The daily Nome industrial worker., 1916-07-20

WuctAel lHlo LII tHdt lOIu III Ol HlolOi power be u ed: nothing of this kind has for an instant been made a matter of the councils deliberation. If they have done any of these things they have done them in se- cret. We have observed some ap- parent activity in the purchase of lot at a price that Was by no me<.na to be despised,, some interesting e~- periments which betrayed a total ignorance of the laws of hydro statics when water was putnped in.0 the piping from which 1t is later to be pumped by a municipal plant, and other obvious drolleries of councilmanic energy, more amusing than businesslike.
 However all this might be par doned if there was on the other side an evident good intention. But is there? If there is, how is it that the more important proposition of cheap fuel for the people of Nome is unconsidered wholly, while the unnecessary pumping plant is all . that is receiving official attention. I When M'Allister brought up his very reasonable proposal for pub- lie weighing scales, the Mayor laid the matter over until such time as
 dot tn nd nf 1 f a c
 be obtained. That may have been good business, but why in the name of common sense was the Mayor so
 penny wise and pound foolish that
 he should see the urgent necessity for such prudent foresight in the matter of weighing scales which in- volved only trifiing expenditure, while in the matter of pumping plant involving some ten thousand dollars, there is none whatever shown?
 Why is it that the matter of ob- taining cheap fuel, a practical ne- cessity to winter residents in this camp if there ever was such a thing deserved the term, is so com- pletely side tracked for this nebular dream of municipal pumping plant?
 1 The city and the residents herein. the men in the cabins and the pro- spectors are all of them interested in the price of fuel. It is the biggest consumer of a mans scanty earn ings in this camp. It is one upon which winter mining and prospect ing depends. If the price is raised much higher there will be neither mayor nor councilmen; there will be no winter population and there will be no winter mining. Any person can clearly see that by rais- ing the price of coal and other fuel gradually, it is only a matter of time when those who reside here will have to get out or the number who do stay will be reduced to such as have large salaries or who have not the price of their passage money, and eke out an existence here by shortening expenses on food, clothing or shelter so that they may buy an adequate supply of fuel.
 It is true that there are many and obvious difficulties in the way of effecting an improvement in the fuel situation, and there are many other difficulties in the way which are not obvious-but at that, so supreme is this problem that it is certainly worth some consideration by the city council. If the price of coal is shot up another five dol. lars ton, and the rate of wages re- mains the same, increased cost oi living generally means an obvious reduction in wages. Now they cannot afford that in this camp.
 Clearly the prime necessity for the prospector and the small miner is the c.icapness of the fuel. And as the town depends upon prospect ors and miners and wage workers for it's very existence, we can ina zine nothing more worthy the de- Alterations of the councilmen than this very proposition.
 Instead what we do find is the Mayor flying with his followers on a wild goose chase which leads no- where, without any definite idea ot the costs of operation, the costs of