The Wrangell sentinel., 1946-07-05
THROUGH THE SENTINEL RERTSCOPE

Colonialism as applied to Alaska by Outside interest. both private and government. was again much in evidence this week as ships lay idle in Territorial ports waiting until somebody decided about the so-called Alaska case" Just why there should be an Alaska easel inI this particular instance is one off those mysteries which often shroudsI actions to be taken on the Outside in connection with the Territory, but the subtance of the present sit uation is this:
 Following the maritime agree ments on waterfront wages in Seat tie and Alaskan ports, jumping longshore pay from $1.32 straight time to S1.52, ships again began plying the route. Approval was to be given by the War ShippingI Administration and the War Sta bilization Board. This apparently was done in connection with Seattle but operators found they had no approval to pay the scale in Alaska. l Result: Waterfront workers in Ketchikan and Juneau just stopped working Two ships laid at the docks in Ketchikan and two more were due during the week.
 Ship operators point out that as agents of War Shipping they were instructed not to pay the scale until approval had been given. Alaska dock operators were paying the increase but the ship operators would or could not. The Alaska l public was suffering as usual The mystery was just why VISA and WSB l had approved the pay boost in Seattle but hadn't gotten around to what was termed the" Alaska case" LongshOremen and ship own- CTS alike knew the new scale wound 1 De paid but because somebody was holding up the show in Washington, klaskana were suffering from what amounted to another maritime strike | ships just weren't being loaded or unloaded in Alaska ports. Colo nialism sometimes appears mild word for some of the treatment Alaskans are often afforded by Outside interest, including, on oc- caslon, their own government.
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 OPA, Office of Price Administra- tion, brpatled it's last last week. It appeared to be definitely out. There still was a possibility that it might get 20-dag extension under en- ergencics roWers while effort was made to draft new bill, but all the odds .:ere against it. The Congress had passed .aeasure extending the OPA. but it was botched up job | which was generally admitted un- satisfactory. It any rate, President Truman vetoed it on grounds IL would be worse than no law at all and asked for other remedial legis- lation. The chances of his getting the latter were slim.
 Whether the abolishing of OPA al this time would be good or bad re- mained to be seen. Those effected by if in the sale of merchandise doubt less would breathe a sigh of relief after four years of price control anu making of reports. Persons who paid rent and bought commodities which previously were under price control might take another view if the lid flew off and the imitation spiral be- came. higher. Reports from arouhd the nation that only in isolated cas- es were prices soaring, particularly rents. On the whole the boost up ward, if any, was small President Truman expressed the view that general commodity prices would not go up much over 15 per cent. The stock market began soaring which might mean anything. At any rate, OPA, sometimes known as the Office of Perpetual Alarm, was dead duck What would happen under free flow of trade probably would not be too bad. The nation had got ten along without OPA up to war time. There seemed no reason to be- lieve it would go to pot now as OPA dropped out of the picture.
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 Official primary returns from the Fourth judicial division and com piled this week by Territorial Aud itor Frank A. Boyle, reveal that Labor Commissioner Walter F.. Sharpe defeated Kenneth c. John son for the, Democratic nomination. by just 43 votes, one less than the unofficial count previously report ed. Incumbent Sharpe boiled 9,O93I votes and Johnson 3,050. Thier vote Inv Divisions shows: First Sharpe, 1.374, Johnson, LISA; Second, Sharpe, $50. Johnson, S72; Third Sharne 87O Johnson. 842: Fourth