The Cordova daily times., 1921-04-02
A BULL IN THE CHINA SHOP

Senator Cummins of Iowa, chair naan of the interstate commerce com. mission, has solved the much mooted question of why the population in the territory has reached it's present low figures. He states that Alaska has become depopulated because freight and passenger rates are too high, and also because the lines now in opera. tion are owned by the Cooper inter ests," probably referring to the Alas. ka Steamship Company, which is con. trolled by the Kennecott corporation Senator Cummins' panacea, his cure all for existing conditions in Alaska is a proposed line of government operated steamships from Seattle to Seward, which is guaranteed to re. store the bloom of youth to the near. ly lifeless jade, and cause Alaska to burgeon even as the pussy-willow in the spring
 He also takes a long-range shot at Colonel Frederick Mears, the pres. ent chairman of the Alaska engineer, ing commission, by recommending that the construction of the govern. ment railway be taken from control by the army and placed in civilian hands. To which remarks many thoughtless citizens in the territory will probably arise and remark, "Hal too"
 But let us hark back over the an nals of a few short months and ou1 memory recalls rumblings anent this same shipping scheme, coming from the very late lamented territorial shipping board, that defunct body of Seattleites who were paid so well and did so little for us. It was also promised as a CuTe-all for shipping ills, and opponents of the plan were called many obnoxious epithets, until the bull-frOg chorus so strong for a time, that until the affair collapsed In night, many persons really took it seriously and believed the terri, tory had missed immortality by a squirrel jump
 Old sourdoughs who have passed the last two or three snows in the territory can remember when a pros. pector or miner could buy enough supplies with a hundred dollar bill Go carry him through the season AHNEka pya a 1onH of y,In of occasional peace when Wick was not a candidate for some office. Oil was few cents a barrel powder cost but tithe of it's present price The supply of women was sufficient to provide good wives for our sturdy citizens, and money was so plentiful our pangynga players sometimes took home box of candy to the children. The salmon crowded each other out of the streams and the ptarmigau billed and cooed and strutted on the hilltops. Today all is changed. The grtce of powder is prohibitive; Sec, Tetary Daniels seized all the avail able oil supply to send the fleet on dress parade, and the salmon is as rare as the dodO. The ptarmigan has joined the Delaware and the buffalo the occasional woman visitor goes back to the states to marry a shoe clerk on shipyard wages, and one hundred dollar bills are only flashed in exclusive society The miner and the prospector are too dazed to re- cover from the attacks of profiteer- its. Our cup of woe is complete and brim full
 And to think that Senator Cum mins could place his finger on the canker which has been gnawing at our population. With unerring pers- picacity he has uncovered our sore spot. To think that a raise of a few dollars in freight and passenger rates would cause all this hegira from the territory. The senator claims to have undisputable evidence that high prices have caused Alaskans to stam- pede like sheep for the great out side where brotherly love and the hold-up artist are in evidence. Any steamship company which charges a passenger $63.50 for a seven day ride