THE KUSKO TIMES
A. X. Grant. Publisher, Sole
Owner and Editor.
Twice a Week:
Wednesday and Saturday
Two Dollars Per Month.
Address all Communications:
Kusko Times, McGrath, Alaska.
McGRATH, ALASKA, MAR. 12, 1921
MATTER OF PENSIONS.
fifty-five years -after, the time has
come when each year sees a large re
duction in the number of pensioners on
account of the Civil War. The number
diminished by 32,233 during the year,
says Current Events. Most of these
were soldiers’ wives qr other depend
ents. Some were veterans of the war
with Spain, and the present war with
'Germany and Austria. Though fight
ing ceased more than two years ago
the war is not yet legally ended.
These 32.23-3 deaths resulted in re
el ucing the pension bill by about $14,
•000,000.
Pensions are still a heavy burden of
(expense to the Government. The bill
'this year is$203,000,000. Of this amount
the largest item is on account of the
sectional war of 1861 --5. This item
alone is $2,31,012,192. Next comes the
war with Spain. $5,844,360, and then
the Mexican war, $840,430. A mere
’trifle compared with this is the ex
vpenditure for pensions, on account of
the present war. which is only $36,730.
We are actually-slid paying pen.-ions,
to the amount of $21,145 a year, on ac
When traveling through l.uby
stop at. the
Fisher House Restaurant
LONG CITY
A popular stooping place for
m ushers. Excellent table serv
ice. Kennels for dogs. Warm
stable for horses.
Mrs. L. E. Sturte\ant,Prop.
'coiintof the War of 1812, which ended
106 years ago. MaDy people wonder
how this can be, since there caD be
now no survivor of that war. It is be
cause veterans when old may marry
young wives who outlive them many
j years and who are entitled to the pen
sion as long as they live. It has hei n
charged that young girls sometimes
accept aged veterans as husbands fi r
no other reasoa than to get a pension
for life.
Next year, it is estimated, the Gov
ernment will have to pay out mere
than $300,000,000 for soldiers' benefits *
in addition to the pensions. The largast
item in this sum is for war rfsk com
pensation, which is partly self-paving
on the insurance principle. Another
item is for maintaining soldiers’ homes
and hospitals, and vocational training
for blinded and otherwise disabled sol
diers.
The pension system began in 1790.
By the end of the next fiscal year the
Government will have paid nearly six
billion dollars for this purpose.
RAILROAD IMPROVEMENTS.
Business may be slacking off, but the
freight traffic of the year 1920 as a
whole does not show it. The railroads
carried more freight than in any other :
year of their history, even the wonder- j
ful year 1918.
Here are some of the things the rail
roads did in the nine months since the
Government put them back into own
ers’ hands
1. Increased the average movement
of freight cars per day to 28.6 miles,
from 22.9.
2. Increased the average load per
car to 30 tons, from 28.3.
6. Reduced the number of loaded
but idle freight cars to 21,990, from
103,200 on March 1.
4. Found 180,000 cars that were
“lost” somewhere on the sidings.
5. Moved more coal ^than in anv
other year but two.
G. Spent more than $500,000,000 im
proving railroads, tracks, bridges and
rolling stock.
7. Began work of rebuilding thou
sands of old cars.
8. Moved, in spite of all handicaps,
the largest volume of freight that was
ever moved in the United States in one
year.
All this is shown in a review of the j
railroad situation by T. De Witt Cuy
ler, chairman of the Association -of
Railw’ay Executives.
__
Ex-President Wilson is reported to I
have declined an offer of $155,000 for a
single “story’’ of any length and on
any subject, after his retirement from
office. The reason given for declining
is that no story or essay is worth that
amount. Publishers, it is said, press j
Mr. Wilson on all sides for the privi-;
lege of publishiag his future writings. ;
Canada, as well as the United States,
has greatlv increased her foreign
i trade. Her exports for the last fiscal
year were 182 per cent greater than ;
before the war. Exports alone are now j
greater by $212,000,000 than combined
exports and imports were in 1913.14.
Sugar, on the Outside, a few days
ago, was quoted at $7.90 a hundred, the
lowest paice in three years.
Great Britain, too, is having its un
employment season. A million men
there are reported out of work.
EgaHMmaggB^MBgaBMBI
Who Said Freighting
That’s our business and that’s where we shine;
in other words where satisfactory service is al
ways given. Freighting between all points—
McGrath, Tacotna, Gphir, Iditarod, Cripple,
even as far as Ruby.
W. H. Jones
Freighter
PIONEER ROADHOUSE
South Fork—Seward-Iditarod Trail.
Plenty of Dog Feed. Antelope and Ibex always on^ap.
In season, Mountain Sheep, Wild Moose and Grizzly Bear.
Don’t forget to look in and see the man who blazed the
trail for you over Rainy Pass. Call in at Hellsgate and
get your bearings.
Joe Blanched
Prop.
£3tsih»bbb—
jffTTUMIfTTWniWflnMlTTlIi
One 4-inch Hand Drill, complete, with'40 feet casing.
One 4-inch Drill Bit.
One Sand Pump.
One Driving Clamp and Cap,
One Leaver and Chain Casd Puller. ,
Two 3-feet 6-inch Chain TonJoS.
Inquire of Howard Langley
Glasses Fitted Spectacles Repaired
Watch Repairing
Send Your Order'With the Mail Man.
W. W. Jones - - Ruby