raising both passenger and
freight rates and this stirred up
a hornets’ nest in Alaska.
Kates Held Prohibitive
Wickersham contends that
this move is the worst solution
of the problem. Instead of in
•'reading revenues, he says, it
will reduce them, because cost
of transportation has been lift
ed to prohibitive levels.
“What Alaska needs is lower
and not higher rates,” he de
( lares. “We are rich in raw ma
terials, but we cannot market
them beceuse of freight rates.
“Congress has set aside $250 -
000 of the railroad’s million
dollar appropriation to develop
industries and the Interior De
partment makes rates which
prevent those already in exist
ence from operating. That does
not seem tc make good sense.”
Wickersham insists that the
Morgan-Guggenheim interests
are throttling the government -
cwned railroad and are largely
lesponsible for its policies.
Morgan-Guggenheim Holdings
This group owns the Copper
River Railroad, , running from
Cordova ,to Kennic'Xt, and
Wickersham claims it is really
v plant facility for the great
copper mines along its route. He
says its rates are purposely kept
nigh to discourage copper devel
opment by outside interests, but
that they are now being used as
a basis for the government
own road’s ehaiges.
Hie copper interests operate
o steamship line between Se
ward, the southern terminus of
the government line, and the
states. That is the only way to
get in or out of Alaska, and the
monopoly is charging all the
traffic will bear—and more.
Uncle Sam could smash this
monopoly over-night by putting
a few government-owned shins
into the Alaskan trade, but the
- Morgan-Guggenheim combine
is so influential in Washington
that nothing has been done.
Until this relief is granted,
Wickersham will be at the mercy
of the Morgan-Guggenheim out
fit and its development will be
retarded.
Treated Like a Stepchild
“Without the Alaska railroad,”
he adds, “we would be lost. Yet,
until it is frankly operated on
the theory that its main purpose
is the development of the Terri
tory, we are not much better off
with it than we would be with
out it.
“We are asking comparatively
little of the government—noth
ing like what was granted to the
Western states when the build
ing of railroads was subsidized
by land and money grants.
“We feel that a million dol
1: rs a year spent on the Alaskan
road is a small outlay in com -
parison with the tremenduous
wealth that has flowed into the
United States from a section of
I he country which is being
treated as a stepchild.
The Fisheries As Seen By the Beachcomber
--V
TROLLIES SEEK RELIEF
FROM SEIZURE
-X
The Trolling Vessel Owners’
Association revealed plans to
petition the American and Do
minion Governments for a
treaty similar to the halibut
agreement of 1918 to seek relief
from seizure in Canadian wat
ers. 1r*Kif
A move has been started in
Grays Harbor and a similar
move is under way in Seattle
to present the case to civil and
political organizations in the
hope of securing sufficient back
ing to secure favorable hearing
at Washington, D. C.
The trollers desire rights
equal with those of the Ameri
can halibut fishermen and are
not asking for the privilege of
fishing in Canadian waters but
they want assurance that their
beats will not be confiscated in
event they run into harbor from
prevailing storms, in the past
a number of American-owned
vessels were confiscated on the
charge of operating their gear
in Canadian waters. The own
ers declaring that they had on
ly run into pert to get out of
storms or to effect engine re
pairs. Last year some five or
more vessels were so confiscat
ed and sold under order of the
Canadian courts after a com
plete and fair hearing was given
the owners of the vessels.
ON THE COLUMBIA
-x
On May 1 the fishing season
on the Columbia River opened
with 2,000 beats manned by 4,
000 men spreading their nets up
350 miles of the river. Approx
imately 20,000 people directly
benefit from the industry in
this region with an annual
catch valued at around $10,000,
003.
The gillnetter;: yy / 1 their
‘•'trike and sold to the highest
bidder with packers offering 10
cents per pound—a price that is
7 cents below the opening prices
of last year.
It would be interesting if
Lhe mathematical turn of mind
would make comparison cf the
Columbia River area, pack,
pack value, number employed,
with that of Alaska with its
fishing area stretched from Cape
Fox to the Bering Sea; with its
limited earnings of fishermen,
limited gear, and limited num
ber employed. The comparison