The Cordova daily times., 1919-05-15
ALASKA SHIP
 PLAN LACKS IN JUDGMENT

Some people in Alaska are headed for an awful failure in their proposed $10,OOO,00O ship corporation. For the purpose of pointing out the weakness in their argument and to prevent this most serious error from reacting upon them few years hence, thereby causing deep regret, the following cold statement has been carefully compiled.
 In the first place, those who are backing the Alaska government steamship line are very wrongtuly taking the total of Alaska's commerce as working hypothesis. We will for the moment start with the same basis, but in this argument the value of gold is omitted, as that does not mean any steamship tonnage. The figures will have to be given as valua- tions rather than weights, owing to the fact that the United States GUS toms department gets it's totals out in valuations.
 The calendar year 1918 was an ab- normal one for Alaska, chiefly on ac- count of supplies sent to cannerles. The principal transportation lines handling the grand total shipment were the following: Alaska Barge Co.,, Alaska Packers, Alaska Steamship Co.,, Humboldt Steamship Co.,, Booth Fisheries Co.,, Libby, McNeil & Libby, Canadian Pacific, Grand Trunk Pacific, Pacific Steamship Co.,, Pacific American Fisheries, United States chartered ships and independent hali- but schooners, whalers and cannery tenders. Therefore, the new Alaska government steamships must at once prepare to compete with all these diff ferent companies, and as each com pany absolutely controls certain percentage of the north and south ton mage, it is beyond the realm ot req son to imagine for one moment that the Alaska Packers are going to dl- vide their business with competitor whose announced intention is to prac- tically annihilate the transportation companies.
 The next thing to be carefully con- sidered are the ports in the United States to and from which the Alaska government boats will operate. Ii they are going to compete they must operate from Tacoma, Seattle, Bel lingham, Portland and San Francisco. At San Francisco, for example, they will have to compete with the sailing vessels of the Alaska Packers Asso- citation, at Bellingham they must meet and cut under the rates of the Pacific American Fisheries, at Portland they must reduce the rates under the very low charges made last year for haul ing large cargoes of lumber and mls- cellaneous supplies from that port north, while at Seattle and Tacoma, which handled the bulk of the busi- ness they must meet in competition two regular organized steamship com panies.
 Finally, we come to the grand total of the commerce of Alaska, leaving out the value of gold. Very briefly, this total is represnted in the equip ment and supplies sent north and principally the copper and fish sent south. The grand total valuation for the calendar year 1918, according to United States figures, was $115,398,- 837, but this rather attractive total dwindles to $27,S25,73O when all of the commodities which are handled under contract by different operating companies are deducted. In, other words, this small total of $27,825, ,730 is the grand total valuation of the 1918 competitive commerce, meanipg all that is left to be handled by com peting steamships after the Alaska Packers and, the other fishing inter ests, the copper companies and others which have already made their trans portation arrangements have de, ducted their totals handled last year, from the grand total.
 Further, segregating these figures we find that in the value of supplies and equipment sent north for the calendar year 1918 the total was $40,- 412,25S, of which Puget Sound ports handled $27,715,2O2, California and Oregon ports $12.697.056. Of the grand total, the value of supplies and equipment sent north by operators in their own or controlled boats amount ed to $21.3e0,O0o. We, therefore, ar rive at the conclusion that if the new Ala9ka line is to go in the open maf. ket and solicit freight, there must be deducted the value of shipment north A~hA~.y ~,,xxa1lon and Nftap Nnn,