THE IDiTARGP PSOftEER
___
Published Every Saturday Morning st tdltarod, Alaska
Yol. 8 CHARLES A. DERRY, Editor No. 33
ARBUCKLE & DERRY, Publishers
Subscription Rates
One Year $10.00 \ One Month. $1.00
Six Months . 5.00 | Single Copy .25
LABOR AND THE WAR
The wisdom of giving labor representation in the administra
tive councils of the nation has been demonstrated frequently, but
never in so strikng it manner as since the country has been at
war. As in England at the outbreak of hostilities, so in this coun
try. the first war measures that appealed to the capitalists and
large employer of labor contemplated putting additional burdens
on the wage earner. This was particularly true in the coal in
dustry. where it was proposed to increase the hours of labor of
miners in the anthracite mines from eight to nine. But here the
department of labor steps in and shows, in an interesting table
published in the Official Bulletin, that miners employed on an
eight-hour basis are relatively more efficient than when employed
for nine h&iirs. The figures cover the years 191.> and 19!(i, and
show that in the former year 159,391 men produced 72.279,944
gross tons of coal; in 191ti 142.909 men produced 71.24S.807 gross
tons; the man-days worked in 1915 were 35,599,300; in 1910.
34,524,260; the output per man-day in gross tons was 2.03 in 1915
and 2.06 in 1916: the increased production per man day in 1916
over 1915 was 1.40 per cent.
The striking feature about tho-e figures is that the eight-hour
day was in effect for seven month' ami 23 days in 1910, having
gone into effect on May 9 of that year, whereas in 1910 the nine
hour day was in effect throughout the year.
The department concludes its statement with these remarks:
“From these figures it would appear that no gain in production
would revolt from increasing the hours of labor in the anthracite
mines at the present time. If greater production is to be ob
tamed, it would seem that some other method must be devised
tintn increasing the number of hours per day.
PRO-AMERICAN OR PRO-GERMAN
T. P. O’Connor, known to the whole English-speaking world as
‘ Tay Pay." who lias served Ireland valiantly with voice and pen
[or more than forty years, thirty-seven of which have been spent
as a member of the house of commons, does not imnce words in
discussing the war question. As he sees it there is no half-way
course open to men of Irish blood in this country- they are other
pio-American or pro-German. In an interview published in the
Brooklyn Eagle the famous Irishman gives expression to the fol
lowing stirring sentiments:
I say in all solemnity to men of my race in America—and
I don’t think that nine- hundred and ninety-nine out of every
thousand need a reminder -Remember that your own countiy
is now in the war against Germany; that it m in it as much
as England, in it as much as I ranee, in it as much as Italy,
in it as much as Russia. America has the right—more than
any nation, indeed—to positively demand enthusiastic, unne-t,
siLf-sicritlcinir, consecrated love to her from the men of Irish
blood. America has been the refuge, the asylum, the savior
of our race. America is at war again; this time with Ger
many. As at Gettysburg, where Thomas Francis Meagher led
the Irish regiments to glory and to death, so generals of Irish
blood will lead and die with American soldiers. Again there
will be the Kellys, the Burkes and the Sheas by the tens of
thousands in the American forces by land and by sea. Will
not every- patriotic man of the Irish race, patriotic to America,
patriotic to Ireland, stand behind these Irish soldiers and sail
ors? What is the true alternative of the Irish-American at
this hour? It is clear and simple—you must be either pro
American or pro-German; you cannot be both.
MORE ABOUT INDEMNITIES
What appears like an organized propaganda to lead public
opinion in America to the point where it shall accept the 'no
indemnities, no annexation” doctrine of the Russian Socialists lias
made its appearance in the press of this country, and the persist
ence with which it is being urged tends to create a nasty impres
sion that it is not dictated altogether by the good and welfare of
this country. It is probable that the same persons who have so
strenuously opposed the position of the administration in the rup- 1
ture with Germany are behind this movement to influence the
government when the final peace negotiations commence.
