The Stroller's weekly and Douglas Island news., 1921-08-13

The contemplated proposition of the Government to operate lime of 6O00-tou steamships between Seattle .ud the ocean terminal Seward OF Anchorage. of the railroad running from those points to thc interior of Alas a sounds an right and wholly feasbIc-mtil confronted with sober thought and logic In lact 1t is good prop aeauda Co publish to the outside world as tends to sug .p,t that there is sufficient population and business ace uvitv iu the interior of Alaska o warrant such euer- prise.
 Counting everything north of Anchorage as "In- cror Alaska" and include the Yukon basin from Eagle to St Michael with an its tributaries there are not m It today 5OOO white people, and oue 6Oo0ton cargo would not only give each white pcrson-u there are 'UV whites which there arc uo-ouc tom and stI' leave lUOu tom, to bc distributed among the Indians And viewing ,c situation from this standpoint how much of cargo would the 6O00tou steamer carry from Seattle on lts second trip!
 Agaml What would constitute return cmgoes for -ho,e steamers! The fertile Matauusla valley might suppl, 500 or O00 tons of potatoes o of them just be.,r. thc idcs of November begin diug. but where
 would .areoes for the remainder of the time come from u , mot tbc policy of thc Government to ship coal from Alaska o lower coast points, and cargo oI b.ueoeuy .au |, out of the question: while ouc ship would carry tlo fish pack of tine year, including bypoducts, ou one rip
 Theoretically the proposition for the government to operate Scattlc-to-Sewarj lime of steamships is good ouc It looks we'll ou paper and cam do mo harm until u becomes reality. and then the harm would be only to the Govcwmcut which would then realize its prematm- .y
 This paper Is sorry that existing conditions do mot warrant thc operation of line of steamships by the Gov emcut as is now being discussed for the reason that |. conditions u amy section of the Territory justified such innovation those of other sections would justify tIe same thing and an Alaska would blossom the rose and Flourish as a rampant potato vuc We hope to see that day and confidently believe it will come but 1t is mot vc-. and to attempt amy such eutcWrisc-wcu. u would mot be enterprise Rather 1t would be iooharIy ycuuc thc result of which could mot bc other than tnal c.a disaster.
 When tbc Government railroad to the interior Is completed tbc latter part of this year thc Government win have spent approximately fifty million dollars on t and we believe is money well invested; and i. another fifty million is spent in the construction of wagon roads aud otherwise developing tine interior and in enabling tru persons o live where but exists today then and mot t then win tbe time be ripe for the operation of a uc of 6OOOton. or amy other draft. steamships from Seattle direct to the terminal of the railroad Business i, busiuc>s-cvcu if it is the Government that is cou- ductmg it-aud mot by the widest flight O. imagination cam anything m the line of business now be seen Go jus ty more steamship service than exists at present. Get hc population and create demand for increased trans norratou service and 1t will matcralzc There were plenty %. boats when the people were here and there will be rcutv when the people come back