The Cordova daily times., 1919-09-05
LEEHEY TALKS
{. ABOUT SHIPS
! and SHIPPING

THE Alaska Territorial Shipping
Board is conducting a very search
ing investigation into everything
which pertains to steamship trans
portation to and from this terri
tory" said Maurice D. Leehey to the
Ketchikan Chronicle as he was leav-
ing for Seattle. 81 am on my way
home from Juneau, where I went
for a conference with the board, ac-
companied by Richard M. Semmes,
who has been retained as traffic
adviser. You know Mr.. Semmes is
an old-time Alaskan of Yukon days
and was manager of the first Ad-
miral line when it had the Bertha
and Portland on the run to South
west Alaska. Mr.. Semmes had just
returned from army service and we
were fortunate to obtain him for this
work.
1--WE are going into every phase
of the question, and the steamship
companies promise to give us every
aid in assembling complete data. |
think the companies realize that our
Territorial Shipping Board is fair,
and wants to help the companies
with their troubles, thereby better
enabling them to give a better SER
vice and better rates to the shipper.
No doubt the steamship people have
their troubles, and we shall also try
to find means to economic in the
service, but it is of prime import
ance that a definite schedule OF
sailings be established and main
tanned.
"Just now in the past "a hours,
the only three passenger boats OF
the Admiral line all called at
Ketchikan northbound. I am told
that none of them have any mail,
as that was sent north on the Prln-
cess Mary which has a contract
from the Canadian post office de-
partment. How long will the Cana
dian government allow our govern
ment to sponge on them for that
service? 1t is undignifed in our
great government, to say the least,
but the post office department Will
not award a mail contract unless the
companies agree to definite
schedule, and the companies say they
can not do so on the rates the depart
ment will pay. But we must get a
definite schedule some way. Three
northbound passenger ships here IN
one day means none for several days.
And the traffic seems large enough
when you try to get space tor
freight or buy ticket. Why, Il
can't even get a steerage ticket to
Seattle. But we are going into the
whole subject fully, and that is a
big Job, requiring some months OF
the facts which bear upon the sub
iect, and I am sure we shall then be
able to find some relief from a sit
uation so absolutely forbidding to
Alaskan development.
'T have watched the mining de-
velopment in the Salmon river val
ley above Hyder for twelve years,
as I have clients who have been IN
terested there that long and who
have stood by the district with I'M
shakable faith Now they have at
least two wonderful mines developed,
and others give almost positive
assurance of greatness. The great
schistose intrusion in which the
veins are found extends over on the
Alaska side, and mines will be de-
veloped there also, but the Alaska
side is lower down and covered with
more debris and vegetable growth,
making prospecting more difficult
than on the Canadian side.
"And the one thing upon which
Alaska primarily depends for growth
is the development of her mines. l
appreciate the wonderful fisheries,
but the fact is they are developed too
much so far as salmon and halibut
are concerned. 1t is a question
whether that production can be
maintained, but there is no question