Valdez daily prospector., 1917-10-15
ARE ALASKANS BEING
GOCGED BY $. s. LINES?

GOCGED BY $. s. LINES?
The announcement in The Gateway
last night by c. E. Flye, that freight
and passenger rates would be raised
sometime within the next few months,
caused much criticism from both
merchants and travellers and the
question was Immediately raised !:
Are not the two companies operat-
ing to Alaska "gouging" the public
because the public is at their mercy
This question was propounded to
Mr.. Flye, general freight and passen-
ger agent of the Pacific Steamship
Co., also to Mr.. A. H. Mcdonald, To-
cal agent of the Alaska Steamship
Co.
Mr.. Flye. in answer to the ques-
ton, said NO
Mr.. Mcdonald answered the same
question also in the negative.
Why" was the answer then de-
manded.
"All steamship companies operat'
ing to Alaska" sad Mr.. Flye, "are
under the supervision of two Federal
organizations, The Interstate Com
MERGE Commission and the Shipping
Board. That makes the proposition a
two-to-one affair. Shipments origin
ating for instance, in Portland, come
under the Interstate Commerce Com
mission, Now, by recent act of Con-
gress, The Federal Shipping Board
has supervision over shipments orig
mating in Seattle for Alaska. These
two boards will see that no injustice
is done anyone.
1.-THE steamship companies operat-
ing to Alaska throw their hands on
the table and expose them. In other
words, as every merchant will bear
me out, everything has risen In price.
Our hands expose our operating ex-
penses and incidentally our revenues.
We are running behind. The two Fed
eral boards can ascertain this-when
we ask for a raise in our rates, and
l am sure that we will be given the
permission to do so. The Federal
boards will not permit any gouging.
The United States is now at war and
everything must work in harmony
with this new situation. The Federal
Boards know whether we are tell
ing the truth and the Federal Board
knows that in line with other things,
we must be permitted to raise our
rates.
How do they know this? Right
now there are several l. c. C. experts
in our Offices on Puget Sound, going
over our books. These experts know
the cost of operations. They know
the present price of commodities re-
quired in the operation of the steam
ship business. Figures cannot lie and
they can ascertain for themselves
whether a raise in rates is necessary.
No business can be operated at loss
and continue. That is our answer as
to why we must raise our rates. The
people of Alaska can feel assured that
no steamship company is taking any
advantage. No steamship company can
take any advantage of Uncle Sam, for
he is wise to everything. Now, the
steamship companies are supervised
as never before, by the United States
government"
Mr.. Mcdonald, asked regarding the
probable raise in freight rates, stat
ed that when in Seattle on his recent
trip, he was lead to believe that
there would be one sometime next
spring.
"Just how much l cannot say
said Mr.. Mcdonald. I'm fact, moth.
ing was said regarding an advance
in the tariff but the impression was
prevailing that there would be one
l am not speaking with any authori'
ty at all. Mr.. Flye, as the freight and
passenger agent of one company. pos
sesses more facts than I."-Gateway