The Daily Alaska empire., 1943-01-28
over an established commercial
Work of Territory

route.
 Work of Territory
 The territory has installed and is operating twenty radio stations in widely scattered communities. These communities, without radio com munication, would otherwise be iso- lated during certain periods of the year. While not required to report emergency messages seventeen in- stances, since March l942, have been brought to the attention of this office that lives have perhaps been saved because means of com muniction was available to sum- mon medical attention or transpor- tation for the patient to the hos pital. The operation and mainten- ance of these stations is admins tered by the Office of the Super visor.
 Radio Stations
 Territorial radio stations have been located in the following To- calities and are listed in the order of their relative importance:
 l. Marshall.
 9 Homer.
 Hoonah, Hydaburg, Deering, and Kenai.
 A. Jack Wade
 5. Angoon, Tenakee, Kasilof, and Mnilchik.
 G. Taku Lodge.
 T. Rake.
 8. Nikolski, Unalaska, and Shung- nak.
 9. Gustavus.
 TO- Bonnifield and Taylor.
 The Marshall station has handled as many as 240 messages a month, said figure not including messages relayed for approximately one doz- Ien smaller outlying stations.
 The Territorial station at Atka was completely destroyed by orders of the military, while those at the Sitka Pioneers Home and God dard Hot Springs were ordered to cease operation December 8, 1941.
 Stations Proposed
 Stations are proposed for Kaltag, St. Michael, Stony River, Beaver, Slietmute, and Bunker Hill. It is expected that Kaltag would assume third or fourth pace in importance and St. Michael and Stony River sixth or seventh place. These sta- tions are of considerable import ance in view same have been re- quested by the Alaskan Regional Office of the U. s. Weather Bureau, reference letter December 9,1942.
 These radio telephone stations are practically self sustaining with our purchase of additional new equipment to replace that which has depreciated beyond repair.
 Since December 7th, l941 both the Army and Navy have found it practical to take over the control and operation of several of the ter rjtorial radio stations Arrange ments have been made whereby others may be transferred to their 7ontrol in the future if the need arises. These stations, manned by military operators, are for the most part continuing to handle traffic previously handled. This means that most of the communities in which these stations are located are get ting even better communications than in the past. The taking over of these stations by the military has not proven to be a loss to the con- munity nor to the Territory
 How Work Is Done
 The increased demand on the in dividuals, time and energies due to the war emergency has, in few instances, meant that some stations have been without operators, and consequently some stations have ben shut down for several months at time. However, this condition is being dealt with as other individ- uals are agreeing to operate the sta- tions since a hardship is existant to the community without proper communication. Operating ter ritorial radio station is by no means full time job since most stations maintain only a couple of sched- ules day
 Many of the operators at the Ter ritorial stations are also weather observers for their community and receive compensation from the Uni ted States Weather Bureau for their weather observations. This is the only compensation they receive in connection with the operation of the radio station, that is. the talk ing of the weather observation and sending it by radio to the nearest Weather Bureau Office. Provisions have not been made to compensate