The Cincinnati Enquirer, which has been a bitter opponent of;
the policies of the administration, is clamoring for a further state- j
ment from the President ss to the attitude to be assumed by this j
country. It demands that the President and congress “begin ;
straightway the task of ascertaining and defining the sentiment
of the people,” and fears that we are being used for the territory- '
grabbing plans of Great Britain. France and Italy. Other news
papers, some of them nearer home, assume the same querulous
position. But it is noticeable that in most instances they are
the same publications which were tolerant of the McLemore reso
lution, and in some measure of the position assumed by Senators j
Stone and Lafollette.
It is doubtful whether President Wilson, with his wonderful
gift for expressing himself in plain English, could give a more
definite statement than that which he made to the Russian people,
in which he said, speaking of the final readjustments, that “no
territory must change hands except for the purpose of securing
those who inhabit it a fair chance of life and liberty,” and “No
indemnities must be insisted on except those that constitute pay
ment for manifest wrongs done.”
If these appeals for a policy of "no indemnities, no annexation” ;
did not strike one as downright unpatriotic in view of our posi- i
tion as a belligerent, they would appear as childishly foolish. A
position of leniency toward our enemies vve undoubtedly will as
sume when the time comes; but to pledge ourselves to exact no
penalties for wrongs committed is playing mto the hands of the
German militarists.
While these magnanimous American newspapers are indulging
in this propaganda, Germany, as long as there was a chance of
its success, boasted of the retribution to be visited upon her ene
mies. Shortly after the outbreak of the war with the United
States, the Kolnische Volks Zeitung, after brulcf abuse of Presi
dent Wilson, indulged in the following:
We are entitled to a thumping war indemnity, and we
don’t care who pays it. Those states which have sacrificed
immense sums will be unable to pay it. Therefore, the United
States, which lias earned thousands of millions through mu
nitions and supplies, will have to unbutton its pockets. We
need not force America itself to pay, hut we hold so many
pledges that for the entente it is most important to have
America as a banker behind them.
And about the same time a pamphlet on “The Pan German
Movement in America” was under discussion in Berlin, in one of
the chapters of which were reproduced appeals made in July, 1915,
by Baron Kurt von Strants to “the 30,000,000 Germans in the
United States to form with the Irish an independent state.”
Newspapers such as the Enquirer, if they desire to retain the
respect of the people, would do well to avoid such questionable
appeals, and leave to the President and congress, in conjunction
with our allies, the settlement of the world's peace on a basis
which will make for its continuance.
-^-—
General Korniloff, the new Russian commander-in-chief, and
hero of the Galician campaign, wa< born in a log cabin in Western
Siberia, the son of r. poor Cossack, lie is 4ti years of age.
Herr Hardin, the valiant Socialist editor of Die Zuiikunft,
has been finally gagged and his paper has been suppressed for the
duration of (he war. This was accomplished by drafting him into
the military service, where he will be employed as a clerk.
- ^
A Harvard professor blames German beer for the frame of mind
which makes possible the German frightfulness program. He
says that the outrages lepre.-ent the cumulative effect of a “mildly
intoxicated state” on the minds of men who have imbibed the
national drink since childhood. Germanic peoples, he points out,
are the only great group who feed alcohol to babies and very
voung children of the middle"and upper classes.
It appears that the referendum recently conducted by the So
cialist party on the action of the convention disapproving the ac
tion of the United States in entering the war resulted in confirm
ing the declaration. As a result J. G. Phelps Stokes, the million
aire Socialist, and his wife. Rose Pastor Stokes, have announced
their resignations from the party, saying they had "lo ! fmth in
the party as an effective instrument for advancing the Social.;,
cause.”
- - — - ❖
The Seward Gateway of July 14 says that “a rigid censorship
of newspapers and letters is being enforced at Latouche to prevent
anything in the way of propaganda material from being sent in
there which might result in a strike similar to that at Kennecott.
