The Wrangell sentinel., 1952-02-15

 statements Were received. The ely has approved giving Richard Stokes a contract 10 haul garbage at $500 a month. Stokes furnishing the truck
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 Wrangeu Alaska
 Feb. l3. Ig52 Editor, Wrangell Sentinel
 Dear Lew.
 What I am about Co say wiA un- doabledly lose me some friends and hurt the Transfer for which I work. bur, nevertheless. your las. piece of propaganda from the City Hall on the garbage situation de- mands some sort of answer
 1ir Wicltman and the council are trying to push the e idea through that no one. including us at Wr5ngeIl Transfer, was in er- ested to appear before the council in regard to the garbage He is wrong We did go to the meetings on three separate occasions The first time We were told '7The coun- cil cannot bind future councils by granting a garbage contract" The second time. We will not take any action now. but will appoint committee to look into the matter" Needless to say, they never got a. round to looking into the matter. The third time was a repeat of the second time. Four other times was requested to, and did make a survey = number of cans collac- tions, etc. They all ended up in the garbage can.
 When the ol d garbage dump dock was so rotten and dangerous that the city trucks wouldn't risk going out on it, We again went to the council for a little cooperation in fixing it. The timbers were so rotten you coul see light between them and the blanks - we were told - I quote, "Stick an egg un- der it to hold it up."
 Last spring our garbage man was told the city was going to take over the garbage - and was offer ed a wage higher than our total income from the collections - and the use of the city truck to boot
 Last summer the garbage collee- tor at that time quit to go fishing Gas they do every summer) on a weeks notice We managed to hire another = he also told me he had been told eonfidentially the city was taking over - he Tuit on two hours notice.
 4here was no one willing to take the JoD so, rather than let it go when no help whatsoever was d. yaIIable, 1 uld it myself with the heIp of my wife. We worked morn Ings, afternoons, Sundays and holi- days. The Transfer lost money dur ing that period and l personally, lost out on longshoring which is a part of my income during the summer months.
 When fall came, our driver quit again because we wouldn't give him a better wage. We then had no alternative but to drop the gar 
 continue - that we might work something out. In other words, go through the same old routine with the council, at our expense with no results as usual, while all the time one of the council was dicker ing with an ex-employee to take over - for over twice as much money as We were getting! Just for the record, we received S524.40 per month average not enough to hire a driver and maintain any truck.
 Now with the city sponsoring the new set-up, we have a man col lecting twice as much money and using that truck to cut the two established Transfers out of work in his spare time. Plus complete monoply on hauling trash to the lumpi
 Personally, I bear Dick Stokes no i'll will because of the gold mine he's struck But I do resent MT. Wickman, or the council, insinuat- ing that We didn't do our best or, try to work out something that was fair. to all concerned. We gave much more time and cooperation than we ever received. Sincerely, ART CLARK P. S. This letter is strictly my own personal letter and has no official connection with Wrangell Transfer &#* Wrangell Sentinel
 Dear Sir:
 When the council was airing the garbage situation, as stated in last weeks Sentinel, Councilman Smith stated that no one wanted the gar bage concession Cor business) and that there was never a bid sub mitted. Anyone interested enough for proof can easily get the facts from the reading of the minutes of council meetings (provided records