The Wrangell sentinel., 1945-11-23
THROUGH THE SENTINEL PERISCOPE

One of the hottest topics of the week is the scheduled increased freight rate hearing to be held in Seattle November 27 only four days from now Hearing is called by the Maritime Commission to in- yestigate a proposed 80 to 100 per cent increase in freight and pas senger rates from, to and within Alaska. Page Two of this week S Sentinel gives full text of Govern or Gruening's protest to the jro- josed increase.
 Just to give the housewife an idea of what the proposed increase in rates would do to the family budget, let's look at the pantry cupboard and see how much more We could expect to pay for, say a sack of flour - as compared to Seattle prices, which are already far below those of Alaska.
 If rates increased the proposed 100 per cent, a 50-pound sack of flour, bought in Seattle for S2.75 would cost Mrs. Housewife in Ju- neau $37O; $4.27 in Kodiak and S4.4S in Nome; a 1O-pound sack of potatoes which Seattle house. wives get for .55 would demand "A in Juneau, .87 in Kodiak and s1.20 in Nome; how to start the day wrong" in Nome would be sad fact when Nomite would sit down to a dish of corn flakes which cost him 43 for an 11-oZ. package while his Seattle cousin was getting the same thing for .OS and his Juneau and Kodiak neigh bors were paying .37 and .43 re- spectively. Although we don't gen. orally use cement in cooking CT in our daily menu, it's interesting to note that the price of S4- pound sack of the stuff, which sells in the Queen City for .95, would cost a would-be payer or builder in Juneau $2.03; $2.77 in Kodiak and $405 in Nome. If you needed a on-and-a-half Ford truck up around Nome way to haul the gold nugget cement from here to there. the truck, selling for $915. in Seattle, would cost a Nomlte S1,407., to say nothing of the armed guards the driver would probably have to hire to see that said sack of cement got from here to there safely.
 Joker of the hearing scheduled for next Tuesday is the short mo- tice given Alaskans, about IT days, ir which to prepare defense. All though Admiral Land has now said the November 27 hearing is only a preliminary one, and two other hearings are in the offing-one to be held in Alaska and the other in Washington, D. C., it is hoped that the two latter will be set at a sufficiently distant time to give us a chance to map rebuttal.
 Steamship companies have come out with their contribution and explanation this week with the following wire.
 Steamship companies have been requested as general agents for the War Shipping Administration to participate in the hearing in order that said general agents may pre- sent figures which will indicate increases in operating costs.
 'FThe steamship companies req lize that the future prosperity of Alaska is at stake and that Alaska cannot continue to prosner if freight and passenger rates are in creased to the extent mentioned in recent numerous newspaper articles. On the other hand, the government, as owner and operator of vessels, is faced with very perplexing problem in that its costs of operation of vessels today greatly exceed its revenue there from Factors contributing to this situation, in addition to the very substantial basic wage increases, are the many changes in working rules which produce tremendous payments in overtime compensation and appreviable increase in number of days now required to complete a round trip voyage.
 Operators are also faced with increased costs in food supplies, fuel oil, insurance and repairs. These factors make it impossible to continue operation with the outgoing far in excess of incoming revenues.
 Primary purpose of the rate hearing is to endeavor to find a solution to the problem. The steam ship companies know that excess ively high freight and passenger rates will be d serious blow to Alaska, therefore, as the future prosperity of transportation com panies serving Alaska is entirely dependent upon Alabka itself being prosperous, we will use our best