The Nome daily nugget., 1918-02-23

gentleman yield?
 Mir. Houston. Not now. There, are many people in Alaska who are suffering from the high rates of trans portation. Mark you, those who are controlling the shipping are not suf- fering. They to an extent own theI Alaska syndicate property and the smelting and mining company prop erty and the fishing industries and, mind you, the two great interests are the fishing and the copper interests These men are interested in the Alaska Steamship Co.,, and they are hauling their own goods. They can charge whatever they please. It makes noI difference because they can pay it into their own pockets
 But there is another class of people in Alaska. We are undertaking to de- velop that great country. We are ex- pending money to build Q railroad there, with a view of advancing Amer ican citizenship, with a view'of devel- oping Alaska for American settlement by American citizens. They have sold townsites and lots along this road in large numbers. Americans are at- tempting to build their homes there. They want to get nails to build their houses with. They need hardware in connection with the construction of their homes. And yet to ship that hard ware used in those buildings from Se- attle to Cordova costs $9 a ton, whereas for a much greater distance on the Atlantic coast or any other coast It will cost about -350 per ton. These men want to buy blows. They want to do agricultural work there. They arc succeeding in that. They want to buy shovels and picks and hoes, and when those implements are brought up there by the steamship company they have to pay those enormous rates. IL is a burden upon American citizens in Alaska who ought to have relief.
 Not only that. but the United States is intensely interested in the copper and fish that come from there. Take the copper for instance the most useful article, almost, that we have need for in this great war now existing, which is being shipped out there. I do not suppose the shipping has much to do 40 thnt affect 1t, because the same to a large extent own both the copper and the transportation facilities.
 But the fishing industry is one of the great industries up there. l do rot think that ali of this industry Is owned by the large companies. This is food there in great aboundance. We talk about the conservation of food. We talk about saving for the American people, saving everything we can in order to furnish supplies to our armies and soldiers and people at home. And vet here Is a product that is recognized to be one of the best foods for our army that can be found-this fish, this salmon, this halibut--aid yet, so far as that article is concerned, 1t Is subjected to the same high rate of transporta- tiou.
 Now, 1t is claimed that not to ex- empt Alaska from the provisions of this bill will divert American trade from America and Alaska into Canadian markets. MT. Speaker. 1t is a fact that l suppose nobody will question that tho fishing industries in Alaska are owned by Americans. American citi. zens own them almost entirely. sup pose there may be few exceptions but not many. They own the fisheries, and when it comes to shipping their sup plies to n market they will send 1t where they please. They can send 1t to America, to Seattle, to San Francis co, or to any other Pacific port and tako 1t they will do so because they are interested il, America and plre patriotic Americans and want to build up American trade. If they want to send. it to Canada they can do 80 now without any trouble in the world. If there Is an inducement to send there, sufficient to overcome their patriotic desire to build up their in their own vessels. They have got them. They have nothing to do but send them tnSrs Sc that. th<rs ia nething ia tnst