The Wrangell sentinel., 1924-01-24
SPLENDID BOOSTING
 IS IS DONE BY HOOPER
Tourists Society President Who Vis- ited Alaska During Past Summer
 Telling of Her Wonders

In an address delivered to the Federation of States Societies at Los Angeles recently, John Hooper, spoke of Alaskan tourist travel. MT. Hooper emphasized the fact that the Alaskan trip is equally as pleasant in May, June and September as it is in July and August, the months which general opinion has depicted as the only time to make the voyage.
 It will be remembered that Mir Hooper paid a visit to Wrangell in October in response to special in vitation from the Wrangell Commer- cial Club His address, in part, follows
 "The tourists who propose to go | to Alaska in 1924 should make their reservations early. After an ex- haustive inquiry into the Alaska tourist situation, in which I have spoken to thousands of tourists and residents of Alaska, as well as to scores of people who are engaged in either transporting people to Alaska or engaged in the matter of provid- ing accommodation for such travel, I am of the opinion that the best temporary solution of the whole matter is-to increase the season by making known to all tourists that at least there are two or two and one-half months (besides July and August) in which it is desirable to make the trip to Alaska.
 "In an extensive survey made by myself last year and the year pre- vious, I found that May, June and September were also good months for the tourists to make the Alaskan trip. found that the first two weeks in May were fairly good and the last two weeks were excel lent. In September of 1922, I found that the first two weeks were excel lent, whilst the latter part had rain. It is safe to say, however, that any time between the fifteenth of May and the fifteenth of Septem- Der, is equally desirable for the AL askan tourist.
 While I firmly believe my state ment true that fifty thousand tour ists want to go to Alaska, it seems at present impossible to say that that number will be able to go in 1924. The real solution of the AL askcn tourist problem lies in the summer rush being spread over four or five months-instead of as at present, all trying to get there in July or August. It is only reason able to surmise that none of the steamship companies can build boats to carry passengers for two months traffic and lay them up for ten months of the year, unless they looked at it from a philanthropic viewpoint.
 "The transportation people tell me that they do not believe the solu- tion of the problem or question Cat the present time ) lies in the matter of increased service, but rather in the lengthening of the tourist season. have also found existent an impression that the only two months of the year fit to visit All aska is in July and August. This is entirely erroneous, as the climate from the 18th of May to the 18th of September is uniformly excellent. There have been years when the season has been good for over five months for tourists and sightseeing and, in fact, the weather is infinitely better than the average Eastern weather, every year.
 "The great difficulty in the Alas kan travel is that nearly everyone wants to go with the great crowds in
 July and August, when they would have more comfort in the other months. By everyone rushing their trip in July and August it gives the Impression that the transportation facilities are not srfficiert. The only solution is the lengthening of the season and have all who can go in May, June or September. This will distribute the traffic over greater period and conduce to better hotel and steamship accommodations.
 Personally I prefer May, June or lSeptember, because it affords better
 fishing, hunting, hiking, view of the
 glaciers, etc.
 "Also, by making your Alaskan "trip in May, June or September you can get better hotel accommoda-
 tions. AS the steamships make the
 same schedules in May. June and
 September as in August and July, ii
 the Alaskan tourist travel could be spread over these five months