The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1910-05-27
.STANLEYITES
UP IN ARMS
OBJECT IOPROPOStD CHANGE IN MAIL SIRylCI
Residents on North End Of Lopez Island,
Decatur and BlakeIey May Be Left
Without Freight Facilities

without freight Facilities
Julius Schruder, Of Port Stanley,
was a Friday Harbor visitor last
Friday and in conversation with the
leditor of the Islander expressed the
sentiments Of the residents of his
locality as regards the proposed
changes in the mail service, in no
uncertain terms. He said: Some
Lone seems to have taken it for
granted that we people have no fur
ther use for steamer than to re-
ceive and send few letters occa-
sionally. The new service may be
a good thing for the people who re-
side along the route of the boats to
be operated by the new company,
| but where are we people of Port
Stanley and other points over our
way to get off if the Islander is
forced to give up the run? Have
we no rights that the government
should be bound to respect? There
seems to me to be no just reason for
the change, inasmuch as it cuts our
section out almost entirely. Why
should the people of one section of
the county be favored more than
those Of any other? Our service is
now and has been for years all that
should reasonably be expected. IT
is only natural that we should all
get everything we can, but when the
government puts all of its eggs into
one basket and leaves us out in the
cold without affording us a service
that will warrant the running of a
boat with freight Accommodations
that we daily need, it is time for us
to register kick. Mr.. NewhaII
has rendered US most excellent SER
vice but it will be impossible for
him to continue this without a mail
contract that pays sufficiently well
to warrant him in keeping the Is
lander on the run. AS it has been,
am satisfied that the boat has been
operated much of the time at a loss,
but he has given us good service
just the same, the year round, and
has never been heard to complain,
so far as his business out Of Port
Stanley is concerned. Our farms
are good producers but what reason.
will there be for us to produce any
thing if we are unable to get it to
market, or unable to get supplies in
without unnecessarily heavy expense.
ssThe launches could carry the mail
all right and also the passengers,
but they cannot handle the freight,
! and this is the vital point with us. z
The Anacortes American in its
Issue of May 19, comments upon the
matter editorially, placing the res
possibility for the change upon the
shoulders Of Bellingham merchants,
who are by no means wholly or even
primarily responsible for the proc
posed new service. The American
says:
"Bellingham has pulled off a
clever little ruse, which, if permit
/ ted to go through, will deprive Ana
cortes Of a growing trade with the
islands and subject her to the incon-
| yenience Of. having no mail nor pass
enger communication except by way
of Bellingharn or Seattle.
| The Islander has had a good
trade between Anacortes and the
islands. The price at which the
mail must be carried henceforth be-
4 tween Anacortes and Friday Harbor
and other points, will absolutely pre-
clude the possibility Of keeping any
such boat as the Islander on the run:
The government, under the plan put
through by Bellingham interests,
proposes to grant $500 for carrying
| the mail from Anacortes to island
points, or $4,000 for carrying II
i by way of Bellingham. The freight
Il business between Anacortes and the
! island points without fair mail
4 contract, does not pay. Tie boat
(which could be hired to convey the
mail for $500 per year, would not be
liable to tranpsort dill pickle and
4 Bellingham interests know Il.
The trade between Anacortes
and island points has erQ1 q =
4 quantity where it has excited Belt
lingham's s cupidity. Bellin8 nas