The daily Alaskan., 1912-03-13
WE WANT PROSPERITY

The Canadian Railway Commission has handed down its final decision ia tAe suit brought by the Dawson Board og Trade. assnst the Mh'te Pass and yukon Route, iu au ettort Co force that Company to reouce it's rates oa frcsght shipped Into the ipteSior via that roaj,
 Much speculation has been made Ss to Che catccme of thts case which has been before the Commis. sion tor usore than five years
 Throushoui this time public opinion has beea strcus,y against the raih rcad The White Pass and Yukon Route has been charged with he Juga os the country. lt Is the sen crG beliet throughout the territory served by the railroad that sen eral decline in activity iD this ter rito~y has taken place which Is dir- ecuy due to tae evOrbi;aut freight rates which have been charsed by the rsifoSd
 nere Is no denying the fact that there has been a decline in the general business activity throughout the part Of Alaska and the YuloO contiguous to the White Pass and Yukon Route in Che last few years,
 Thece Is no doubt but that the freight rates which have been Chsrg- cd are high They are very high. The railway company admitted that the rates are hlzh In the late hear ing ia Ottawa The Railway Commis sion have decided that they are high. but they have declared that they are not exo-oHaat Laying aside an documentary eTf3enee and making a personal investigation of the con- ditioas surrounding trsuspo~taroa in this coput~y the Railway Commission CTS have been convinced that with the difficult features surrounding tranSpo-tatjoa in the north. & e. the short period of each year during which actual fveiEhtDg Is taxing place. that rates must of a necessity be hjsher than in those placos where conditions are more favorable.
 It Is charged by those who have constantly knocked the White Pass Route that the decline iu activity is directly due to the high rate. But is tAis true, Ts this cause and e. feet. oy is there another view Co be taken ot the situstione
 In the Yukon practically speaking the huge gold stampe3es are over. During the past ten years the KloR- diSe has been raped oi the golden wealth that lay scattered about on
 he surface. The throozs who came. and went away laden with tbe prec- ious yellow metal, have ceased to cone and No There has como @ general depreSsiou following the nourishjnr days when fortunes were made Ca a tvinkiiug.
 We do not mean Co say thst the wealth og the YRkoa ts exhausted. Far Ne B from such. Rut fron this day heoce5ortA. the hidden wealth oi the Yukon win be reCovered ony at the expenditure of capital
 Tho investment oS capital Sul end the everything going out. nothing coming la" epoch. Win he invest mees Of capital vSD come the stea3y ErOwA ot a huge mining industry which wIn flourish and bring pros- periC to the North and which win surmoant the ever present obstacle to development which Is found m he northern regions. the high -ost of Trsaspovtsucn.
 The growth of a substantial min iRs Industry with the development of cus-tE properties. ia the region sery- VI " N-lE " AaAN A4A~S alla ahtL Route. wiA the attendant influx of 0ousands ot workers who win make hesr homes here. the added amount e supplies and machinery which will se carried Co the interior. the ex- pOrtatiOn ot ore and mining prOaUcts. allowing of a return haul heretofore unknown On this rnute. win greatly re duce the high cost oE transportation.
 Business small. rates hieh.-Thls Is the condition of affairs at the pres e1t.
 Let us wOrk to reverse this order e affairs, The business must be in- creased. President Dickson CT thel White Pass and Yukon Route hssl shown that he is after the business.
 He is working for the development of the country. for that means bust ness for tAe White Pass Rsiluay.
 We. too. must worS for the de- veAcpment of the country. for that means prOsperEy for every one cs us.
 Mr. Dsckeson asks that we coop, prsse with Aln snd the Railroad to