The Nome nugget., 1932-10-22
( Continued from last Saturday
For Lower Rates

Wickersham suggested and indeed
 he stated in words or substance that it would be dangerous to el- ect me as Delegate because I am one of the attorneys for the Cop
 per River Railroad; that I am re sponsible for the rates now charg-
 ed by the Copper River Railroad.
 and that, if elected Delegate. l
 will see that the rates on the
 Alasa Railroad are raised. Of cour-
 SC the whole statement made by
 Judge Wickers ham about this mat
 ter is untrue, except that I have
 given my legal services to the Cop
 per River Railroad. I am not any
 more responsible for the rates charged by that railroad than you
 are. In fact, I don't know wheth
 CT the freight rates are higher or
 lower than the freight rates on
 the Alaska Railroad. But I have
 been, and am, opposed to the pre- sent rates on the Alaska Railroad
 because l think they are too high.
 After all, the Alaska Railroad is
 a government road, and it was built, not to make money. but to develop the country, and under any wise and intelligent admin stration no particular effort would be made other than ordinary econ omy, to make the road break ev
 en. That was the idea that lay behind the building of the rail- road. It was the idea of the Will son administration and will be admitted that it was a wise and statesmanlike view. I strongly sus- pect that the present effort to make the road pay its own way is really an effort to discredit gov ernment owenrship of railways all over the country. These people, I believe, are really trying to make the railroad a failure to discredit the idea of a railroad owned and operated by the public. My view, that the present rates are too high and the old rates were plenty high, is So strong and has been so definite that at the last session of the Legislature, that of 1881, in collaboration with Senator Bra gaw of the Third Division, I drew and introduced Senate Joint Mem orial No. e. of that session. which was passed by the unanimous vote of both houses, praying that the order then recently made for in creasing the rates on the Alaska Railroad be set aside and that the old rates be restored or low CT rates put into effect. This mem orial can be found in any print ed volume of the Session Laws for the year 1881. I am one of the authors of the memorial and it entirely expresses my views. think the present rates are much too high and that the old ones should be restored. How does Judge Wick ersham stand on the subject? Has he by word or deed ever protested against the present rates or sug- gested that the rates should be lowered? I defy anybody to point out a single word or act that would indicate Judge Wickersham not to be in favor of the present high rates, and you must remem- Der that every time yol people ship a pound of freight over the railroad or travel over it, you are paying tribute to these nigl rates which Judge Wickershala fayo-s and which I oppose and resist. Col Ohlson, the manager of the railroad, is not in favor of such high rates, and at the recent ses- sion of Congress, he advised the committee that the rates should be lowered. But Judge Wickersham did nothing of that kind He has had the amplest opportunity every day for the last two years to say that he is opposed to these rates and to take some action against them, but he has remained inactive and silent. So on this matter also there is difference of political principle and political outlook be- twen Judge Wickersham and my