The Cordova daily times., 1915-03-16
WHAT CORDOvANS ARE DOING AT
 CAPITAL

The Washington correspondence fl the Seattle Post-Intelligencer con tains the following account of the ex cellent work being done at the capi tai in behalf of Cordova by the Dele gate from Alaska and two of ouI townsmen:
 Lower cable and telegraph tolls or the Washington-Alaska military tele gaph and cable system Is the subject of long conference Delegate Wicker sham, George c. Hazelet and Donald A. Mckenzie, of Cordova, have had with Secretary Garrison, of the war department.
 The delegation told the Secretary of the high rates that now exist. They pointed out that a cable rate of 24 cents word between Cordova and i Seattle was unreasonable, and they asked the secretary for a general re. duction.
 The fact that the system had done immeasureable good to the territory was dwelt upon by the gentlemen from Alaska, but they also made 1t ! clear that Alaska is now on the eve of it's real development, and that req sonably cheap and efficient methods of communication are an essential to that development.
 Secretary Garrison frankly said that he had been trying to give away the service to the postofFice department, but he had not succeeded so far. He told the gentlemen he was in sym pathy with them in their effort to se- cure cheaper communication. He then called upon the signal corps for full statement as to existing rates, asking upon what basis the rates are made and why, and details as to cost and revenue. That reoprt will be ready in a few days.
 During the talk the secretary said that, according to the information he had, it would be necessary to go to congress next year and ask for an ap- propriation of half a million dollars to replace the existing cable.
 Meanwhile another branch of the government, the navy. is building up an efficient wireless service to Alaska, but unlike the army, it is not permit ting it to engage directly in conner cial business, the government having delegated the commercial business to the army establishment
 Tn the past few years the navy wire less has made remarkable advances. It is the purpose of the department ultimately to possess six giant plants, divided between the two hemispheres, to put a wireless belt around the globe, and to supplement these sta tions with a chain of wireless sta tions on all American coasts. In this way speedy communication with yes sels of the navy everywhere in the world can be secured. Arlington is one of the "big six.'
 Tt will not be long," said Secretary Daniels, of the navy department, re- gently, until Alaska will be as close to the national capital, so far as com munication is concerned, as Mary land is."
 A particularly valuable station of the navy wireless system is that at Whitshed, near Cordova, Alaska, Frequently it has been called upon to handle business for the army cable and telegraph service when the cable is out of commission, and that cable has been interrupted six times since last July. Naturally wireless is cheaper than cable, but the navy makes no profit on the business, as it simply charges the army the actual cost and the army retains the profit between that cost and the regular tolls on commercial business.
 Experiences of the war in Europe have convinced the navy that costal wireless stations should be set back far enough from the sea coast to be safe from shell fire in case of attack.