The Wrangell sentinel., 1946-09-13

"The Alaska Steamship Company from September, 1889 to VI Day was 100 per cent in the war ef- tort The Alaska Steamship Comp any as Of August, 1946 is just an- ether victim of World War II with today's strikes, work stoppag 2. job action, slowdowns. pilfering. high wages, excessive overtime and lack Of crew discipline as part of 5ar daily routine all of which ad- dtd to a very depleted and sorry looking fleet gives all of us-Alas- kans. War shipping AdminIstra- tion. United States Maritime Com mission. member offs congress and steamship operators - plenty Of food for thought in planning AL aska's transportation needs.
 Our own fleet of IT vessels as of Pearl Harbor now has shrunS to seven. i. e.. the Alaska. Aleu- lian, Baranof. Denan. Lakina. Cordova and Victoria The Mt Me Kinley, Dellwood. Yukon and Bef- ing were marine casualties and will never sail again. The TanaEa. Oduna and Depere were requisi- toned for title by the War Ship ping Administration and delive ed hy our Government to the Rus sians. The Columbia. Derblay and Sutherland have been sold to fore ign interests with the formal an- proval of our Government.
 "The Nortbland Transportation Company fleet of five vessels as of Pearl Harbor. i. e.. the North Coast, North Sea, Northland, No. Haven and North Wind, has now IshrunE to one-the sS North Sea.
 "The Alaska Transportation Company fleet of three small l Ifreighters as of Pearl Harbor, i. e., the Tongass, Tyee and Taku, has now shrunk 10 one-the sS Ton gass,
 Today's box score of ships owned by the three regular operators shows a total of nine vessels as compared to 9 as of Pearl Har- b0r.
 "The privately owned cannery fleet serving the Bristol Bay and Aleutian Peninsula area as of Pearl Harbor consisted of Il vessels. ie. Clevedon, Mary D, Gorgas, Otsego, Branch, Chirikof, Boring, Delarof. American Star. William l.. Thomp- son and Ogontz. and based on 1926 operations has shrunk to two-SS Chirikof and William L. Thomp- son
 From a total of 36 vessels serv- ing the entire Territory of Alaska as of Pearl Harbor, today's count would total Il seven Ala5ka Steamship Company, one each Northland Transportation Comp any and Alaska Transportation Company and two privately owned IednneTy ships.
 During the 1916 season tha | War Shipping Administration as Isigned sufficient freighters md troop carriers to handle conn es- cial and cannery freight and can uery passengers to and from Ala Fa. However, no provisions hay as yet been made to replace tae commercial passenger ships Nj Mckinley, Dellwood, Yukon, Col Iumbia, North Coast and North land And passenger ships, as you and all other Alaskans know. mean, in addition to passenger space, cold storage and cool room compartments, space for foodstuffs valuable cargo, mail. express and baggage. Such passenger ships op- erated on regular, dependable schedules mean much to the resi- dent population of Alaska.
 "The 1947 season will soon be here-the War Shipping Adminis- tration is scheduled to fade out of ] existence by the end of 1946 - congress has adjourned until Jar uary 5, .1947. Tn the meantime AL aska's greatest problem today -- suitable ships with which to give