All papers are read first to see if they contain any reference to the
strike, and people not employed by the Kennecott Corporation are
not allowed to land.” Which leads one to inquire, Who exercises
this censorship and whence comes the authority'!
— ♦
Di,patches from the western front contain interesting detail*
of letters and diaries of German soldiers captured in the advance.
One alluded to the fact that the British shells deprive them of
: hi Iter, wipe out their dugouts and force them into the open.
Others refer to British air supremacy and contain sneering refer
ence to the poor fight put up by the German airmen. Bus the
"most unkindest cut of a!" is one that mentions the fact that
the German airmen find it much safer to bombard open towns
than to Hy over the British lines.
HISTORYS MOST TERRIBLE PAGE
(S. S. McClure)
The most brilliant page in French history is open to the eyes
of the world. It is the battlefield of Verdun. In this one battle
of Verdun, in six months the losses of France exceeded the losses
of the Union rrmies in our whole civil war. The battle of Verdun,
involving as much fighting as all our civil war. had hundreds of
Thermopylae*, hundreds of Gettysburg®, but each infinitely more
terrible than the world had ever seen before. Most battles last
one or two days. This battle has lasted 35f3 days and ts not yet
ended. In certain exposed place? death was almost inevitable, but
the French youth, regiment after regiment, went forward to hoi i
them till death. No surrender, no retreat. It was their mud
bravery and divine courage that held Verdun. It was the greate :
test a nation ever endured, and the youth of France never faltered
there, but has gone on day after day. week after week, month after
month, facing death, mutilation and torture in their most terribl.
form.
In other days heroism was a matter of hours, sharp, thrilling,
unexpected. Most men can face death for a brief space, but the
youth who saved France knew beforehand what was to come, and
lived and moved days, weeks and months, meeting death in its
most mysterious and terrible forms. “He was at Verdun” will be
the ultimate badge of courage for generations to come.
For generations to come the youth of all countries will visit
Verdun and see the land made holy by the blood and anguish of
hundreds of thousands of young men, who revealed qualities and
endurance surpassing all possible anticipation; who showed a
never before what France is, in courage, self-denial, nobility and
infinite endurance.
As regiment after regiment marched up the single ro3d that
was available, I was told that no one smiled, but no one hesitated.
All the men, munitions and provisions went up this single road,
all the wounded were brought back by this read. It is called the
Via Sacra.
Will Irwin said, “I was photographing a regiment as it marched
to Verdun and a French youth called out, ‘You are photographing
the dead.’ ” Some time, perhaps, the youth of other lands may
build a monument on this road.
THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT ITEMS
FOR TRAVELING IN SUMMER OR WINTER
The Boat Attachment:
EVINRUDE MOTORS.—The prospector’s delight for quick
trips up shallow streams. The poling days are over. Let
the wind keep the mosquitoes away. No more nets to smoke
through, sore arms or tired bodies. Be fresh at the journey's
end.
The Dog Attachment:
GENUINE NOME DOG HARNESSES.—With collars that
stand the strain evenly, stuffed with the best deer hair ob
tainable, having the same flexibility whether the ther
mometer be at zero or 60 below. No wrinkles to make the
dog’s neck sore, and made only as they can be made in
Nome. Manufactured of the choicest asbestos-tanned leather,
that will not stiffen or crack in cold weather. In three
weights—light, medium and heavy.
WITHOUT EITHER OF THE ABOVE THE
CHANCES ARE GOOD FOR WALKING,
WHICH SPELLS WORK
N. C. CO,
EX PATRIA
May God forgive you, Germany,
For you know not what you do;
A loyal son, f cannot keep
The faith with such as you.
I have a mother waiting
Out there beyond the Rhine
May God forgive you, Germany,
Fatheriand of mine!
I said you were attacked; I lied;
The ties of blood hold fast.
But now the truth those dreadful days
Of doubt are safely past.
