The Wrangell sentinel., 1942-01-23
HERE'S ONE FOR THE MARITIME COMMISSION
 TO FIGURE OUT

TO FIGURE OUT
 This freight rate increase which has caused concern among all of Us has inspired Mir. Alan E. Wicks, a territorial employee in Juneau, to set forth the position of the man on limited salary budget and to send his interpretation of it to the Mari time Commission, Delegate DimOnd, the Governor and Alaska newspapers with the question of just how is he or any other person on set salary going to make so much go twice as far.
 In setting forth his problem, Mr Wicks calls attention to two articles appearing in the Juneau Empire on the same day. One was the Empires mysterious bit of figuring by which it reported that although general freight rates went up under the in crease from $9.80 per ton to S14.21 per ton actually the cost of food would only go up three per cent. The Empire did some other rapid cal culating and came out with the answer that the price of eggs would only go up a cent.
 This naturally struck, MT. Wicks as little less than astounding in view of the fact that in the same paper Gov. Gruening declared the rate increase an outrage and point ed out that the cost of living in Alaska is a serious problem effecting the welfare of every individual. The Governor pointed out that survey by the National Federation Of Fed eraI Employees revealed the cost of living in Alaska as eontrasted with New York and Washington was 35.53 per cent higher in Ketchikan, 4940 per cent in Juneau, 59.83 per cent in Sitka, 60.73 per cent in Seward, 75.59 per cent in CordoYa, 8SS5 per cent in Achorage, 109.45 per cent in Nome and 116.16 per cent in Fairbanks. This was a year ago and the Chief Executive said shortages, actual or feared, had caused increases in the cost of es- sentials since that time. Pointing to the additional 45 per cent increase at this time the Governor described it 'intolerable."
 With the digest of these articles under his belt, Mir Wicks pointed out his own position. He is married. His wife does not work and he gets fixed salary. Says Writer Wicks:
 This salary is hard put to serve 25.65 per cent; shelter and inciden- tals thereto, 3179 per cent; clothing and care, 6.66 per cent; insurance 7.69 per cent; medical miscellaneous 4.61 per cent; education, amuse- ment, social activities, 4.61 per cent; general miscellaneous, 7.69 per cent; donations, 1.02 per cent; extras. 1926 per cent Can it be assumed that we may look forward to the possibility of raising a family and of dressing and sheltering ourselves with fitting decency and health, be- sides other absolute necessities, in dulge in minimum of amusements anu SOSldi llle, leI diOue Duy Sndll government bonds and pay for this yet added tariff? From my honest standpoint, certainly not!"
 Mir. Wicks made a great many other excellent points and we hope the Maritime Commission takes time to read them for his case is typical of every person in Alaska on a fixed income. A dollar only goes so far and when you try to make it do 45 per cent more than a 100 cents worth 1t develops into a problem which We don't believe the Maritime Com mission nor the Empire with its rapid calculating editors can solve so flippantly.
 The fact is that the Maritime Commission acted without any thought whatsoever of Alaska and therefore we feel that Mir. Wicks' final paragraph is worthy of quota tion:
 Political tyranny is awful and despicable; the economic variety taking the form of tariffs secretly imposed is equally bad. Can it be- that the Commission is blindly deny ing citizen suffrage for Alaskans?"
 It seems so, MT. Wicks.