Douglas Island news., 1914-08-05
The Douglas Island News
Entered at Douglas Post-ohce aS Second
 Class Mall Matter.
Alaska Steamship Service

lBy All. Devers, President Portland Steamship Co.,, in The Oregon CouutryJ
 Some citizens of Portland question the advisability of this city entering into steamship connections with South. eastern Alaska and eventually with Southwestern Alaska. How anybody can question the advisability of Port. land again entering into competition with San Francisco and Puget sound is mystery Co all those who have given this matter consideration. ln hundreds of lines. whether it be food stufs, dry goods, clothing or other manufactured articles, Nee York, Philadelphia, Chi cago, Kansas City and Denver all com pete for the same trade Some of these places reach this trade from point of shipment in one or two days, others it takes two weeks to reach the merchant, still they compete. Portland is, at the utmost, not more than twelve hours further away from Southeastern Alaska than Puget sound and is much nearer than San Francisco. Can there be any valid reason for not entering into Alaska territory on the part of Port. land? Certainly not in the writer's opinion. Puget sound supports some twenty four steamers running between that section aud Southeastern Alaska. Certainly it would seem an easy matter, with a little enterprise on the part of the Portland jobbers, to support three steamers. There is absolutely no ques- tion that Alaska welcomes competition. There is DO section of the consuming world that does not welcome compe tition. We compete with Puget sound for the same business in every section of the Northwest Puget sound does not hesitate to enter She Willamette valley. Idaho and all sections of pre- sumable Portland territory for busi ness. This competition on their part is perfectly just, proper and legitimate and nobody can or should offer any objection to it. Why, then. do many people iu Portland indicate that Alaska is the private aud personal property of Puget sound Ouly?
 If Portland acknowledges such a fact they may as we'll acknowledge their iu- ability to compete in any other section of the Northwest, for there is no more reason why Puget Sound should Own this territory than it should control the entire Northwest. Those we'll versed in steamship matters claim that a steamship line from Portland will pay. It cannot, within reason, be expected to become a paying proposition from the start. A steamship line cannot be run like @ small iobbiug business which when opening up can gradually feel its way, fight for it's business and perhaps make but small loss tho Grst year or possibly with very popular dalesmen, keep even. The steamship line starts out with expenses practically On the same scale as It's competitor, with no business established and having to make a fight for everything 1t gets and naturally must lose money, but she prize is worth fighting for. The South ca stern Alaska business is a big busi- ness and tbe Southwestern Alaska bus mess, when work begins on the pro- posed railroads to the interior, will probably be the best business that has been seen on the North Pacific Coast for the last fifteen years. Those we'll Tersed in that section say that the ex- penditDres of the government will be from two to three times the present appropriation before the railroads and She wagon roads and other necessary adjuncts are completed. Is it worth while to fght for our share of this sev- snty to one hundred million dollars worth oi business2 Is it worth while spending a few thousand dollars for the property holders, merchants end manufacturers of Portland to get their share of this business2 It seems, to the writer, that there can be absolutely DO question as to what the answer should be. We have started the Alaska line, we have entered the field, we must make a fight and win, or forever give up and become the laughing stock not only of Alaska and of Puget Sound, but of the entire country.
 The attempt of Representative Fal- eoner to saddle a prohibition law on