I have o little sweetheart
Somewhere beyond the Rhine
May God forgive you, Germany,
Fatherland of mine!
Belgium! Lusitania!
A friendly nation mourns;
Sharp us un Uhlan’s lance is
The eternal crown of thorns;
Lie you regain your reason
Your foes must cross the Rhine -
May God forgive you, Germany,
Fatherland of mine.
The call has come across the seas;
1, too, must fall in line
Slay God forgive you, Germany,
Fatherland of mine!
F. J. Fuehling in Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
THE UNITED STATES NAVY
(New York Weld)
“This splendid achievement, is an auspi
cious beginning,” said Secretary Baker in
his enthusiastic congratulations to Secre
tary Daniels on the work of the navy in
convoying the American army to France
without the loss of a single man or damage
to a single transport.
It was indeed a splendid achievement, and
it ought to put an end to the business of
rotten-egging the United States navv which
has been carried on with malevolent per
sistence for more than three years.
Begun originally as a political drive
! against Secretary Daniels, it quickly as
- timed the form of a general attack upon
I the navy as a whole. Eventually millions
i of deluded Americans came to believe that
| the navy was practically worthless, that its
| ships were junk, that it? personnel was in
j competent and that as an instrument of
! national defense it was a broken reed,
j All of the responsibility for this mischiev
! ous campaign does not rest upon politician?
; and politics. Some of it must be placed
upon Rear Admiral Bradley A. Fiske, who
had a per.-'inal grievir.ee against Secretary
E mils and an obsession about the inev
itable superiority of everything German.
He ' dried to give respectability and expert
countenance to a political assault upon the
secretary of the navy which has: seldom beer,
surpassed in bitterness and relentlessness in
American history.
secretary Daniels ha- unque-tionauiy
| made a great many mistakes. He has dene
.things that ought not to have been done,
or if done at all, might far better have been
j done differently; but even his graved mis
i lakes have never justified any part of ihe
I campaign lo discredit the navy as a whole
j in order to discredit him as a cere:ary.
| Josephus Daniels may be right or wrong
| about a thousand different things, but the
United States navy 1 as again proved that
it destrves the fullest confidence and the
! highe.t re-pert of the American people.
There are no better ships allor.t. There are
: no better officer-. There are no better men.
Whatever happens in this war, they will
I continue to give the same kind of account
of thfm- l.v- that they gave in conveying
t! c expediti' nary forces to France and
; be:Tug down the line of German sub
marines.
I; is .-till the fighting navy that it was
! fiotn the days of IVal Jones to Farrngut
land from Faivagut to George Dewey
S greater, stronger and probably more efii
i cient tlu n ever before in it- long and brtl
, iiant history.
AUSTRALIAN RABBITS
You [.ever know the value nf any created
thing from one day to another, much less
from one year to the next. But yesterday,
as it were, the Australian government was
offering large bounties on rabbit sk.ns and
encouraging in every way possible toe ex
I termination of this pest of the. Antipodes
i Having lately received from Great Britain
j nn order for S2.000,000 worth of cold stor
! age rabbits, this same government has re
j versed itself, and now prohibits, under a
heavy penalty, any wanton destruction of
I ihe revenue producing bunny. So the foes of
j our prosperity may in adverse times become
our best friends. Wherefore it is well to
I “love one’s enemies.’’ No one can foresee
j future developments.—Los Angeles limes.
AIR ROUTES OF THE FUTURE
While the Zeppelin has been displaced by
the airplane in the war, a German techniccl
journal is of the opinion that enough has
been learned about air navigation to make
it practicable to run a fleet of dirigibles
between Europe and America when the com
ing of peace makes tiiis form of communi
cation desirable. Four days is the time
given for making the voyage. A small in
crease in the size of the ships is deemed
sufficient to enable them to carry profitable
loads. The inference is drawn from this
article that the Zeppelin is a failure in war
because its bulk makes it the prey of the
attacking force. In peace it will have noth
ing to fight but the elements.—Nebraska
State Journal.
