The Alaska citizen., 1915-10-11
CLUB ID RENEW FIGHT F0R B|C
 MAIL SERVICE
COMMERCIAL CLUB TO START CAMPAIGN FOR ALL
 THE MAIL.

THE MAIL.
 This evening in the commissioners court room, the regular monthly meeting of the Fairbanks Commer- cial club will be held. All of the members who can possibly be there are urged to be present, as a mum Der of important questions relating to Improvements in and about Fair banks are to be discussed The meeting scheduled for S:3O o'clock.
 The chief business to be discuss ed at this time is relative to the mail service. It had been supposed here that the postoffioe authorities at Washington had been apprised of the poor mail service in winter from the coast to the interior. but that they have been misinformed is evident from the letter which is herewith printed The executive board of the club has therefore d. cided that. with the aid of it's con. stituents, larger fight than hae ever before been made here. will be inaueurated for better mail service.
 The letter in question is as fol lows:
 Washington. Sept. 9. 1915. The Fairbanks Commercial Club
 Fairbanks. Alaska.
 Sir: In answer to your letter of the 18th ultimo, which the post requesting that unlimited mail ser vice be provided for Fairbanksans throughout each year. you are in formed that in view of the difficul. travel and the consequent high cost Of transportation 1t is deemed irl practicable 10 provide service at this time for the transportation of all mails offered to Fairbanks and other Interior points during the winter months
 "On account of the high cost of winter service, the contracts pro- vide for the transportation of speci- fled weights of mail on each trip required. and in dispatching the mails preference is given, first, to letters in their usual and ordinary form fn to1 ond, to single newspapers and maga- zines addrerSed to public libraries newspaper publishers and to indi- viduals. Other classes of mail are dispatched when the weight of the preferred classes of mail for dispatch will permit
 The evidence of service given last winter shows that the second class matter for Fairbanks and the other Interior points was handled with reasonable promptness, con- sidering the conditions affecting the service. The service was sufficient to carry second class matter regu- larly and in such amounts that at times during the winter all s"c.' class matter offered for dispatch was carried. On February IS, 1915, there was only 289 pounds of second class matter accumulated at Cordova, and on February 20 and 27 all second class matter had been dispatched; also on March 20 all second class matter had been dispatched.
 Tn view of the conditions re- reasonable mail facilities are pro vided and that the department would not be warranted in mourning the cost that would be involved in pro viding service for the transportation of all mail offered during the winter 
 "Very respectfully,
 "OTrO PRAEGER, "Second Assistant Postmaster-Gen-
 eral"
 On the same mall which brought the above letter communication from the Portland, Oregon, Cham Der of Commerce was received It shows that that body has taken up the fight of the Interior for a bet ter mail service and has directed to congressman and senators from that section of the country relative to the mail service
 The letter shows that Lionel A. Johnson, formerly editor of The Alaska Citizen, was the prime mover in the better mails fight of the Port land Commercial body While he was on his way Outside in August | he secured copies of orders fro" the Canadian government, directing that the people of Dawson and vi cinity get all their mail the year round, and 1t was with this data at hand that he interested the Port land people in Fairbanks and in the 
 MOOSE MEET.
 Opening the winter social season of the Fairbanks lodge of the Loyal