The Alaska citizen., 1915-09-27
Phone 262 Phone
NOW IS OUR CHANGE.


 a mail service which will mean all of their mal all of the time, now is the chance to get it. The only thing lacking is the consent of the government to shipping in the mail over the trail and the providing of adequate compensation for doing SO for Nolney Richmond, superintendent of the Northern Commercial com pany. states that the stage line is now in position to handle the mail both summer and winter.
 The winter mail question has al ways been a serious one to Fair banks because the stage company cannot afford to haul more than a stated amount of mail at the rate named in their contract with the government II is likewise a seri- ous problem in summer for the req son that, while all of the mail comes in. it is a long time enroute, gener ally speaking. With the installation of a system of automobile stages however all the delay could be ob viated if the government would de eide to send the mail over the trail both summer and winter, or during the latter season at least
 By the present contract held by the stage company, 500 pounds of mail is routed out of Chitina for
 
 between the approximate dates of October l and December 1 and be tween April l and June l. During the winter season, or for the months of December, January, February and March. 1,600 pounds of mail is brought in thIee times per week,
 \ compilation of the figures given above shows that, roughly speaking, less than 5 tons of mail finds it's way to the Interior during the en- tire winter The government, how ever. has seen fit to send in the mail accumulated at Chitina in the spring by a special contract on one or two occasions, which special SCI vice was of very little hep to Fair banksans for the reason that most of the mail was several months old when il reached here, All the re- mainder of the mail is held at the Seattle office until the opening of nav igation some of it being six months old when it reaches this point. In that manner the govern ment has partially prevented the congestion of mail at Chitina,
 It is stated upon good authority that about half of the mail brought in on the winter stages is for Fair banks and adjacent creek towns The remainder is sent to Nome, Ruby, Rampant, Fort Yukon, Circle, Hot Springs and other intermediate points.
 This means that the Fairbanks dis triCt gets no more than 30 tons of mail in the winter at the best Figuring the population of the dis trict at 5000 the figures show that no more than l2 pounds of mail per capita Is received here during the eight months of winter.
 It is stated upon good authority that if the government would ar range for the transp portation of two and one-half tons of mail per month during the winter season, all of the mail for Fairbanks and for all other points for which mail is distributed out of Fairbanks, could be brought in. Such service would mean that the people in the vicinity of Fairbanks would get their maga- zines and other reading material regularly, as the mail would reach here from Seattle in 15 days at the most It would also mean that the people of other points in the Interior and on the lower river would get all of their mail and in cor respondngly shorter time.
 The Citizen therefore suggests that the residents of the towns get ting their mail through Fairbanks in the winter get together on the subject. Now IS the time to do it. for the reason that the stage com pany is amply equipped to handle government will send it.
 THE HAPPY TRAIL.