The Alaska daily empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1912-1926, 1920-04-27
GOVERNOR SAYS CONGRESS WILL
PASS development BOARD BILL;
EXPLAINS SOME VERY MUCH
TALKED OF ALASKAN MATTERS

That progress has been nlpie in
presenting Alaskan questions to
Congress and good lineup secured
for the adoption of needed legis-
lation for the Territory at the next
session, is the opinion of Gov. Thom-
as Riggs, Jr., who with Mrs. Riggs.
and their children, returned home
this morning That the Alaska De-
velopment Board bill mill be passed
by Congress at the next session, Gov.
Riggs was assured by Senator Harry
S. New of Indiana, chairman OF the
Senate Committee on Territories, and
Representative Charles F. Curry of
California chairman Of the House
Committee on Territories.
That action will be taken Oh the
transportation situation in Alaska,
also the fisheries, is the belief OF
the governor.
Gov Riggs says the new Secre-
tary of the Interior, John Barton
Payne, Is very much interested in
Alaska, and disposed to aid the Ter
ritory in every way possible.
Discussing several phases of the
Alaskan matters that have been
prominent in the public eye at
Washington, and on this coast this
winter, Gov. Riggs said:
Shipping Board
"On account of the activities of.
the Territorial Shipping Board, for
the first time there has been serious
, consideration by official Washington
of Alaskan transportation problems.
AS an immediate result, the Secre-
tary of the Interior has arranged
| the formation of a committee consist.
| ing of DIR. Alfred H. Brooks, of the
| U. s. Geological Survey; Otto Prae-
ger Second Assistant Postmaster
general, and HI. Y. Saint, of the Y.
s. Shipping. Beard to further investi-
gate conditions with the possible out
come of shipping board line being
operated to Alaska.
Senator Jones, the chairman OF
the Senate Commerce committee stat
ed at the close of the five days
of hearings on the Territorial bill,
1t will not possible to report on
the bill at this session on account
of the pressure of other business.
However, three members of the Com.
merce Committee, two Republicans
and one Democrat, have expressed
themselves as favoring the bill, and
one member has even suggested that
similar measure might be we'll
applied to national policy. Further
hearings will be had in December to
| accommodate the large cannery In
terests and Judge Wickersham who
| wishes to be heard on the bill.
$50 far the only opposition voiced
| Is the open opposition OF the spec
| al interests such as some OF the
larger cannery operators, the vice.
president of the Alaska Steamship
company who considers the measure
an attack on the Kennecott ore rates,
John f. Ballaine, who formerly own
| ed the Seward townsite, and Cana.
dian steamship lines. A general
officer OF Canadian Steamship
company made the statement that
1T would only be about fifteen
| minutes to put a quietus on Gov.
Riggs and his advisors 1t is In
| teresting to note those who
are active In endeavoring to put
such quietus on the governor.
| while in Seattle an officer OF
the Alaska Steamship Company ad
] mitted to Mr.. Semmes and to me.
that the Canadian Pacific Steani-
ship Company had written them
urging the raising OF rates to Al
| aska. We asked to be allowed to
see the correspondence, but were re.
fused on the advice of the attorney
for the Alaska Steamship Company,
who is also the attorney for the
Canadian Pacific Steamship Com.
pany.
| Canadian Lines Want Business
THAT there will be determined
/ attempt on the part OF the Canadian
lines to capture the trade of South
i eastern Alaska, there is no doubt
This was admitted to me by Capt
| Nicholson of the Grand Trunk. The
result of such control would be that
we should be at the mercy OF an
unregulated Canadian commerce.
Southeastern Alaska would not be
benefited and probably hurt. while
Southeastern Alaska being deprived
of the benefits of contributing traf.
fic would be distinctly damaged, not
only in rates but in the already In
adequate schedules. The bill intro.
duced in Congress seems to be
about the only remedy against mon
} opoly. OF course Ballaine and his
intimate friends in Washington ara
: endeavoring to show that the Alaska
Territorial Shipping Board is working