Iditarod pioneer., 1916-02-05
INTERIOR ALASKA MAIL SERVICE

As usual at this time of year. the newspapers of Alaska are filled with protests against the mall serV ice furnished by Uncle Sam to this remote portion of his domain. In some instances the comments have almost a tone of despair; and when 1t IS learned wherein their complaints lie 1t IS cause tor wonder that they are SO moderate Tn ther condemnation TOT instance, on January } Nome reported that only three small mails had arrived at that place since the close of navigation The report says that the serVlce this winter IS worse than ever, and all Nome IS up m arms.
 From, Ruby comes the report that up to January 5 not newspaper had reached that city from the Outside of later date than October, and the Record Citizen becomes justly indignant at the treatment the community is being accorded That newspaper says:
 But what can be done it? To communicate with the posofce department receive reply lot Of quotations from the rules of the serNce that aForo hel'e eN
 Pbsns bomily on the cost of the Alaska be added To hell with the cost The people want mal II the oyenen does expect them with It, why don they w and let them other arrangements Ii cannot delveF the mail at price, why don't increase the postage to interior Alaska ten hundred per need be- just will perform the servce What right the to than conh cate the newspapers for which the people have pa good money and then prate about hard tunes Inc cost o carry ing government literature on neaodeS prens!o M + and subjects useless to ordinary humanity eouo De e spent on Alaska mail But won't be- and what can be done about it?
 AA1 mail controversy when it asks what right the govern ment has to worse than conhscate newspapers ana magazines for which the people have pald good money. If it were impossible to carry mall to thls region it would be different matter. But such IS not the case While Iditarod apparently has Jared better than her neighbors, there IS much to be de- sired in this respect and with the weekly servlce Tn operation there is no good reason why the Welght limit should not be increased to make possible the receipt of all mail with the possible exception ot parcel post matter
 In the meantime Fairbanks, which receives thrcc mail consignments per week, IS continuing Its de- mand for "all the mail all the time. and the m- creased service IS persisted in despite the tact that recently was stated that not pound ot mall matter destined for Fairbanks was at the coast termlnus Publications all over the country have been enlisted in the campaign, and public men and busIness lnstl- tutions have taken the matter up with the govern ment But the trouble with this campaign seems to be that Fairbanks IS the only city considered by the agitaors It IS pointed out that Fairbanks receives more mail than all the rest of Interior Alaska and Seward peninsula combined, and IS still doing the Oliver Twist stunt Nobody will begrudge the Ian ana metropolis all the mail she can wheedle out of the government; but when it apparently works to the detriment of other Alaska cities and districts, halt should be called.
 There is a most feasible solution to the mail prob- len however, and that is furnished by the Seward dtarod trail If the report be true that the govern men IS making test of this route for the ansporta- ton of the Nome mail there is hope that better things are in store. There IS sensible reason tor carrying the Nome mail by way of Fairbanks, Tan ana and the Yukon river route It will be demon strated that the route via Seward Takotna and Dish kaket is much shorter and more convenient, and it will have the added advantage of being independent of the Fairbanks route With the added mail, the time made over the Seward trail by reason of the additional travel also will enable the contractors to make better time. It Is possible that quite as good time could be made in carrying the Ruby mail over this trail also. At any rate, much would be gained for all concerned by separation of the routes.
 ERhNCJSCO VILLA