The Daily Alaska empire., 1947-01-28
3(0MpANIES MAKE PLANS
 TO OPERATE
Representatives of Lines, Members of House Com.
 and Others Meeting

WASHINGTON. Jan 28.--Con- ierences designed to work out plan to prevent discontinuance of steamship service to Alaska March opened here today
 Representatives of three steam ship lines serving Alaska met with members of 6 House merchant ma rine subcommittee, representatives of the Marine Commission and of the Territory.
 The subcommittee is composed Of Reps. Jackson stD-Wash). Herter tR-Mass) and Bland tD-Val The Alaska Steamship Company was represented by Gilbert Skinner, President: the Northland Transpor- tation Company by William Sc mar, 8 stockholdsr and the Alaska Transportation Company by Norton Clapp and Capt. s. J Swanson, head of the line Alaska was rep resented ny Delegate F. L. Bart lett and Wilber Wester. memtar of the Alaska Development Board
 Rep. Jackson said there probably would be no announcement Of what was being done by the conference until tomorrow. He told reporter he understood the steamship lines would submit plan for an interim service to the Territory until Con gress can work out plan for con tinuing the service.
 The steamship lines since 1922 have been operated by the War Shipping Administration and the Maritime Commission. Congress has ordered the lines returned to the owners March l. The operators an- nounced they could not continue the service to Alaska unless given q sharp increase in rates. which Alaskans contend would hurt the economy of the Territory The Maritime Commission refus- ed the application of the shippine administration for rate increase.
 Late this afternoon emergency legislation to authorize the Mari time Commission to arrange an op- erational contract with the operat- ors of the Alaska steamship lines to continue service to Alaska for IS months from March was pro posed.
 Rep. Jackson tD-Wash) told re- porters that under tfe plan the Maritime Commission would turn over to the shipping lines war built vessels at nominal charter here.
 Other features of the plan:
 1. Service would be guaranteed by the lines; 2. The Government would recapture all profits over six per cent on the invested capital; B The Commission would allocate ships to each of the three lines serving Alaska and coordinate their operations to prevent wasteful com petition and 4. The Maritime Commission would readjust the rates now charged for service to the Territory.
 Jackson said re would prepare at once emergency legislation author izing tEa commission 10 act, and that hearings on 1t would be start ed next week He said he hoped to have the till 20 to the House floor by the middle of next week and to the Senate by the end ot next week Jackson said 1t must be enacted before February 28 or all service to the Territory would be discontinued March l.
 Under the proposed legislation Jackson said. the government would assume all risk in operating the fleets He said the contract would provide for private operations of vessels in the Alaskan service and added requirement of guaranteed service by the companies would call for service to all Alaskan ports us- ually served.
 Jackson said he hoped the pro posal for readjustments of rate tariffs would result in nominal ad- justments"
 David Scoll representing the Alaska Development Board. said the Territory would resist any effort for an appreciaple rate increase