The daily Alaska citizen., 1919-12-21
JOSLIN CLAIMS
 TRIED TO KEEP
 STATIONS OPEN

HEAD OF ALASKA WIRELESS
 STATIONS TELLS OF PREPARA-
 TIONS BY WAR DEPARTMENT
 TO TAKE OVER BROOKS AND
 OTHER STATIONS.
 Early last falnhtelhw etaojnxzdn
 Early last fall when the Brooks wireless. station was closed down by the Alaska Wireless company pany the Fairbanks commercial club wrote to Falcon Josln, president of that organization, protesting against that action and calling bis attention to the fact that the club was even at that time endeayoring to secure authority from the war department for the extension of furIoughs to operators at several of the Alaska ~lous in order that service might be continued uninterrupted In a letter just received by the club from Mr Joslin, he outlines the plans ol the war department in regard to the future operation of the Alaska Wire less Co.,, stations in the territory and denies that he ordered the Brooks station closed
 Mr Joslin's letter follows in full.
 November 10. 1919 Mr C. B Erwin, Secretary
 Fairbanks Commercial Club,
 Fairbanks, Alaska
 My Dear Sir:
 Your letter of October 11th reached me just as l was on the point of leaving Seattle. | arrived here two days ago, after spending two months at Washinston trying. amongst other things, to arrange to keep the raido station al Brooks, Iditarod and McGrath in operation
 certainly appreciate what you and the Fairbanks commercial club and others have done in the matter The signal corps had decided to purchase the stations a year or more ago, but by reason of rc-organizing the signal corps in connection with the aviation service the matter was and forgotten
 The adjutant generals office ruled that the government could not op- crate the stations on the share basis as had been proposed The war de partment also was very unwilling to continue the furoughs of their op- orators at these stations from month to month as they had been doing After going into the mater pretty thoroly however, it was decided by the chief signal officer to again recommend the purchase of the sta tions and it was found there were funds sufficient for this purpose.
 The secretary of war accordingly approved the purchase ol the sta lions and the papers have been pre- pared and the inventories and ap- praisals are now enroute, and I trust the sale will be completed shortly. If so, these stations will be operated at rates much less than it has been possible to operate under private ownership, and the territory will get the benefit
 l made every effort to keep the station al Brooks open but the op- orator would not stay. | understood he has reported that l ordered him to close the station, which is not true. I did everything l could to have him remain there and telegraph ed him the day before he left ask ing him to stay telling him the gov ernment would probably take the sta lions shortly and asking him to stay | little longer. but he would not, l look the matter up with the signal Oi Io III W clHIllllto CO4l ADlllNt lllV iLlSlt .er of the purchase was then about agreed to they suggested it would De as well to leave the station closed lntil the purchase was completed and hey could detail signal corp opera or to open it again. l hope this can 1e done very shortly
 l hope this explanation will prove satisfactory to you and the com nercial club, and that shortly the stations will all be under the control )f the signal corps.
 Yours very truly,
 (Sig) FALCON JOSLIN
 Holiday Gifts in PyraIin Ivory