The Nome nugget., 1950-06-28
An important from Mr. G. w. Skinner discussing the charges brought Steamship company

ON June g. 1850, the Antitrust Division of the U. S. Attorney Generals Office filed civil injunction suit in Anchorage against the Alaska Steamship Company myself as President Mr. R. Anderson Executive Vice President Mr. H. N Peterson General Traffic Manager, and Mr. J. D. Nelson and Mr. Walter Manahan Assistant Traffic Managers At the time the Antitrust lawyers procured criminal indictment against apparently designed serve two purposes-(a to bolster their civil suit and (b intimidae
 The criminal indictment and civil complaint identical except with respect to inc penalties demanded The criminal ndc ment asks that be declared criminals and the civil complaint seeks to compress into legal straight jackt which would paralyze us but leave competitors free operate if and when they please.
 The suit # successful could r1can the e. (: water transportation to all the Territory by private enterprise is the step toward ocazed government operation steam ship service the Territory the operation the govenmenowned and operated NORTH STAR being the first It Is an un"aanted attack upon company and simply another strand the being prepared by certain elements govern ment to hang soca!ed big business.
 The Antitrust policy makers have employed the same sly teehnque against that they have used against other and much larger business enterprises While certain local Alaska businessmen also to be punished by criminal indictments only Alaska Steamship Company has been singled for cxnc ton by civil injunction
 Our operations practices and rates are subject to rigid regulation under the Federal Shipping Acts These clear and definite and provide heavy penalties upon proof inn proper business practices On the other hand the present laws not ceant body of rules they have been distorted confused weller of words in which sharp excuses for charging almost with almost suits the pur pose hand frankly told the in high position that violation of the Antitrust laws present lime anything that their staff dream up and induce the courts to sustain.
 Let proceed with brief amin ation of this
 bulky indictment Ii reveals the familiar pat
 tern of recent Antitrust prosecutions Lacking evil
 dcnce of eleareut violations of the law, multitude
 of charges thrown at in hope that .-
 of them will stick.
 The indictments and complaints predicated amazing charges For example: The only the Alaska Steamship Company has undertaken furnish service to all and the Terrory only the Alaska Steam ship Company has offered full line of shipping sere only the Alaska Steamship Company has been able offer passenger ice only the Alaska Steamship Company has provided facilities for carrying pershabe and refrigerated cargo Apparently be- have undertaken all of the Territory because have offered full line of freight and passenger have done all these bad things branded criminals and our service is to be 'hamsung' by injunction
 It s charged that Mr. Anderson Mr. Peterson Mr. Nell son, Mr. Nanahan and have conspired 10 acquire vir- tua monopy of the business of transporting persons and modes by for hire in the Alaska Trade by merging the operations of Norhand Transportation Company and Alaska Steamship Company The plain facts
 At the termination of the o48 strike both Nohland and Alaska Transportation Company compelled carrier operations because of the heavy operating being sustained in attempting Southeastern Alaska under existing rate eve and by the payment of full charter hire AL STEAA