The Nome daily nugget., 1916-09-21

the part of any man or body of men which will tend to reduce his chance of prosperity and happiness should DC fought by that man.
 There is a saying that to appreciate home you must leave it. During the last winter we have had many oppor- tunities to appreciate this truth but no more love of any pride of home can be felt by Fairbanksan than by the local man who visits, as we did, practically every town and hamlet on the Alaska coast. The fact comes home to him that, of all Alaska cities or towns, Fairbanks is the premier home city of them all; the finest place in Alaska ot live in and the most at tractive and best-kept city in Alaska. The desire to keep it so is the result of such discovery.
 At the same time, we realize that as conditions are today it is a job re- quiring the efforts of every citizen of Fairbanks to keep this town up to it's present standard. It was laid out and built in the days when personal freedom was tinctured with license in Fairbanks, when gambling was in rowor. With the departure of gamb- ling. hastened in greatf part by the gamblers themselves, our floating pop ulation disappeared, leaving behind them d larger city of homes and stores than the natural size of the camp de- manded. We have been trying to live up to the requirements of larger camp, but some of our stores and residences refuse to be filed Any thing which tends to further empty business and residence property is a menace which threatens the prosperi- ty and happiness of every man in Fairbanks From our standpoint, we are fighting to perpetuate this little paper in Fairbanks, and through Il make n living for our family, We have not the least desire to ever leave Fair banks again in this life, at least, to the extent of going outside the terri tory AS the city goes down, II II goes down, our chances ofa livelihood in the newspaper business here will be diminished, just as will every other business mans chances. That is why we are fighting to maintain personal rights and personal liberty here, for a larger Fairbanks or for d Fairbanks of the present size and importance, for ever.
 Reduce the revenue of the city of Fairbanks by from $20000 to $30,ooO per year, as prohibition would do, and what would happen to Fairbanks? Nothing desirable. The city's power to pay it's way and maintain its rank s and importance would be diminished just that much. That amount equals and exceeds the total cost of our school system, or the total cost of our fire department. Such reduction would mean that one or both would have to go, or that both would be rendered in- efficient. You must seriously consider this point, for it is vital. When some theorist who is fighting to reduce the revenues of this city through prohibi- ton tells you that the revenues will be gained from some other source, ask him for particulars. He will not be able to reply satisfactorily. The ne- cessity and desirability of efficient schools is apparent; so much so that we will not dwell upon the subject. The necessity and importance of fire department no less efficient than that of today is not so we'll understood. and we will tell you of that:
 Today, and since the city began, the basis of efficiency of our fire depart Inent is and has been the power plant of the Northern Commercial Company. That has been of sufficient strength to insure plenty water in case of fire, and has been the basis of safety here as regards the possible destruction of property by fire. Every day that passes makes the fire risk greater and the basis of safety less. Why? Because of the efforts of our citizens to install individual heating and lighting plants for economy's sake; because of the reduction of the revenues of the source of power r-supply; because of the danger from amateur heating and lighting plants; because when the time comes that it will not pay the North ern Commercial company to maintain it's power plant that company will quit maintaining it, and in that day will disappear our water certainty with all the safety it's presence insures. There is no sentiment in this matter. no zen .