The Daily Alaska empire., 1946-08-05
RIvERS(ALLS FOR SUBSIDY,
 COMPETITION
Labor Evils in Alaska Ship ping Repeatedly Crifi-
 tized by Witnesses

Removal of the Jones Act dis elimination against Alaska's being served by other than American ships with U. s. operators suffi- ciently subsidized so that they may hold a fair share of Alaska's trade in competition with Canadian lines, today was advanced as Alaska's number one solution to it's trans portation problem.
 That solution was one of four alternatives proposed to Sub- Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries of the Congressional House of Representatives here to- day by Ralph J. Rivers, Attorney General of Alaska, who stated 1t as the official view of the Territory.
 MT. Rivers was the first witness to appear before the Sub-Commit- tee headed by Rep. Henry M Jack son tD-Wash) which opened pub lie hearings on Alaska's water transportation and fisheries prob- lems here this morning in the Sem ate Chamber at the Federal Build- ing.
 Attorney General Rivers also called for maintenance and utiliza- tion of port facilities developed by the U. s. Army during wartime at Prince Rupert, B. c. Alaska is in- terested in seeing the short haul from Prince Rupert opened up. Rivers declared
 Criticises Puget Saunders
 The Attorney General previously had bitingly criticized what he termed protective custody which the controlling interests of the Pu- get Sound area are trying to main- tain over Alaska
 The Puget Sound area no longer is "foundling,' Rivers declared. It is now time to give Alaska a break especially as the national defense of the United States is concerned in Alaska's development into a strong buffer state. Indicat- ed Seattle pressure opposed to the port facilities at Prince Rupert be- ing left intact to serve Alaska in competition with Puget Sound is not in the national interest, Rivers maintained. If the vandalism" of dismantlement of Prince Rupert port facilities should occur, it would be at the behest of Seattle and Ta- coma, the Attorney General charg- ed by inference.
 On that point. Rivers was brought up sharply by Sub-Com- mittee Chairman Jackson, who in- serted his understanding that the U. s. Army installations at Prince Canadian Government within 3 specified time
 Rivers Counters
 Rivers countered that he hopes this is so, as the United States Army, which had built up facilities at Prince Rupert sufficient to handle immense quantities of cargo had found that port to be on the short route" between Alaska and the eastern and middle western sections of the United States. Rail costs from the East and Midwest are no more to Prince Rupert than to Seattle, while water freight costs from there to Southeast Alaska ports could be two-thirds the costs from Seattle, Rivers had declared.
 Attorney General. Rivers was one of several witnesses to appear be- fore the Sub-Committee at it's transportation inquiry today but. though all criticized present con- ditions and service, his was the only well-developed solution of fered.
 Labor Difficulties
 Repeatedly it was advanced by witnesses that aggravated labor difficulties are go percent" re- sponsible for the mounting costs of the Alaska service.
 Criticism of labor's position in the shipping view became so in- tense that Rep. Jackson, just be- fore recess was taken at 1 o'clock this afternoon. was moved to ask that labor spokesmen be advised to appear before the committee to present their case.
 rruyo vvitpoeSaS froyO Intarior AL aska. Al Anderson, Secretary of the Alaska Miners Association, and former WIPE Chairman Norman H. Stines. who spoke for the Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce. went so far as to assert that government sub