The Daily Alaska empire., 1932-03-01
ALASKA SHOULD BE EXCEPTED.

The Davis bill. now pending before the lower House Of Congress seeking to amend coastwse ship ping laws in effort to meet certain transporta- ton conditions that exist on the Atlantic Coast is one of the most menaeing to Alaska that has ap- pearsd in the legislative horizon in many years if the construction apparently placed it by Dele gate Wiekersham and others is correct Its pro- visions it is claimed by them would make it diff cult if not impossible for steamships under Canadian registry to transport American tourists to these CTS It's effect upon local traffic probably would be less serious since broken voyages would free it from the blrs operations should it become law.
 The real aim of the measure is to bring an end to competition arising from trips, commonly called "cruisss to nowhere" which have been inaugurated by foreign vessels on the East Coast These have skinned the cream from the passenger trade at ports like New York and Boston and done material harm to the business of the American-owned and operated vessels number of foreign-flag ships are making 1t a practice to sandwich in between their regular trans-ocean saings short round-trip excursions from New York and other ports to Halifax or Nassau and back again to the port of departure But the wording is broad possibly it has to be, that the provisions might easily be stretched to cover Alaska tonrs that originate in any American community and end n t or any ether American town fl part of tae travel fs by water on routes competed for by Amsfi1an and fegeign-flag steam CTS something that the arignators Of the legislation never contemplated for moment
 The main attraction of the foregn-flag cruises to nowhere is the bars that operate aboard them outside of the 12-me limit. American coastwise ves- sels cannot offer similar Inducements Thus the Davis bill is merely an outgrowth of the Federal Prohibition law It seeks to do by indrection what could not be done drectly-that is to limit American cruises solely to American vessels Legislation that sought do that directly would be an unwarranted invasion of private rights and would most certainly invite far-reaching reprisals
 Reprsals can also be expected if the Davis meas ure becomes law. Its very nature invites them. Canada will not idly stand by and it's nationals shipping interests dseriminated against as will be the case of the Canadian Pacific and the Govern 4nents own line the Canadian National Steamships, which annually bring thousands of tourists on Al askan cruises
 Nor will the foregn-nag steamship interests be the only sufferers if the bin passes Alaska will suffer equally as severe a blow The two companies operating here under Canadian registry play no small part in the prosperity of the communities of Southeast Alaska Passengers aboard them. most of whom would not make the trip otherwise, spend many thousands of dollars with local merchants and others every summer To stop this traffic would be disastrous to many business firms and would have an injurious effect upon every community which sile vessels touch
 Conditions here are absolutely dissmiiar from those on the Atlantic Coast which has brought about the proposed legislation. Congress ought to be re- luctant to pass it all and surely it ought to see that any gain that might be made by American vessels in these waters by it would be far oyer- cast by the damage done to American citizens re- siding in Alaska and for that reason except Alaska from it's provisions.