THE SAFEST WAY
“I suppose you are now studying to please
your constituents.”
“That isn’t the main point,” replied Sen
ator Sorghum. “You can’t please every
body. My study just now is to find out
which element of my constituency it is safest
to offend.”—Washington Star.
■-♦
EVIDENCE
“There goes another married man,” said
the girl at the candy counter.
“How do you know?” asked the cashier.
“He used to buy a three-pound box of
candy twice a week, and now he buys half
a pound once a month.—Philadelphia Public
Ledger.
-A
THE DEFINITION
First Girl—I just can’t recall what a
fugue is. Do you know?
Second Girl—Certainly! It’s one of those
horrible family quarrels that Southerners ;
carry on through generations.—Boston |
Transcript.
COMMISSIONER ROBERTSON
APPARENTLY BEWILDERED
Evidently W. 0. Robertson, member of
I lie divisional road commission from the
Ruby district, is bewildered as to his duties
and responsibilities in connection with the
disbursement of the $10,000 of road funds
f r his district. In an interview in the Ruby
Record-Citizen of July 28 he says:
‘I am m receipt of two letters, one dated
■June G and the other July 21. written by
U. II. Ross chairman of the territorial road
commission, in reference to the work to be
done with the territorial allotments granted,
and I wish to express myself definitely re
grrding my position on ths commission.
“Neither J. F. Riley, the appointed com
misvioner of Iditarod, has been consulted,
nor have I. as to how the appropriations
trail ted shall be spent in our respective
neighborhoods. Fach of our districts lias
been granted $10,000 by the territory, and
J have no fault to find with that.
“But I would like to have a voice in
the matter of the manner of expending this
money for Ruby, and I am convinced that
.vc h»ve ample home talent here to carry
mt our projects without importing any
more I aiiiv.nks experts who have in the
past spent thousands of dollars here with
mt having completed the work to Fong.
What has already been completed is not a
boulevard, either.
“From one of Ros-.’s communications to
me. it would appear that 1 have neglected
my duty. This is not true. When Ros
wired that a meeting of himself. Rilev and
me was to take place at Iaiib vk Fly 6,
it was impossible for either \ ■> ! i travel
there. We both want Ros-. who is the
only paid member of the board, to come to
Ruby, which is centrally located for the
three. Therefore we did not attend at
Fairbanks
Furthermore. I want Kos- to see for
i himsilf the conditions in this neighborhood
before we expend our money, a- we want
roads that will be of the most service. While
I approve of the money being spent on the
road from Salatna to IVorman, l want to
see that road go by Spruce.
“Now. $10,000 won’t complete the road
this year. I claim that it will take two
years. If Ross lets the men start with the
intention of completing the work this year
it will be a mistake. For, to build good
road-, ground must be prepared in advance
by turning off water, cutting and hauling
timber for corduroying, culverts, and
bridge*. These must be hauled over the first
snow, including feed and staples.
“Now, we have a large sum of money
charged to our camn, but no roads. And
while it is nut a bad thine to have a few
thousand dollars spent here for labor, sup
: lie , etc., what we reslly need are roads
to make this a permanent camp. And if I
cannot do some good as commissioner I
• hall n.ign in fa\Vr of someone who can.
I do not wish to see our operators isolated
all summer, neither do I wi-h to see men
and trams work j;ny harder than is neces
sary. We esnnot have this road completed
before August, 1918."
Probably Dus to Misunderstanding
Mr. R: bcrtson's cr,m| laint may be due
to the difficulty of such a commission at
tempting to carry on its work through tele
graphic correspondence. Contrary to Mr.
