Seward daily gateway., 1926-02-17
CHAMBER ENCOURAGES USE
 ALASKA TIMBER
LETTER ADDRESSED TO SEWARD CHAMBER URGES COOPERA-
 TON IN INDUSTRY
GOOD MARKET IN SEWARD

Enormous Quantity of Material Used
 In Making Barrels and Boxes The Juneau Chamber of Commerce | is attempting to encourage the use of Alaska timber and is taking up with various corporations, doing bus mess in the Territory, the advisabil- itl of utilizing Alaska lumber wher- ever possible. The chamber believes this to be a step forward i1 the de- velopment of one of Alaska's natural resources and wish the cooperation of other chambers. They accordingly sent the following letter to the Sew ard Chamber of Commerce. The let ter is a copy of one mailed to con- cern in the States which carries on an extensive industry in Alaska.
 The letter follows:
 January 23, 1926. Pacific American Fisheries,
 Bellingham, Wash,
 Gentlemen:
 The Juneau Chamber of Commerce has recently been giving some study to the lumber industry of Alaska with the thought that ways might be found to encourage it's further development This industry is now making sub- stantial progress in Southeastern Al aska but we believe an even more rapid development is justified in view of our timber wealth.
 One of the striking facts connected with our lumber industry is that an immense quantity of lumber and other timber products is shipped into Alas ka from the States which the local mills are fully capable of producing For example, almost 3,000,000 sets of salmon case shocks were brought from the States in 1924, while we have eX- cellent box material in our spruce and hemlOck forests, and a number of our mills, which have been recently enlarged and improved and are we'll equipped for box manufacture, are closed down a large part of the year for lack of orders. Here apparently is an excellent opportunity for Alas kan concerns to assist another local industry and thus contribute further
  ritOry.
 There is another angle in this con- nection to which we desire to call your attention. One of the stock ar guments made by an element in Alas ka that is continually on the war-path against 'Outside" interests and par ticularly antagonistic to the salmon packers is that these outside" inter- ests are taking out of the Territory supplieS-raW material-withOut giv ing anything in return except the tax es levied against them. This is the method taken in boosting taxes or passing memorials and resolutions de- signed to embarass packers and oth- CTS. It has occurred to us that from your own standpoint it might be de- sirable to put into effect a policy cal culated to offset such arguments in- solar as it could be done under local conditions. We realize that most of your supplies must be purchased in the markets of the larger cities in the States, and that much of your labor must be brought from the "outside," but where it is possible to purchase supplies in the Territory at cost rel atively on a basis comparative with that of the "outside" prices, we are confident it would aid in bringing about a more sympathetic attitude in Alaska toward foreign owners of local enterprises. This instance of box shocks offers, we believe, such an op- portunity. It will undoubtedly add ! materially to the prosperity of local enterprises engaged in their manufac- ture, promote the welfare of the towns and districts in which they are locat- ed and give employment to both skill ed and unskilled workers.
 We are not asking that you pay AL askan manufacturers a premium for their products. We are assured by them that they are willing to take care of this business on a competitive scale, and that they can give you an article that compares favorably in ev- cry way with that you have been us- ing in the past.
 With the above in mind may we respectfully request that as a large user of salmon boxes with the Terri tory special effort be made to place your box orders in Southeastern AL aska for such of your canneries as can be served from this section?
 This chamber and Alaskans gener- ally will certainly appreciate anything you may do to further our local lum- Der industry through more extensive use of Alaska timber products within the Territory
 Very truly yours,
 JUNEAU c. OF C.,
 The letter was read at yesterdays weekly business meeting and lunch con of the local chamber and melted much comment. The communication will be brought up for action at next