Iditarod pioneer., 1916-09-16
PREPARATIONS BEING MADE TO INCREASE EFFICLENCY
 OF WINTER MAIL SERVICE

The summer mail service is rapidly draw ing to a close and as the time approaches for the entire suspension of mail delivery for this district pending the going into effect of the winter contract, the local pOstothce and the department officials are laying plans for the improvement of the servlce during the winter months.
 There will be two more departures of mail under the summer contract, unless ex ceptional weather conditions should make possible the dispatch of additional consign- ments, and three more mails are due to be received The last mail will leave here September 2S, and the last consignment will be received here about October 1.
 Respecting the winter trail service be tween this district and Seward which goes into effect November 1, Postmaster William AnsIey has received two interesting com muncations which show that there is at least disposition on the part of the postal authorities to improve on the former some what indifferent service furnished. The first of these is from Alvah Eames, chief clerk of the railway mail service, with head quarters at Cordova and is as follows:
 "Cordova, Aug. l2, 1916. Postmaster Idtarod:
 "Flease furnish me with list of the patrons of your office who will remain Inside the coming winter, so that the Seward postmaster may exclude mail ad dressed to persons who are not in lditarod thus increasing the mail for those who stay there"
 The winter mail contract provides for the carrying of 475 pounds of mail from Seward to Susitna, and from Sustna to Iditarod the weight limit is 400 pounds As this includes all classes of mall matter for population of probably twelve or tiff teen hundred persons 1t can be seen that it is desirable thet no unnecessary mail be carried in order to provide the best possible service The task set by the chief clerk for Postmaster Ansley is, however, impossl- be of fulflIment. He has no means of telling how many of the hundreds of per sons who receive their mail at the ldltarod office will remain "Inside,' but he will en- deavor to furnish list of the residents of this city and vicinity who are leaving for the "Outside," and whose mail should not be sent here during the winter months.
 For this purpose he has opened up a list at the postoffce, and those leaving for the Outside should register there designating the address to which they desire their mail forwarded from Seward. In this manner the facilities for carrying mail for those who remain here will be correspondingly in creased.
 Flat Will Be the Terminal
 Heretofore Iditarod has been the terminal of the Seward Iditarod mail route, but this year. according to a communication just received the mail will depart from Flat, and the incoming mail will be consigned to that office The order is from Otto Praeger, sec ond assistant postmaster general and is as follows:
 Washington, Aug. II, 1916. Postmaster, Iditarod:
 An order has been issued today changing service on star route No 7Sl49, Seward to Iditarod. Alaska, so as to end at Flat and to supply Ophir and Iditarod between To- kotna and Flat without chance in distance or pay; effective November l, 1916. Serv- ice will be required accordingly.
 The contractor has been advised of the issuance of the order and you will please advise this office if it is not compiled with"
 The original Seward Iditarod mail route was via Tokotna Moore creek and Flat to Iditarod but last year the contractor SC cured permission to deviate from this route. taking in Ophir, which, however, was not included in the service under that contract. The change is instituted to conform to the route followed by the carrier.
 Aside from the weekly service between Flat and Idtarod, contract will be entered into for an extra weekly mail between the two towns