Valley frontiersman., 1950-06-30

fhe charges brought against
 N June 1850 the Antitrust Division of the U S. Attorney Generals Office filed civil injunction Anchorage against the Alaska Steamship Company myself President Mr. R. C. Anderson Executive Vice President Mr. H. N Peterson General Traffic Manager, and Mr. D. Nelson and Mr. Walter Manaan Assistant Traffic Managers At the Antitrust lawyers procured criminal indictment against apparently designed two to bolster up their civil uit and (b intimidae
 The criminal indictment and civil complaint identical except with respect 10 the penalties demanded The criminal ndc asks that be declared criminals and the civil complaint seeks compress into legal ack which would paralyze but leave competitors free operate a n and when they please.
 The sut if successful could the end of water to all the Territory by private enterprise Ii
 the step toward ociazed operation ship service the Territory the commercial operation and operated NORTH STAR being the unwaranted attack company and simply strand the being prepared by certain elements govern ment to hang socaled "big business
 The Antitrust policy makers have employed sly technique against that they have used against other and much larger business enterprises While local Alaska businessmen also be punished by criminal indictments OR Alaska Steamship Company has been singled for 6on by civil injunction
 Our operations practices and rates are subject to rigid regulation under the Federal Shipping Acts These Acts clear and definite and provide heavy penalties upon proof business practices On the other hand the present Antitrust laws not ceancut body of r they have been distorted confused weer of words in which sharp lawyers find for charging almost anyone with almost anything that the pur pose hand was frankly of the Antitrust lawyers n high position that violation of the Antitrust laws at the time is anything that their staff dream up and induce the courts 10 sustain.
 Let me proceed with brief examination of this
 bulky indictment 1t reveals the familiar pat
 tern of recent Antitrust prosecutions Lacking evil
 dence of cleareut violations of the law multitude
 of charges are thrown at US in hope that
 of them will stick.
 The indictments and complaints predcateo some amazing ehaFges For example, The says that only the Alaska Steamship Company has undertaken furnish all and points the Territory only the Alaska Steam ship Company has offered full line of shipping servce Alaska Steamship Company has been able offer passenger ice only the Alaska Steamship Company has provided facilities for carrying pehabs and refrigerated cargo Apparently be- have undertaken all of the Territory we have offered full line of freight and passenger sercebecause have done all these bad things branded criminals and our service is to be 'hamsrung' by injunction.
 It is charged that Mr. Anderson, MT. Peterson Mr. Nell son, Mr. Manahan and have conspred acquire vir- tual monoPy o the business of transporting persons and modes by water for hire in the Alaska Tad by merging the operations of Norhand Transportation Company and Alaska Steamship Company. The plain facts
 At the termination of the 948 maritime strke both Norhand and Alaska Transportation Company compelled carrier operations because of the heavy operating losses being sustained attempting Southeastern Alaska under existing rate eve and by the payment of full charter hire