The Alaska citizen., 1917-02-26


 Co. and James Wickersham against l various transportation companies do- ing business in Alaskan waters. both on the coast and in the interior, and railroads in Alaska has recently been received by parties interested 1 locally. The hearing in this case began before the Interstate Commerce Commission early in the month of 1 November, last year, at Cordova. and sittings were held at Juneau, Seattle and Washington.
 None of the evidence in these hearings has been published locally, as the telegraph tolls are too pro hibitive to cover matter of this kind. In an effort to give our sub sCribers general idea of what has transpired in the hearings. The Citi- zen has secured copy of the above brief and will print extracts from it that appear to be of interest to the public.
 The brief contains 117 pages of printed matter, and is entirely too lengthy to be published in its en- tirety Lack of space prevents the printing of the portions selected in one issue. so the articles will appear from day to day until the subject is covered.
 Judge Wickersham divides the ter ritory into two zones. The first is the Coast Zone, and extends from Ketchikan to Anchorage. He states "The tralIlc in this region Is carried from Seattle by the defendant steam ship lines, and thence over either the White Pass & Yukon Railway Ltd, or the Kennecott's Copper River & Northwestern Railway, or the gov | ernment railroad from Seward to Anchorage. There is much inter state traffic arriving at Seattle, which is rebilled to Alaska coast points, from Ketchikan to St. Michael at port-to-port rates, but which, being through interstate shipment, is entitled to interstate protection to l of
 The second zone to be considered is what is known as the Alaska Yukon interior, or that region along the Yukon river and it's tributaries, which is served generally via the White Pass & Yukon By, Ltd, and thence down the Yukon river to the region mentioned, in Alaska. Much of the freight coming into this re- some of it is rebilled by the steam ship companies, via the St. Michael route to lower Yukon river points, but the greater part is carried by steamship to Skagway and thence over the White Pass railroad and down the Yukon to interior Alaskan points" This last zone is called The Interior Zone"
 The brief continues: Generally, the relief sought by the complain ants is to secure the establishment of through routes and just and req sonable rates for the shipment of freight from point in the United States to points in Alaska; and from points in Alaska, through the pro vinces of British Columbia, and Yu kon territory. in Canada, to points in Alaska; and from points in the United States to rail points in Al aska and thence over the lines of the railroads to points on the road. or to other points in Alaska through Canada Compliments also pray for | relief from the rebate contracts made by and between the White Pass & Yukon Ky. Co.,, Ltd, by it subsidiary, the American Yukon Navigation com pany, and the Northern Navigation company and it's controlling mer cantile twin, the Northern Commer- cial company on April g, 1914, where by a grossly excessive price prom 1 ised for the worthless hulks and other property of the Northern Navi gation company, the purchaser se- cured a monopoly of the carrying trade in the interior of the Ameri- can territory, and for which mono poly 1t agreed to give the Northern Commercial company SIP per ton rebate on all freight carried into the Interior Zone until December 15, 1920.
 Complainant also prays for the con- trol by the Interstate Commerce Com mission of ore rates on the Kennecott Copper Corporation railroad. by the establishment of just, equal and req