The Wrangell sentinel., 1946-05-17
THROUGH THE SENTINEL PERTSCOPE


 resume in Washington next week, scheduled to reopen Wednesday. May 22. following the Seattle hearings held last fall. Attorney General Ralph J. Rivers left this week for the east to represent the Territory. He will be assisted by David Scroll, employed by the De velopment Board, and Donald J 1 O'Conner of the Office of Price Ad-| ministration.
 Advices from Delegate E. l.. l Bartlett reveal that John w. Shy der, Director of the Office of War acknowledged that rate increases | based on present labor costs anI ships in use might be so great as to be altogether impractical Based upon present experience, Snyder estimated the annual deficit might be S8.00O,000, and he has conced- | cd that making up this figure by rate increases could be ruinous to the economy of the Territory. h view of this, the reConversion Dir eetor has authorized continued op-| eration of Alaska ships by the War Shipping Administration pending determination of the governments lOng-run policy. Further, the Dir ector has instructed continuation of the hearing initiated in Seattle will be entirely different in scope. Then. War Shipping petitioned the Maritime Commission for an i'm mediate rate increase. When tbe hearing is resumed it will be in the nature of a study of all the . Federal departments concerned and the Territorial government to find a mutually acceptable solution.
 Commenting on the situation, Delegate Bartlett has this to say
 "On the basis of the govern ment's own figures Alaskans have this year been saved around $2,- 75O.000 in additional shipping charges. Had not the Territory in tervened forcefully and energei- cally through the Alaska Develop | ment Board. it is certain the re- nreated rate increase would long since have been granted Not only has this saving been effective, but tNtD lbIC AliiBOA bcAls NiAS oAcNt'AN work has been prepared for an ob- iectives examination for the first time of Alaska's maritime trans portaton system with especial re- ference to itg connection with the national interest"
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 Civilian Defense supplies, dis tributed t0 the various communi- ties in Alaska during the war em- ergency, soon will be turned over to those communities for such u5eI as they may went to make of them. The Office of Civilian Defense re- gently donated tN the Territory all the supplies. with the exception of trailer pump units, and it is the plan of Territory to donate them in turn to the communities. The pump units will be declared sur plus and will be offered to the towns where they are now located.
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 Juneau joined the statehood study movement past week with the organization of a Statehood As- soeiation headed by Mrs. Betty Mccormack. Virtually all other towns in the Territory have formed groups and the services of George Sundborg, former Alaskan and au- thor of Opportunity in Alaska ; now with Bonneville dam, have been obtained to make the study. Sundborg has been granted two months leave from Bonneville to compile the work which will give all the reasons for and against statehood Mrs Evangeline Atwood of Anchorage heads up the Terri tory-wide organization. The study is. expected to be available for dis trfbution by midsummer, so that Alaska voters will have time to find the answers to some of their questions before going to the polls in October to vote on. the referen- dunn.
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 Senate committee will start hear ings next week on Alaska appro- priations which were recently com pleted by the House, where road funda in particular suffered consid-
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