The Wrangell sentinel., 1944-06-16
1FI8IIR0UGIH THEE
 SEN lEIESlElL
IPIElRISGOPE

market basket is 86qa higher in Ketchikan than in Seattle, 43e6 higher in Juneau, 61go higher in Anchorage, and 735 higher in Fairbanks. Translated into dollar terms. the Seattle housewife spends s2O a week for her groceries. The same bill of goods. assuming that she could get them, would cost her S27.2O in Ketchikan S28.60 in Ju- neau. $32.20 in Anchorage, and S34.G0 in Fairbanks. These data. as of January of this year, were secured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U. s. Department of Labor at the request of the Gov ernor's office, and are to be fol- lowed by a more comprehensive cost of living survey of this Territory by the same Federal agency. This is the first survey of it's kind con ducted in Alaska.
 Ever since the publication of the excellent Federal Salary Classifica- tion in Alaska issued in 1941 by the Juneau local of the National Federation of Federal Employees. ' said Governor Gruening. .'it has been clear that the higher cost of living in Alaska as compared with the United States is one of the basic facts which confrOnts all plans for the promotion and development of Alaska. The Federal Employees study. made prior to the war; indi- cated that the cost of living in Al aska as compared with Washington, D. C., was 35es higher in Ketchi- kan, 38% higher in Petersburg, 49G higher in Juneau, 59qo higher in Sitka, 6O6 higher in Seward. 75% higher in Cordova, 88% high CT in Anchorage. 1O9Go higher in Nome. and 116G higher in Fair banks.
 These facts are so startling and have so many important implica- tions that it seemed to me impera- tive that we secure these data at regular intervals and keep up to date as circumstances change, and from source whose authoritative ness is beyond question. Therefore, I have sought steadily to get the Bureau of Labor Statistics to make such survey.
 "The beginning of such a survey will shortly be made by study which will include rents and prices charged for living essentials in Ju- neau and Anchorage. It will includ the per cent of change in costs from March 1943 to date and a compar-I ison with Seattle dollars costs. There will also be a study of the expenditures of a hundred typical wage earners and clerically em-I ployed families whose expenditures will be surveyed. While it will be desirable, for a clear understand ing of the entire Alaska cost of living picture, to have surveys made in numerous other communi- ties as well as Juneau and Anchor age, this partial study, which will take place in the near future, is an excellent beginning.
 Certain factors since the out break of the war have tended to in crease the differential between ilv ing costs in the United States and Alaska. Most important of these factors has been the increase in freight and passenger rates. Right after Pearl Harbor these were ar bitrarily raised, without previous hearing or consultation with any one except the steamship compan- ies. by the U. s. Maritime Commits sion, to 45%. This action brought about so many emphatic protests that hearings resulted, as a result of which the increase was reduced in May 1922 to 2O9o for southeas- tern Alaska and 25 % for the rest of Alaska Recently this increase has been reduced to 169o above the pre-war rates. It remains to be seen what the effects of these rate changes have been on Alaska's liv- ing costs.
 "The establishment of the OPA has of course greatly checked the rise in living costs. And while this organization is national and could therefore be presumed to have ex- ercised an equal effect in Alaska and the rest of the United States. certain local factors have tended to produce varying results in diff ferent places. For instance, rent control, under a Washington ruling established the ceilings for Alaska as the rentals prevailing prior tC March l, 1922 This has kept rents moderate in most Alaska towns and prevented the terrific imitation and profiteering which. but for thi: control. would have been inevitable since the demand for quarter