Valdez daily prospector., 1917-07-09

recognize the fact that omces nke An chorage, Cordova and Valdez handle mail for branch lines as well as for territory bigger than an outside coun- ty. He refuses to make allowance at Anchorage for the fact that one-third of the mail is government o and the postmaster gets no credit for it in the sale of stamps because it pays TO postage. A postmaster's salary is based on stamp sales and box rent and the Anchorage office is short changed on both by the refusal to furnish enough boxes and the neces- sary fact that official business uses no stamps.
 The only remedy is to get postal inspector who can see something big ger than a nickel. Inspector Neal wouldn't pay ten cents to see man commit suicide. All Alaska ought to unite in a demand for another in- spector.-Anchorage Times.
 Inspector Meals policy of entrench- ing in every way possible is partly responsible for the loss of the mail and supplies here last January. Had he taken the advice of representa- tive citizens and placed the building where it was recommended, it would undoubtedly be standing today. At the rental price paid any man famil- far with conditions in Alaska is aware that the landlord would lose money from the start, and that adequate ser vice could not be furnished. Today Valdez stands in a most peculiar con- dition. With one of the best paying offices on the coast, and with this city the distributing center for a district as large as many. states in the union, the Valdez postmaster finds condi- tions facing him appalling. The facili- ties afforded are deplorable, the post master occupying one corner of the Valdez Mercantile building, with less space than that afforded by many cross-road offices in the States. But for the great courtesy shown the citi- zens by Manager Cuddy, in providing a place for the distribution of mail at great inconvenience to himself, the Lord only knows where Postmast- CT Todd would have been able to hang h; hot hn in 0f ar's way and have to display kangeroo- like agility in jumping mail sacks and numerous packages and lodging each other. The Prospector receives it's mail from a dry goods box, and the recepticales run from hat box to a cigar box, with the overflow ex- tending onto the tables and other fur niture. Postmaster Todd is doing the best he can under the circumstances, but the distribution is necessarily slow on account of lack of room.
 Valdez in normal times uses from 300 to 500 boxes. With mail coming in 50 to 100 sack lots it is hard to handle it, and almost impossible for the postmaster to find a place to pile the sacks.
 The citizens have become so irritat- ed over the parsimonious plan upon which the office is run that they have circulated a petition among the resi- dents of the town to get new post office by popular subscription, and will take it out of the hands of the government with the exception of pay ing the postmaster's salary, which the government may yet kindly consent for them to do.
 We do not know whether Inspect or Neal is responsible for this condi- tion of affairs or not. It hardly seems possible that a man so thoroughly familiar with Alaska could be, know ing the high cost of fuel and labor in the territory. But one thing is cer- tain, conditions must change, and change quickly, or the Postofice De- partmsnt will get into disrepute in this section of Alaska.
 If Inspector Neal is responsible for the pinch-penny methods prevailing all over this division it is time that steps were taken to call the atten- tion of the department to the fact that such methods are intolerable, and to demand that they cease. If MT. Neal is not responsible. and is only obeying orders from his superiors, this fact should also be ascertained, and complaint made where it will do some good. Valdez is entitled to as good post office as any other city | ;r tho Torritorv and the deDartment