,000.
The exempt list Is practically sus
pended now. This class formerly In
eluded certain students, men who
were the sole support of their families,
and the younger sons of a family or
which the older brothers were already
In service. During the past ten years
an average of 22,000 men were yearly
exempted from mlhtaryr service be
cause belonging to one or the other
of these exempt classes. Now only the
physically unlit are to be relieved of
compulsory military duty.
The Netherlands has learned the
lesson from the war which Is making
such slow headway In the United
States.
Holland has no aspirations for the
acquisition of territory. It Is a peace
ful and peace loving nation. There is
not a hint of any possible aggressive
action in the future. There were no
such hints In Belgium, either before
i the outbreak of the present war. The
new military law, which makes of
every Dutch citizen a soldier, Is de
signed and intended for precisely the
same purpose as Is the law of the re
public of Switzerland, which makes a
soldier of every citizen; it Is for pro
tection of the country against military
aggression.
Were It not for the severely trained
and efficient citizen soldiery of Swit
zerland that country would now be
overrun by the contending armies.
Much the same is true of ■ Holland.
I'l^'.uredness In both countries Is the
only security for peace.—Seattle P.-I.
WE CAN DO IT.
Per ft ret oleN work and prompt de
livery phene Main 1B1 and the People’s
8team Laundry will send end get your
laundry.
W. J. WILLIAMSON, Prop.
AT THE NEW EAQLE.
Old Lewie Hunter Ry# and the Pa
moue Atherton Eeurben whisky a, Dis
tilled opring 1BM-1B0B, bought In bond
and reduced »• BO per oent. by U. &
government by the bottle or gallon.
:: BOARD of TRADE |
1 Restaurant !
111 i
< t Z
and f
:: LUNCH COUNTER |
Hodirii & Hiio, Prop. |
W4HHW4H mwww M
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3 BOSTON |
3 STEAM LAUNDRY 3
3-—- K
M H
H Phone Mem 5S
3 r*
M Have your laundry done up s' jjj
3 the up-to-date laundry. Rouij H
dry work our epecialty Give us h
H a trial and be convinced. ^
3
H Prompt Delivery *
xxxxxxrxxxxxxTXixxxxxr tx
I For Health ;»
and Recreation ;’
Visit the
BOWLING ALLEY jj
Ladies patronage !;j
Especially Solicited ;1
OTTO BINDER, Prop. \\
W^WW/WWviWWAiWArv
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j CIRLETON & COMPANY l
J General Hardware <5:
; ;! i
; MINING SUPPLIES ;
j 310 Fiont St. Phone Tlain II
' •+++++*++++++++4 I< ,»» I
Water I
• •
« *
« *
;; For prompt service ;;
Phone White VO ;;
• • <.
Ill Wm. Pangman |;
»11 t»»>♦;
NOME i
ji| COFFEE HOUSE:;
||| AND BAKERY |:
]► Recommend its clean and whole- '|
<| some bread and paltry af all <|
, > kinds. J'
, | Wo cater to family trade !'
Order* for entertainment* 1,
• | promptly filled. i J
I Save Money by !;
Purchasing your «|
goods at
J. KRICEK SIORE |
Wittenberg j
Manager. i
Our Big Sale is >
always on j
j Chas. W. Reed
I Machinist rt blacksmith
Itia.Hotine tingine*. hoists
Boilers. Pipe «n0 Pipe
fittings
j No. 5 Front St.
j THe |
i| Angeles
I A. (j. OLIVER :j
PROP.
Phone Main 44 !>
n
■ Horseshoe j
;! Geo. Hall A Albert Hartman, j
Proprietor* ‘
- PHONE MAIN 112 !
;! LEWIS HUNTER RYE AND |
' ATHERTON BOURBON <
Direct from Bended Warehouse i
; RAINIER DRAUGHT BEER |
Finest Brands ef Wines, L’quert |
'' and Cigar*. *
i s vi xwLsxviiivrzaa
Don’t Fall Down
On your promise to keep your
friends informed about what is
going on around Nome this winter
You will not have any of the
trouble of cutting, pasting and the
mailing of the same;
t
So let the Nugget do your
letter writing by mailing the
j newspaper direct from this office j
i
every day.
We Will Do it For You
Weekly Nugget 50c per month Daily $2.00
1 -MU ___ ——- - .y - . t , - .