The Wrangell sentinel., 1929-02-14
DISCRIMINATION AGAINST
 ALASKAN SAWMlLLS

has called attention to an unjust and discriminatory practice, involving shipments over Canadian lines into the United States, and has asked The Timberman to cooperate in correct ing this unfair situation. The commu- nication says
 Our Alaska mills are badly ham, pered in our attempt to get into the markets in the Twin Cities and east ward by reason of the fact that the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, gener- ally known as the Jones act, excludes Alaska from the privileges enjoyed by the rest of the United States in shipping over Canadian lines of transportation.
 Section 27 prohibits the use of foreign ships in transporting Ameri- can goods between American points and has this proviso attached
 !" That this section shall not ap-
 ply to merchandise transported be-
 tween points within the continen-
 tai United States, excluding Alas
 ka, over through routes recognized
 by the Interstate Commerce Com
 mission for which routes rate tar
 ifs have been or shall be filed with
 said commission when such routes
 are in part over Canadian rail lines
 or their own or other connecting
 water facilities
 "You will note that this section es- tablished the right to ship freight from one part of the United States to another part of the United States over Canadian rail and over the water part of such routes by foreign vessels. Alaska is excluded from equal rights with the rest of the United States. We are prohibited from enjoying the right of shipping through Prince Ru- pert and thereby lose a very strate- gic means of shipping.
 ''We have wired our delegate to Congress, Dan Sutherland, to intro duce a bill whereby Alaska may be allowed the same privileges as the rest of the United States"
 The Timberman can conceive of no good reason why the sawmill opera tors of Alaska should have closed against them any Canadian gateway which is available to the mills of the United States, and is pleased to be of assistance in calling the attention of Congress to this discrimination which has a tendency to restrict the devel- opment of the lumber industry in that rich storehouse of natural re- sources.
 Scott c. Bone, former governor of Alaska, in speaking of the visit of the late President Warren G. Harding to Alaska, accompanied by President elect Hoover, then secretary of com merce, says
 Hoover, a rational conservation ist, was not unmindful on his jour ney to the Northland of the de- caying growth of timber in need of harvesting, lining the shores of Alas ka all the way from Dixon's Entrance to Resurrection Bay in the forest re- serves comprising thirty millions of acres. All in the rain belt, and un- hampered by fire, there had at that time hardly been a dent in these CO., lossal stands of spruce, hemlock and cedar The obvious inquiry was why Alaska, through this timber, was not supplying in large part the wood pulp and print paper demands of the coun- try. Manufacturers were investing huge capital in Canada, but were looking askance at Alaska, because the regulations of the Forest Service were regarded as too stringent. Since then the service has succeeded in in- teresting capital and there is today prospect that at least one big pulp and paper plant will be established and in operation within few years"
 1t would appear as if the lumber men in Alaska had been caught in the wise of special transportation privi- leges and are unfairly penalized when seeking to use competitive routes. The Timberman will be very glad to have this subject discussed from any angle If there be any valid reason for the maintenance of a transportation embargo against Alaskan lumber movement let's have the reason. Turn on the light! Alaska is a large poten- tial producer of lumber and pulp products and should be given an even break in the competitive race.