The Seward gateway daily edition, and the Alaska weekly post., 1919-05-10

ican citizen has right to conduct his business on basis that will bring him reasonable return on the money he has invested" continued Mr. Watson. "It, a> result of his own unwiSdOm. any man should sell his goods or his services at less than cost, he would Se forced out of business, and we know that the American people in all fair ness. do not demand that any man sell his goods, or his services at less than cost. but if he should do so, they will not pity him 50 much as they wouil condemn him for his foolishneSs.
 "If the people Of Alaska will cX- anime the situation carefully, they will realize that if the steamship com pauics attempted to carry the malls lndcr the contract demanded by the postal department, the companies would be in the same position as the merchant who drove himself into bankruptcy by selling his goods at lcsS than cost.
 When the post office departments asked for bids on the Alaska mail cor tract. the steamship companies figW- ed as closely as they could and they submitted bids in which they offerc { to carry the mail for exactly the sam" revenue per trip aS they had in the past despite the tremendous increaSel cost ot operation which the StcamshiD companies had to bear. The post of flee department arbitrarily decided hat the companies had asked too much. The result was, that the post office department resolved to diScon- .inue giving the people of Alaska mail ,crvicc as formerly, but decided tO send mail by freight. AS a result O. this decision, the people of Alaska have suffered the greatest mconvenl- rncc and delay, and they should place the blame where it belongs; it is easily within the power of the post of fee department to remedy this Situa- ion. IL stands to reason that the steamship companies would gladly carry the mail if they can do so with out suffering a loss, as no individual or company is going to re0uSe con tract if it offers profit,
 The government has received in numcrable protests from the people and commercial bodies of AlaSkl against the handling of mail by freight OF express, as at present. To offset these protests, the impression has been given out that the steamship companies were arbitrarily cxorht- tant in their bids. A good many peO- pie in Alaska received the idea that .hc steamship companies were reSpou- ,blc for forcing the mail to be car ricd by freight whereas, as has been stated before. the companies did noe raise their bids over what had been charged during the time when opcrat- ing cost were very much lower than Ut present. and the Admiral line and Alaska Steamship company, at a mec'. mg in the chamber of commerce rC. ccntly, stated plainly that they Were quite happy under the present conii ton. without any mail contract As they were now enabled to cut out T great many calls and deviationS which cost lots of money, and which makes it possible to save in operating eX- penSeS, more than the whole of the compensation for carrying the mails.
 If they can carry the mails, how ever, without suffering an actual los, they will do it in order to accommo- date the people of Alaska. In faimes' to the steamship companies, therefor, the people must lsok to the post office department for the necessary action to bring relief. The companies are In no way responsible for the situation, and should not bear the blame for a condition brought about by the ar bitrary stand taken by the post office department at Washington, D. C.
 "The actual increase in the cost O. operation since January 1917, is well over 100 per cent. To show that the above statement is correct l wish to submit few figures.
 Increase in salaries to ships per cen..
 Officers and crew 75.6S
 Increase in insurance 194.0O
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