The daily Alaskan., 1911-09-18

O. L. Dickeson, yioe-president and general manager of the White Pass company. arrived in Dawson last night. on his first visit to Dawson ! He is accompanied by his private secretary J. c. Blanchard. and by | Fl. Wheeler, superintendent of the White Pass winter mail and stage service. Mir. Dickeson expects to leave Dawson for the trip back to Whitehorse Friday night, but to visit here agaiur later in the month, when he will assist in the direction of the fan traffic. Mir. Dickeson said today;
 q desired Co get here early in the season. but found several matters which called me back. On arrival at Wbitehorse on my first visit, had Co leave after a few days to attend meeting of the directors in Chicago, where ! met Mir. Close and Mir. Keke- vich and others prominent in the af- fairs of the road.
 Coming North again, found number of important duties met with the representative of the Do minion commission. who came to in- vestigate the White Pass Railway and to place a physical valuation on it. I assisted him in every way. We withheld no information. and opened all our books to him. Later the mem lbers of the commission visited Skag- way and Whitehorse, and I escorted them over the line. Afterward Secre- tary Fisher of the Taft Cabinet, came to Skagway. and I escorted him and his party over our line and down Lake Lebarge. MT. Fisher was de- lighted with the trip, and greatly re gretted he could not travel the length of Yukon and see Dawson. Fairbanks and Nome this trip. He made splendid address in Skagway, promis ing to open the Alaskan coal lands and to do all in his power for the North.
 "The matter of White Pass rates now before the commission Is to be argued about october l, in Ottawa The company has been extended the privilege to show reason why the rates should not be reduced a third. We shall accept the opportunity, and ! present new facts and arguments The White Pass company desires to do everything possible for the deyel- opment of this country. We realize that the rate should be as low as possible. consistent with conditions, but we do not wish to be driven into | bankruptcy. I think all will admit there is such a danger as cutting a rate so low that a concern cannot do business. This year has not been a good one. The traffic has fallen off, yet we are hopeful. t is the inten- ton of the company to help build up the country. This region needs population. It needs to have it's re | sources opened. We need business over our line. The more traffic we ! can get, the better rate we can make. 1 If we can build up a large tourist bus mess it not only will bring possible investors here but will help swell our volume of traffic so that Yukon may benefit in time by lower rates.
 The miner and the prOspector must be encouraged. We shall en- Edeavor to do our part. We have number of plans in mind. l now am prepared to say that We shall give a rate on ore for coast sampling mills or smelters for test purposes which will be an encouragement and permit sampling ores to be sent out in quan- titles sufficient for all such purposes. We may make the limit on this spe- cial rate five tons, but if ten or twen- ty tons be necessary for a satisfac- tory test, we shall take that quantity under the reduced rate.
 "Skagway has decided to install a stamp mill for sampling purposes. Il l have the honor of being the vice president of the movement Citizens subscribed SlOO each or less, and the rock will be milled at actual cost. I'll people from the interior wish to send rock there for sampling they may do so. or they may ship to smelters or elsewhere.
 "We are going after the tourist business next year on the wholesale plan We will build an hotel at At lin and maybe elsewhere. We shall route as much business as possible to Dawson. Agencies are to be opened in New York and other large centers