The Nome nugget., 1948-09-03
Nome, Alaska, Friday, September B. 1948
Alaska Daily Empire)

With aviation big feature in the development of Alaska and of interest all Alaskans as method of quick travel, etc, the following editorial with the above caption is taken from the Seattle POStnelligen- and reprinted here in full:
 Alaskans exhibiting grave the ac- ton of the Civil Aeronautics Board in citing air lines operating non-scheduled basis to show cause why they should not be forbidden to continue flying be- tween the Territory and the Staes'
 They view the situation being especially alarming this particular time because of the impending mari time strike which would make Alaska entirely depend ent airplane transportation for the necessities of ilfe-just when maritime commerce was last tied up.
 The Anchorage Daily Times observed in recent edi- toria
 'Alaskans in the peculiar position of seeing their water transportation eopardized by dispute in Seat tle and their air transportation jeopardized by the Fed eral government
 Quoting Federal statistics which purported to show that than half of all the passengers travelling be- Alaska and the United States are carried by scheduled lines and that than 90 per cent of the Territorys air cargo these lines, which op- without benefit of Federal subsidy, the editorial contnued
 'The non-scheduled lines have become the backbone of air transportation in the economy of Anchorage and some other communities They have proven their value to the Territory and if they not regulated out of business, their future seems secure.
 Public concern over this fumbling of the air trans poraion problem is centered in the fact that the Fed eral government appears to be using it's power to eli mate the little fellow who is rendering service. The tendency is to the business to the big operator whose failure to meet the need has made it possible for the little fellow to become established.
 't is an indsputable fact that if the CAB had pro- vded sufficient air transportation via certificated air lines, there would have been in Alaska for the small non-scheduled operators
 ''The converse must also be true The non-scheduled carrier is here because of the failure of the cericated air lines to meet the need
 'It would be strange indeed if the Federal govern ment would upset air transportation at any time, but especially at the moment it may become the life line of Alaska while ocean-gong vessels are idle"
 Some non-scheduled operators have fly-by-night which make effort to observe safety regua tions These should not be permitted to remain in buS in Alaska anywhere else the maintenance o air safety is the most important function of the CAB
 But if there is the slightest tendency to turn the business to the big operators and to eliminate the little fellow who is rendering service" the CAB is completely without justification.
 The situation is much the as the which pre- vailed in Seattle 30 years ago immediately after the city took over the street car system.
 The street were incapable of carrying all the traffic and, as result the City Council compelled to permit the operation of tney buses" (prvate auto mobiles which picked up passengers along the over. loaded street car lineS).
 bv fort.