The Alaska daily empire., 1920-04-03
COMMITTEE IS FOR ALASkA'S
 SHIPPING BILL
Commerce Committee Favors Plan for Alaska But Will
 Hold Indefinite Hearings
WICK REFUSED T0 TALF
After Demanding Hes ing or, Charges Former Delegate
 Declines to Take Stand

WASHINGTON, April 3.-It i4 claimed by the supporters of th.. Alaska shipping bill that a majority of the Senators on the Senatd Comemrce Committee have declared, that they are in favor of the measurel but they plan to continue holding hearings indefinitely in order to gives the Alaska salmon packers and own-i CTS of private steamship lines anI opportunity to appear before the con-l mittee. The committee has received torial shipping bill from large salmonl packers, owning their own ships ! particularly from the Alaska Packers and Libby McNeil and Libby. Falcons Joslin, stockholder in the Alaskas Steamship Company, is here and hes says the Alaska Steamship Company is opposed to the bill.
 The hearings in opposition to theI bill were demanded by former Dele gate James Wickersham and Johnl E.. Ballaine. Both were present at the hearings when statements were made by representatives of the "egyitoriaII Shipping Board, and Bailaine made4 statement himself. Alter he cross. examination of MT. Paiiajne Waa cem-I pleted, Judge Wickershan vas asked to take the stand and he declaad
 Balaine, while making his tats-i ment, was accused of telling Seattle. newspapers that Senator Wesley L.I Jones. of Washington, Chairme of the Commerce committee, had re fused to introduce the Territoris Shipping bill, but when pressed, on cross examination admitted that he had so told Ashmun Brown, Wash ington correspondent of the Seattle Post Intelligencer. When he made this admission, Senator Jones inter- rupted hotly to declare that he had not so refused.
 Wickersham and Ballaine had told Secretary of the Interior, John B, Payne that Maurice D. Leehey was an attorney for the Guggenheims and drafted the shipping bill in their inter- esst. When accused before the com mittee of having told this to Secre- tary Payne. both Wickersham and Ballaine denied that they had done so. When Ballaine was testifying, on cross examination, he retracted the denial and admitted that he had done so. He explained that he had arrived at the conclusion that Leehey was the Guggenheim attorney from the fact that he was attorney for the coal and oil companies for Falcon Joslin which have properties at Katalla. Leehey denied that he was even Joslin's attorney and defied Ballaine to produce proofs.
 Ballaine testified that he had closed out all of his Alaskan interests denied that he was representing Canadian interests. said that he lived in Seattle and declared that he was appearing before the Senate com mittee against the shipping bill from purely philanthropic motives.
 When he had closed his statement, Wickersham refused to take the stand and be questioned further Questions asked were unanswered. He content ed himself with saying that the charges that he and Ballaine had rep resenting Canadian interests had nos besz2 proven. He did admit however thaIS he had got the endorsement of the town of Fairbanks to the proposal that Canadian boats be operated between American ports on the Yukon River.
 Attention was called to the re fusal of Judge Wickersham to make a statement in the face of the fact that he had demanded a hearing on the charges that he represented Can adian interests or to answer questions put to him.
 Why Charges Made Against
 Wickersham.
 The facts stated to the Senate Commerce Committee on which were based R. M Semmes' charge that that Judge Wickersham and John E.