THE NENANA DAILY NEWS
Application made April 1, 1918, at the postoffice at Nenana, Alaska,
for enzry as second class mail matter, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
“WHERE RAIL AND RIVER MEET”
Published Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday by the Nenana Printing
Company, at First and B Streets, Nenana. Alaska.
R. G. Soutkwrorth — — — — Editor and Manager
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cation of all news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in
this paper and also all the local news published herein
The writer of the communication
appearing in today’s issue of The
News appears to be laboring under
a misapprehension regarding the
operation of the public utilities, up
on which point his chief objection to
incorportion is based. The News ha*
not and is not aware that any resi
dent of the town has advocated the
purchase of the Commission power
plant. The town, if incorporated,
could not purchase the plant if it
wanted to, because it would not have
sufficient funds and could not go in
debt to acquire it. Neither is it cer-;
tain that the town would assume
the management of the plant, al
though The News believes it would
be good business to do so, under
some such arrangement as the plant
is now being operated, without ob
ligation except the promise that the
properties will be properly safe- i
guarded. The public will continue
to buy electricity and use telephones!
and water no matter who operates
the plant, and The News feels sure
no council would assume control j
over the utilities unless it were done i
with a view to saving money for
taxpayers and the public generally.
The public utilities, which were oper-1
ated at a small loss in September,
would have showed a substantial
balance on the other side of the ]
ledger had a nominal charge been
made for street lights and water for
fire protection.
The News does not expect law
lessness to increase if the town in
corporates. The day of the “open”
town is on the wane in Alaska and
no amount of incorporation will
alter conditions, assuming there are
those here who would have it other
wise.
The News does not pretend to
know what action will be taken, in
the event of incorporation, to pay
municipal bills during the ensuing
year. The problem is one that will
have to be solved by the council,
if one is elected. It might b e asked
with equal reason, where is the
money coming from to keep the'
town going in case the voters reject;
incorporation for, in any event,'
there must be fire protection, street
lights and other necessary expendi- J
tures from time to time.
A probable source of revenue, in
the event of incorporation, will be
; the town lots now held in the name
of the Government. It has been sug
gested by an official of the general
land office that all of this property
eventually will be turned over to
the town, for such disposition as
the tow-n may choose to make of it..
And the day is not so far distant
; when Nenana property will have a
substantial value.
R KKKKItldtgggggKIiMt R
* R
* COMMUNICATION. *t j
!« «*|
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INCORPORATION
Nenana, Oct. 26. 1921
j Editor News—
Noting the attitude of The News
on the subject of incorporation, and
also the invitation to the opposition
to use its columns, and also the
reserve it holds for the last edition
i before election, I am constrained to
j submit a few facts and questions.
“The News is not aware that there
is serious opposition to incorpora
; tion”, which says that The News
does not consider the writer a seri
ous opponent, and in that case there
I should be no reluctance in answering
A Thoroughly Modern Hotel
Tom Smith, Prop
Cold Weather
Suggestions
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Dog Sleds- 8 and 10 ft.—Heavy Hickory
Quick-Lite Electric Lanterns
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Northern Commercial Co.
Alaska’s Largest Outfitters
a few non-serious queries.
If incorporation is the only re
demption for future Nenana, as The
News would have us believe—per
editorial Oct. 25—and Mr. F. D. j
Browne also advocates incorporation
in a letter written by himself to
Carl Schmidt under date of Sept.
19, 1921, said letter now exhibit
“A” in the case of Incorporation,
No. 2526, in the District Court, why
did the petitioners not secure the
names of 60 property owners or at
least present the petition to them
and ask them for their signatures—
why did the petition not present
names of 60 people who will be
obliged to pay the bills if the town
is incorporated?
Why did they present the names
of men who are not citizens of the
United States and names of men
who never signed the petition at all?
The latter. I might state, will be
referred to the next grand jury.
