The Alaska citizen., 1915-02-15

i COLONEL ROOSEVELT has re
 fused to come North on polar hunt
 ing trip. Perhaps he realizes how
 unpopular is his conservation scheme
 in Alaska, and how much the people
 here dislike him as a result | REGENT newspapers received from
 Seattle state that there is a revival
 of prosperity in that city. According
 to that a new prosperity is evi- dently headed this way, and should arrive here not later than when
 navigation opens next June.
 THE good effectS of the Panama canal are already being felt, for | telegraphic reports of a few days ago announced that the railroads
 have received permission to lower freight rates from one coast to the
 other in sSder to compete with the canal traffic
 ! THE Rev. H. H. Lumpkin is win ming his way to the hearts of the people of Fairbanks. At his smok- CT, held a few evenings ago, he proved that in addition to being a minister he is a broad-minded man, and that he is of the same kind of wholesome stuff of which Alaskans are made.
 WHILE everybody must agree that the American government must pro tect it's shipping interests it is quite certain that popular sentiment will not be with the ship owners who arbitrarily send questionable cargoes across the Atlantic and eX- pect the United States to go to war to protect such ill-advised ventures.
 THOSE lawmakers in Washincton who have been stubbornly fighting the administration ship-purchase bill will certainly not gain the confidence of the people of the United States. for it seems evident on the surface of things that they are protecting the great shipping interests of the land at the expense of the American public.
 A FEW days ago a local dispatch declared that the government would not consider the purchase of the Copper River railroad This must be wrong, for recently the Engineer ing commission sent a man to Cor dova to remain for the winter, watch ing snow conditions along the line of the road. However, it is quite certain that the government prefers the Broad Pass line, and if there is to be only one road constructed, it is to be expected that it will come that way.
 THE increasing cost of bread is worrying nearly all the large cities, and still that should not be the case, for the crop of the United States last year was the greatest that has been for many years, and certainly there has been enough in reference with vessels going to En- rope to have prevented an unusual eXportation of wheat When the matter is sifted to the bottom. it probably will be found that there are some spectators back of the increas- ed prices.
 NEXT Saturday the greatest eX- position ever prepared on the Pacific coast will be opened at San Francis co. Those who have seen the build ings in course of preparation and are familiar with the plans for the exposition, declare that it gives prom ise of being one of the most success full affairs of its kind ever held, Instead of hurting the big exposi- tion, it seems that the war in Europe will only benefit it, for from all parts of the continent and from various other neutral lands, there will be a greater number of visitors than if the war had not started.
 THE day has passed when any one town can monopolize Alaska's trade. for this year Seattle will be obliged to share the trade with both Portland and San Francisco. which will have vessels operating to Alaska. Then, too, British Columbia has started to worry Seattle by taking away the fish trade from our waters, In some ways, Seattle has done much for Alaska. but it must be realized that Alaska has also made Seattle, which has not always treat ed the people here fairly in a com mercial way. Let there be com petition, and the more the better for Alaska.