The Daily Alaska empire., 1951-05-29
(Fifty-fourth of Series) FREIGHT RATES


 The Governor of Alaska took what is certainly the popular posi- tioa when he announced that nc will fight increases in freight rates to Southeast Alaska. Everybody would like to see the freight rates held at their present level or even lowered, except tho people who are carrying the freight
 In the same way, everybody would like to see the price of beef steak and pork chops go down, eXcep' the men who are in the stock-rals- ing business.
 Everybody would favor drop in the price of bread, except the far mers who grow the wheat.
 Mos. of all, perhaps, all hands would like drop in taxes, except the people who are spending the tax money.
 It is such things as freight rate increases, the Governor has men, toned, that bring up the cost oi living and generally lead to infla- ton.
 But at almost the same time, in speaking of another matter, the Governor amounted that the Ter ritorial motor-fuel tax could be douhled, the Territorial property tax could be doubled, and the Ter ritorial income tax rate could be increased by 50 percent without making rates oppressive
 And where do those increases lead if not to imitation?
 The real miracle is that freight rates to Alaska have not increased more than they have, and the trutf is that freight rates have not climb ed as have other items that go to make up the cost of living in Alas ka.
 The report of the Governor oi Alaska for 1897 shows that the freight rate on general merchandise from Seattle, to Sitka, was then $e per ton of 2,000 pounds or 40 cubic feet, exclusive of wharfage char ges.
 The rate on general merchandise fer some time past between the same two ports has been SIT ton. This is approximately l89 percent of what it was in 1897.
 The increase of around 20 per- cent that went into effect the other day brings today's freight rate to about 227 percent of the 1897 rate.
 The gold rush was just getting started in 1897 and in his annual report for that year Governor John G. Brady listed prospecting out fit for two men for IA months. The entire outfit of food, clothing and equipment cost only $372.60 at Sitka prices as of August l, 1897.
 You could buy, for example, a Winchester rifle tcaliber not sta tedD and supply of ammunition Quantity not stated for SIS. Two mackinaw coats cost S6 and you could buy four flannel shirts fol $8.
 The prices of many of the items on the Brady list are difficult to compare with todays prices because of changes in styles and quality, but the list also contains many food items that have not changed in 54 years.
 Flcur was $50 for a 50-pound sack in 1897. Sugar was cents a pound, navy beans 4 cents, corn meal 2A cents, rice 6 cents, bacon l24 cents, best tea 45 cents, raisins 10 cents and dried apples 9 cents a pound.
 A survey of Sitka prices on these same items as of May Is, 1851. shows that flour has gene up 38( percent since 1897. Sugar has in- creased only l96 percent in price, but navy beans are up 450 percent, corn meal 580 percent and tea 33C percent. Raisins have increased only BIO percent and rice only 31s percent in 54 years, put the price of tacon has zoomed up 680 percent ard dried apples ITO percent.
 If pr. Gruening can devise some machinery to whittle down grocery prices he will be doing real ser vice to the Territory Meanwhile, AlaSkans can be thankful that the cost of hauling freight to Alaska has not kept pace with the price