Ketchikan who would apply for membership.
Their practice of carefully selecting its member
ship, and excluding “dangerous citizens” only
means continued suspicion. There are prominent
citizens in Ketchikan who have never been in
vited to join the Club because their views are not
those of the bosses of the Commercial Club.
Whii we give this advice freely, we have
grave misgivings about any change in the mis
guided policies of the Club which seeks to speak
for the business world of Ketchikan.
WHY NOT IN SEATTLE ?
The Fairbanks Commercial Club has sent let
ters to all the Chambers of Commerce in south
eastern Alaska proposing that the election date
be advanced to September and the meeting of the
legislature to February 1st.
This would give the Seattle residents of Fair
banks a chance to vote in our elections without
detaining them in Alaska unduly.
This would also give the imported cannery
help and foreign fishermen of the coast districts
of Alaska the opportunity of voting before leav
ing for the south.
We would suggest to our Fairbanks friends
that all this fuss about voting could be avoided
by simply holding the election in Seattle.
THE FAIRBANKS IDEA
Our reporter said that a letter was read from
the Fairbanks Commercial Club seeking the sup
port of the Wrangell Club to a resolution to ad
vance the date of the general elections to Sep
tember (early) and to convening the legislature
to February on the ground that if the general
elections were held in September instead of No
vember more voters would be able to participate
therein.
After some discussion of the question Wran
gell Club decided to take no action on this mat
ter. j|
(Editorial note:—-It might be interesting if
the Wrangell Club would propose a resolution or
two touching some vital question affecting Wran
gell and see what the Fairbanks club would do
about it. Heretofore the Legislators from Fair
banks (with the exception of Messrs. Ross and
Johnston) have always opposed the wishes of
Wrangell in matters of legislation.)
“EXCEPT ALASKA”
Tt seems to be the practice to “except Alas
ka” from all the good things enjoyed by the citi
zens of the United States.
Washington State does not allow our Alaska
fishermen to fish in Puget Sound waters until they
have become residents of twelve months dura
tion.
But our legislatures refuse to give Alaska re
isdents the same protection.
The discrimination against Alaska in postal
rates is just called to our attention. The notice
follows:
“Postage charges given in this book aie
intended for shipments to the States. Ship
ments by parcel post to Alaska the rate is
higher.
‘If the weight is one pound and the post
age quoted is eight cents, (you Alaskans)
send FOURTEEN CENTS.
“If the weight is ten pounds, the postage
is twenty-six cents, (you Alaskans) send ONE
DOLLAR AND TWENTY-TWO CENTS.”
On every hand, the United States govern
ment penalizes us for living in Alaska.
w. A. BRYANT ON PRINCE RUPERT
Elsewhere we print an article by W. A. Bry
ant, manager of the J. R. Heckman & Co., store
on the matter of closing the port of Prince Ru
pert by means of legislation.
We agree with his object, the promotion of
Ketchikan.
We disagree with his argument because he
takes too much for granted, and the real remedy
is too plain to be concealed.
Mr. Bryant wishes that all the halibut shall
be sold in Ketchikan and therefore he wants a
prohibitive tax placed on Prince Rupert. “If the
Canadians cannot buy our fish, they will come
to Ketchikan,” he says.
The weak point of his argument is this—the
Ketchikan buyers can get the entire market simp
ly by paying the price that Prince Rupert pays.
THE KETCHIKAN—PRINCE RUPERT
CAR FERRY
“There are parties who stand ready to put
such a car ferry system on the run as soon as they
are guaranteed fish enough to operate, which
would be when the oulk of the fish was purchased
on the Alaska side.”—W. A. Bryant.
No one has named the “parties who stand
ready to put such a car ferry system on the run.”
This story was first told by Carl Strong and re
peated by his supporters in 1917, then again in
1921. But no one has seen the letter. We are