Another thing. Do you expect to
have an “open” town under incorp
oration? This reason has been ad
vanced by advocates of incorporation
Do you expect to purchase the
A. E, C. power plant, or do you in-!
j tend to guarantee the A. E. C. a |
substantial sum to indemnify it
from loss in the operation of the
plant, or, if not, what do you ex
pect to do? Can you give the tax- j
payers any idea of what they may;
expect if they vote for incorpora
tion? I know I am playing into
your hand, but show me that in
corporation is right and I will sup
port it.
Where do you expect to get the
money from to pay the expenses of
the town, if incorporated, for the
ensuing year? The people have just
been taxed for the past year, and j
all licenses have been paid to the
Government, and nothing is due
from that source until next July.1
Do you expect to levy another tax
or pile up a debt on the shoulders
of the taxpayers?
The News points to Anchorage as
a keystone. Anchorage is an open
town—gambling running rant—mule
served by the fair sex, openly—j
hold-ups a common occurence, say
travelers from thence, and our own
very capable Jim Hagan found it
necessary to disseminate “blues” to j
return some of the discards who re-'
cently visited us; and do you believe
that law-abiding, christian-believing
people are in favor of such a town? ;
Are vou for the above class, or with
the class who must be the satisfied
ones in Anchorage of which you
write in vour editorial of Oct. 25.
Now, we must either indemnify i
the A. E. C. from loss or purchase
its plant in order to be assured of
I light, water, etc.—your editorial of j
I Oct. 25.
To advocate purchase would only
: be submitting yourself to ridicule.
To guarantee—your edition of
Oct. 25, under caption “Public Utili
ties Statement Shows Deficit for
Month", we find that it cost $4,708.
18 to operate the plant one month,
or $56,498.64 for twelve months.
Then $4,451.53, revenue for the
same month, or $53,418.36 for 12
months although $2,321.96 of this
amount was paid by the A. E. C.,
| or $27,863.52 it would pay of this
amount if the A. E. C. remains—
2nd pays for 12 months.
Now, my dear News, the people of :
Nenana must pay all of the above j
sums. The $56,498.64 must be borne j
by the taxpayers, the $53,418.36 by :
the residents, making a total of >
$109,917.00 paid per annum from
the earnings of Nenana residents,
less $27,863.52 if the A. E. C.
stays and pays, and if so it will
mean $82,053.48 must be paid by
these same residents of Nenana,
plus the expense of incorporating,
salaries of city officials and main
; tenance of the town, including fire
I department, schools, etc.
These are facts and the figures
are found in your paper of Oct. 25,
and the writer has had much ex
perience with those same accounts
and can easily say they are con
servative statements.
The Alaskan Engineering Com
mission will not operate the plant
at a loss to accommodate the town,
and it cannot be figured otherwise
except, perhaps, a little cheaper
fuel, and the above figures—and
you know they are true—will place
a tax and revenue on the shoulders
of the residents of Nenana of about
one hundred thousand dollars a
year, and you know, and I know
that this town cannot stand one
half of that.
Cake is good when we can pay
for the cake, but w’hen we know
we cannot, let it alone.
And now, don’t jolly yourself into
thinking there is no opposition to
incorporation.
J. H. MILES
If Comfort, Economy and the S
Environments of Homo jj
Appeal to You, "
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• Schedule of trains, subject t*>
change without notice:
LEAV E NENANA for Heaiy on
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and
Saturday at 8 a. m.
Returning leaves Healy at 1 p. m.
LEAVE FAIRBANKS for Nenana
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Returning leaves Nenana at 1:3u
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j NENANA LODGE No. 1193
L. 0. 0. M.
MEETS AT MOOSE HALL
Fourth and B Streets
At 8:00 P. M.
Secretary Dictator
ALEX FOWLER, ALF EKELANU,
SECOND AND FOURTH MONDAY
Pioneers of Alaska
Nenana Igloo No. 17
MEETS AT UNION HALL
FIRST MONDAY EACH MONTH
AT 8:00 P. M.
Visiting Members Always
Welcome.
Frank Rourke Geo. S. Smith
Secretary. President.