The Alaska daily empire., 1920-04-10
SkAGWAY AND THE SHIPPING BILL

I
 Skagway people are considerably wrought up ove the Alaska Territorial Shipping bill that is pendin in Congress. The Commercial Club of that city hs protested against the passage of the measure, an Skagway business men have been writing letters Juneau business in which the measure is r' ferred to part of plan to put the Canadian line which operate in Alaska out of business.
 The Skagway Commercial Club recently sent tn following telegram the Senate Commerce Con mttee:
 "skagway Commercial Club unanimously
 opposed to H. R. 12.909 declaring it deri-
 mental to Southeastern Alaska and that it
 will kill Skagway commercially by driving
 Canadian lines from Alaska. Canadian lines
 not only maintain reguar schedule but their
 shuperior passenger accommodation and ser
 vice has popularized the company until
 not only the general public but nearly all
 American officials it's steamers in pref
 Ierence to American boats whose service is
 known as rotten Canadian lines also fur
 nsh service which enables American fish
 ermen to accept the higher prices and more
 liberal grading at Prince Rupert than off,
 fered at Seattle We brand false state
 ments made by Semmes and Leehey that
 American. lines furnish all year service. Lo-
 seal postoffice records show Pacific Steamship
 Company through operating two boats in
 summer did not call here from December
 11th to March 17th; that the Alaska Steam
 ship Company though calling here with four
 boats in the summer season made no call in
 December and from February Sd to
 9.
 Pacific has failed in eighteen years
 to furnish from two to three sangs each
 month winter as we'll summer. Addition
 al taxes on ships will drive away our best
 ships and add to freight charges
 Discontinue sending mail by freight and
 give mail contracts to American companies
 and will do our part in developing
 country where nature imposes sufficient
 burdens it's residents without abortlve
 laws"
 In the first place it must be conceded that Skae way has special for grievance against tn steamship schedules that have been provided fo Lynn Canal and for that reason they would hay special reasons object to anything that migh prevent the Canadian lines from operating to tha town.
 But the people of Alaska nowhere want to sto Canadian vessels from coming to our ports and Skag way is wrong when she assumes that the propose legislation is directed against the Canadian lines It does not propose to tax them one particle nor than it does American lines. The total tax on al the Canadian vessels operating in Alaska waters using the 1919 record a basis, would be som S14,O00 year under the proposed measure Amer ican companies now pay tax in Alaska, while Car adian ships and go without charge. It Is Ia different, however, in British Columbia wher American ships have to pay for using their port charges that are not taxed against their own ship Under the shipping bill that is proposed the car nery boat that comes to Alaska year an stops at single port would have to pay tax large Canadian passenger steamer which call at various Alaska ports regulr schedule all tn year round Not only do the Canadian lines escap taxation in Alaska where they do business, but the get bonus from their country that is severa times greater than the proposed tax would amour to.
 However. the shipping bill prepared and ir troduced without thought of the Canadian lines spec ially in mind certainly not designed to injur them The purpose of the bill to compel tha part of the traffic of Alaska that is handled b private com panies, by vessels that not commo carriers to aid in bearing the brunt of giving al parts of Alaska an all-the- -year-round service, i the losses in dull periods and for outof-the-wa places up to the patrons of common carriers II is said that 75 per cent of the Alaska traffi is handled by other carriers than common car rers-carriers that the general public is proposed to these private carriers which three-fourhs of the traffic and create fund whic would allow the Shipping Board to make contract with vessels call at those ports where the traffi will not bear the cost and to operate regula schedules. It would mean that, instead of the steam ship companies having to charge the losses tha result from calling at out of the way places an, during dull months to that small percentage of tn traffic that is carried by the common carriers the. would be borne by the total traffic of Alaska. Ihus enable the carriers to reduce the |reGht aqd passenger charges their patrons. Tn, D1an aGoumes and most people must admit that fl ,roperly 6osumea that steamship company woult