The Alaska daily empire., 1919-04-22
NEW SHIPPING BILL BEFORE
 LEGISLATURE
Ways and Means Commit tee Adopts Substitute for Noon Bill With Approval
 of Author.

substitute for the bill authorizing lhe Territory of Alaska and, under cer tain circumstances, the municlpah' ties Of the Territory to enter the transportation business in Alaska wa ters which has been recommended for passage by the committee
 Whereas, freight and passenger rotes of the steamship companies en- gagged in transportation to the ports of Alaska have become, by reason of recent increases, burden ont the people of the Territory of Alaska and are excessive and exhorbitant' and based upon the unreasonable hypothesis of paying q large per centage on inflated and watered cap italization; and
 Whereas, such burden is a tax upon the very existance of the Ter ritory. and a grave and ever-ihcreas- ing menace to it's development, and the neople are unanimously demand ing relief;
 Now, Therefore, for the purpose of affording relief from such exofbl tant and excessive rates, and en- abling the people to receive thelf supplies and ship their commodities at reasonable rates;
 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the Territory of Alaska:
 Section 1. That there is hereby created and established a board, to be known and designated as the Al aska Territorial Shipping Board, which shall consist of the Governor of the Territory of Alaska, who shall be the chairman of the Board. the Treasurer of the Territory of Alaska, and the Secretary of the Territory of Alaska, who shall serve without additional compensation;
 Provided; That the members CT the Alaska Territorial Shipping Board shall be reimbursed for all the necessary travelling expenses, in cured by them in the actual perform ance of their duties as members of such board, upon the approval and authorization of the board.
 Section ?. Authority is hereby vested in the Shipping Board created by this Act to establish a general steamship freight and passenger ser vice between different Alaskan ports and between Alaska and other norts and upon any of the navigable wa ters of Alaska and elsewhere, and for this purpose shall perform all the duties generally performed by the Board of Directors of a private steamship company. They shall ap- point a person to be designated as the Territorial Shipping Commission CT, who shall perform all the du' ties generally pertaining to the or flee of general manager Of prl vate steamship company, shall noid office during the pleasure Of the Board, and shall receive such sal ary as may be fixed by the Board to be paid monthly upon warranl issued upon the Territorial Treas urer in the same manner as salar ies of other Territorial officials are paid, to be paid from the appfop riation provided herein.
 , Section g. The Shipping Board shall have full power and authority to do everything to carry on a steam
 ship freight and passenger business as herein provided, and shall haVt power to charter purchase or con tract for the construction of sulta ble vessels as the interests Of the l Alaskan trade require, not in excess of the funds available for such pui
 poses under the provisions ol thi'
 Act: Provided the authority in th!'
 gection granted to said Shippins
 Board is not 10 be construed IS ma'i
 datory, but said Board, fig in i..
 judgment the relief sought TOT "'
 this Act can be secured by propel
 action before the Courts, the Inter
 state Commerce Commission, th'
 United States Shipping Board, C.
 through any other proper means, ' hereby authorized and empowered
 to take such remedial action as may Le deemed necessary, and may puF | sue Sucn reHeuy COHttsii iippi"
 with the exercise of the powers aeoV'
 set forth.
 Section 1. In the performance O their duties under the provisions O
 this Act, the Shipping Board hereoi created shall act as trustee Tor thS
 Territory of Alaska !, and all con tracts entered into by them shal
 be made in the name of the Terri tory of Alaska by the Alaska Tern
 torial Shipping Board as trustees ioi the Territory of Alaska and shah pt signed by the chairman of the Board and the Shipping Commissioners
 Section 5. The Territory Of AfasKa hereby consents to be sued Tn the name of the Territory on any and all causes of action growing out oi any transaction or act of said Ship ping Board in the performance oi any transaction or act of said snip ping Board in the performance oi it's duties as herein provided ana may bring such actions in the name of the Territory. upon the direction of the Alaska Territorial Shipping Roard. for the enforcement Of any