Robertson's understanding of the circum
stances, J. K. Riley was consulted as to
work in his district, and he was authorized
to go ahead with the i c: 1 work under his
-vpervi-ir n. It was a- timed by Mr. K iev
'hat similar authorization was given to
Ms. Robert mn regarding work in the Ruby
di.-'rict. Two members of the board can
authorize work, and it was natural to as
sume that Roes had followed the same
c urse with rtp.ard to Ruby that had been
taken at Idittr'd.
But there should be a meeting of this
import an! board during the coming winter
to avoid such misunderstandings as seem
to prevail.
-A
FROM ONE WHO KNOWS
(Jiniesu Empire)
Ti c trouble with Governor Strong is he
s'mplv tries to act by with as little friction
and iitile effort s- possible. He is not a
virile leader of a virile people.
During the late session of the legislature
many matters were before the members that
nvclved vital questions—some of them mat
ters of principle. For instance, there was
the question involved in the appropriation
bills when the legislature violated all prece
dents by taking the funds contributed from
the coast and distribute them throughout
i the territory without regard to the source
of their contribution or the population ol
the sections receiving them. Again, the
matter of per capita representation in the
legislature was discussed by the legislature.
There were many of these things which in
volved fair dealing, without which there
cannot he harmonious or efficient govern
ment in Alaska, ail demanding solution.
If the governor ever entertained a method
of solving any of these problems no one
ever heard of it.
Governor Strong has not set himself
! about the task of working out solutions for
the problems that ere involved in the lay
ing of the found; ‘ions of a commonwr • 1 fh
; He initiates not1 Vr. He waits on agita
! tion and tries to Hide over the hard places
I with as little fri ‘ion as possible. He has
been governor f«.r four years and through
| two legislative sc i ins, and he has initiated
1 not one important legislative or govern
I mental achievcn nt. His one strong fight
j since his first an >intment has been his con
[ to.-? for re .ppoii trnent.
----
P ro f.‘Ssional
Michigan, 1881 Alaska, 1#10
Kentucky, 1891
George VS jqdruff Albrec-ht
i COUNSE! }R AND LAWYER
ID!T AROD, ALASKA
The Pioneer Attorney of Iditarod
______
CHAl*. E. TAYLOR
Attorney at Law
BANK BLOCK
i First Avenue Iditarod
D ?. MOORE
PHYS'CIAN AND SURGEON
DR. b . E. AURiNGER
|Physican and Surgeon
Office: f at City Hospital, Flat City
| Consultatioi Hours in Forenoons and by
Appointment
FI k'i DRUG STORE
DR. H. BEHLA
Physician and
Surgeon
Will open his office in Flat City
. about Aug. 21 for the practice
of medicine and surgery
DENTISTRY IN CONNECTION
Flat City Bakery
AMO COFFEE HOUSE
Front St., Opp. Flat City Hotel
Our Coffee Is Unsurpassed
Our Bakery Pioducts Always Fresh and
Wholesome
Pies, Cakes, Bread, etc.
KEENAN & MICHELS, Props.
Big Stocks of Fresh Goods
Everything for the Miner and
Prospector
IVfAX SIMEL “"de"
Stores at Cripple City and Mouth of Tolstoi
Best of Everything
ALL THE TIME AT THE
Arcade Cafe
FLAT Cl TV
Open Dav and Night
Front Street, Flat Ciiy Foimerly the Bagoy Premises
Flat City Hotel “•'""to..
Mas. J. G. Gunning. Prop.Pyi>cial Rates by the Week and Month
Open at All Hours The Old Reliable Place
Discovery Cafe
HENRY DURAND, PROP.Front Street, Flat
FINNEGAN & CAMERON
FLAT CITY
Agency for Edison Diamond Disc Phonographs and Records
TOBACCO CJJ5ARS STATIONERY
CONFECTIONERY AND BILLIARDS
C. R. Cameron Jas. F. Finnegan
* A A A A ♦. A A A A A AAA.AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA A A. A. ▲ A. A A. A. A A A A A a A A a a a a a
THOS. McMAHON
DEALER IN
General Merchandise
FLAT, ALASKA