The Daily Alaska empire., 1932-05-18
The Pulp Tariff.
(Ketchikan Chronicle,)

Plainly the depressing worldwide economic con- ditions threat to immediate Alaskan develop ment That fact it so patent that it needs little amplifcation. The establishment of the pulp and paper mills, imminent two years ago. has been
 indefinitely deferred The construction of the Fed eral Building here, contemplated for this year has been delayed for at least year. The construction of factory here, planned for this spring, has been indefinitely delayed.
 There should be nothing distressing in all that We know that conditions cannot remain this way indefinitely. When they revive, when economic standards shift to quarters, we shall have our promised developments, perhaps in fields that now we little dream be exploited.
 But there appears to be one means at hand to help bring about the realization of one of our major industries. That is the insstence on protec- tive tariff for lumber and pulp products The Northwest States-Washington and Oregon - have become active proponents of such plan during recent weeks. Feeling the pinch of depressing con dtions in the lumber and pulp industry, with thousands of idle, with huge plants not turn
 ing over that agitation has not been hard to arouse
 We in Alaska, although we did once-as Wash ington and Oregon dd-enjoy great prosperity from those quarters might well follow the lead of inter ests in those States, In point of fact, of course we already have The Chamber of Commerce only recently passed resolution favoring duty on pulp imports to the United States It is a distressing fact that the great majority of the newsprint con- isumed in the United States comes from Canada land, in part from other foreign countries. At the time, the vast IOngaSS luSdily suited for the manufacture of newsprint and little suited for anything else is idle Purely as matter Iof self preservation we might urge that measure lof protection which not only would help our neigh boring American States but would tend to speed the eventual establishment of pulp and paper mills in this section.
 prohibitive tariff of course, has it's objections
 Perhaps it would bring about disastrous results if lit were to cause in Canada the conditions which we here trying to correct But there surely can be little valid objection to measure of protection From what those directly concerned have said the manufacture of newsprint in Alaska would not be appreciably more expensive than sim liar manufacture elsewhere Logging along the shore line would be comparatively simple. Transports ltion of logs to the ms transportation of supplies and labor, transportation of the finished product to any market in the world, all would be practicable the year around. Through terms arranged by the Government the forest resources would be placed at the disposal of the manufacturers without excessive Icost
 Unquestionably, the pulp mill development would be the greatest single step taken to put Alaska lon it's feet. Everything that has been done thus far has failed to increase total population ap- Ipreciably. But it is easy to assume that a single large pulp mill in or near Ketchikan would double the population of the district similar venture lin or near Juneau would have the effect there That population would have tangible means Of support. It would tend to build up the Territory permanently as nothing else could.
 Although little information is available here now las to the proposed duties their possible effect lon Alaska everyone interested in the welfare of his Icommunity should determine what he thinks best. If he believes duty of some sort would be Of benefit he should do something to impress on our Delegate and other Representatives in Congress why he so believes While the voice of Alaska may not be strong it nevertheless wouldn't hurt to say more than has been said in the locally adopted resolution