Kodiak mirror., 1950-07-01

the charges brought osuinst
 N June g. 1o50 the Antitrust Division of the U S. Attorney Generals Office filed civil injunction suit in Anchorage against the Alaska Steamship Company mysefas President Mr. R. Anderson, Executive Vice President Mr. H. N Peterson General Traffic Manager and Mr. D. Nelson and Mr. Walter Manahan Assistant Traffic Managers At the time the Antitrust lawyers procured criminal indictment against apparently designed two purposes(a bolster up their civil su and (b) intmdate
 The criminal indictment and civil complaint identical except with respect to the penalties demanded The criminal ind asks that be declared criminals the civil complaint seeks to into legal jacket which would parayze but leave competitors free operate a if when they please
 The suit if successful, could the end of water Transportation to all the Territory by private enterprise the step toward socaed operation steam ship service the Territory the operation the and operated NORTH STAR being the first It is an unwaanted attack and simply another strand in the being prepared by certain elements govern ment to hang socaed bg business.
 The Antitrust policy makers have employed the sly technique against that they have used against other and much larger business enterprises While Alaska businessmen also be punhed by criminal indictments Alaska Steamship tion by civil injunction.
 regulation under the Federal Shipping Acts These Acts clear and definite and provide heavy penalties upon proof proper business practices On the other hand Antitrust laws ancu body rule they have been confused wee of words which sharp lawyers find for charging almost with almost anything that hand frankly told by the Antitrust in high position that violation of Antitrust at the present time anything that their staff dream up induce the courts to sustain.
 Let proceed with brief examination of this
 bulky indictment. It reveals the now familiar pat
 tern of recent Antitrust prosecutions Lacking evil
 dence of cIearcut violations of the law multitude
 of charges are thrown at us in hope that one
 of them will stick.
 The indictments and complaints predcsted on some amazing charges For example, The says that only the Alaska Steamship Company has undertaken furnish to all and points the Terrtory only the Alaska Steam ship Company has offered full line of shipping servce only the Alaska Steamship Company has been able offer passenger ice only the Alaska Steamship Company has provided facilities for carrying perishabes and refrigerated cargo Apparently be- have undertaken all the Territory have offered full line of freight and passenger have done all these bad things branded criminals and our service is to be "hamstrung" by injunction.
 lt s charged that Mr. Anderson Mr. Peterson Mr. Ne son, Mr. Msnshan and have "conspired" acquire vr tual monopy of the business of transporting and modis by for hire in the Alaska Tade by merging the operations of Nohland Transportation Company and Alaska Steamship Company The plain facts
 At the termination of the l948 maritime strike both Northand carrier operations because of the heavy operating losses being sustained in attempting Southeastern Alaska under existing ve and by tho payment of full charter hire ALASKA STEAN
 Serving