Territory Asks
Reductions In
Steamship Rates
^ (Continued from Page One)
maintained as fair and reason
able.” The industry brief makes
no argument with respect to the
general Alaska rate level, but
does contend that “the present
rates have dangerously approach
ed the breaking point whereby
the canned salmon industry can
m no longer afford to follow a pol
icy of giving its business to the
Alaska carriers.”
In a brief presetnted on behalf
of the Fairbanks Chamber £f
Commerce, Norman C. Stines con
tends that the 1947 rate increases
were made in such a manner as to
discriminate against Fairbanks.
“The rates now in force are very
high,” he says, “and only add to
* the number of difficulties under
which shippers over the Alaska
Railroad conduct their business
es.”
The Fairbanks brief urges that
the Alaska Steamship Company
and Northland Transportation
Company, which “are really
owned by the same interests, . . .
should be made to consolidate”
and the resulting savings in over
lapping costs be applied to all
Alaska rates. It also advocates use
of mechanical equipment for more
rapid and efficient handling of
cargo and suggests that confer
ences might be held between car
riers and shippers so that frequen
cy of sailings from Seattle can be
altered to “insure a full load to
each freight vessel.” The Alaska
Development Board has presented
an exhibit showing that more than
two-thirds of the northbound sail
ings were with vessels loaded at
less than 50 per cent of capacity.
The brief by Alaska Steam
Northland’s attorneys terms the
whole proceeding “premature”
and asks that it be dismissed with
a finding that “no unlawfulness
or unjust or unreasonable dis
crimination” has been shown by
the carriers. This brief commends
the testimony presented at the
hearing by W. C. Arnold, director
’ of the Alaska Salrpon Industry.
Inc., and quotes its own witness
Dr. Henry A. Burd, professor of
marketing at the University of
Washington, that he found in
Alaska “no effect of freight costs
upon retail prices.”
While joining the other carriers
in arguing that the foui’-month
period under study in the case
was inadequate to determine whe
ther rates were just or unreason
able, the Alaska Transportation
Company, unlike Alaska Steam
Northland, asked that the pro
ceeding be held open until more
experience is available for study
^and the effect of new legislation
by Congress can be appra-sed.
The ATCO brief, signed by Albert
E. Stephan, contends that operat
ing results of the other companies
are distorted “by Alaska Steam’s
permitting Northland to pick up
their combined share of the mili
tary cargo.” It also asks the com
mission to deduct from Northland
accounts the revenues from alleg
edly “illegal operations” by that
company outside the territory as
signed to it.
Inefficiencies in the Alaska op
erations are commented upon in
the brief submitted by the com
mission’s own solicitor, attorney
and rate analyst, the last two of
which followed the testimony at
Seattle. “Frequent sailings with
light loads create bunching of ves
sels at Alaska ports,” the brief
» states, “resulting in increased op
erating costs.” They cite as an ex
Crew, Passengers
Saved From Two
Small Steamers
i
(Continued From Page One
cue wprk by the boat and salvage
crew.
The Cedar and its tow left Arch
Point last night, the cutter mes
saged, and was to arrive at Sand
Point about 1 p.m. today.
The navy tug Mataco was or
dered to the aid of the Cedar to
relieve it of its tow, if it can ar
rive in time. The Aleutian Mail
and the barge both got into trou
ble in an area some 300 miles
west of Kodiak, in approximately
the same vicinity.
On New Year’s Eve, the can
nery tender Spencer also went
aground in a driving snow storm
near Kanatak on the Alaska pe
ninsula, northwest of Kodiak Is
land, All the crew and passengers,
including two women, one of them
on a wedding trip to marry the
; Spencer’s skipper, were rescued
by the navy and coast guard after
six days on the beach.
Earlier this winter, several
other vessels have gotten into
trouble and required assistance in
the storm-tossed north Pacific
south of the Aleutian chain.
ample 58 calls made at Juneau in
four months to discharge only
5,912 tons and take aboard 1,589.
The brief notes that “Alaska is
confronted with heavier freight
costs than other possessions and
territories” and states that “Alas
kan trade appears to constitute a
startling exception to the usual
rule that carriers by water is
mile-for-mile cheaper than carri
age by rail.”
Revenue of the Alaska Steam
ship Company in the four-month
period under study was found by
the commission attorneys to be
$5,400,000 while operating ex
pense was $3,700,000. Northland
revenue was $1,700,000 and oper
ating expense $1,280,000; ATCO
revenue $779,000 and operating
expense $572,000.
Adjustment of schedules, elim
ination of over emphasis on pas
senger service and the possible
elimination of some vessels from
the rate bases are declared by the
commission observers to be “not
only practicable but advisable.”
The result, they say, “eventually
would be reflected in lower
rates.”
j The commission staff critcizes
the interim contract under which
the three Alaska carriers are op
erating as without adequate pro
visions binding operators to use
ships to secure the most economi
cal transportation for the Alaska
service,” and as “hog-tying” the
commission in the matter of mak
ing ships available to other carri
ers who might be interested in en
tering the trade. “The contract
does not contain the adequate pro
tection to the interest of the Ter
ritory of Alaska which the chair
man of the maritime commission
felt and intended it should con
tain,” the brief continues. The
commission observers declare that
the contract results in “territory
cl.'v'siqn and ship-allocation of
questionable equity and merit”
and “of itself discourages the in
vestment of private capital in a
long-term shipping enterprise and
keeps rate structures in the Alas
ka trade upon a temporary and
generally unsatisfactory basis.”
.After all briefs are studied, the
commission's examiners will make
recommendations to the maritime
commission itself, which will issue
an order in the case.
TREASURY THANKS
COLLECTORS
TREASURY DEPARTMENT
Internal Revenue Service
Tacom 2, Wash.
December 29, 1947
My dear “Associate Collectors”
of Withholding Tax:
As 1947 draws to a close, I wish
to extend New Year greetings to
all of you <and there are 49,678 of
you employers in the Washington
collection district who withhold
from employees and make remit
tances which apply toward their
income tax liability). Also, I wish
to report that we’ve been doing
pretty well this year, and at the
same time offer a proposal.
During the first 11 months of
1947 you helped our staff collect
$166,954,000 in withholding taxes.
This is $15,762,000 more than the
collections for the corresponding
period in 1946.' A considerable
portion of that money will be re
funded to individual taxpayers or
credited to their account as quick
as it can be done in 1948. These
refund and credit dollars have
been piling up all this year. Mil
lions of ’em, there are! Just wait
ing to be claimed-by those who
are entitled to them!
So, let’s get those refund dol
lars rolling! How can it be done?
Well, first, the picture:
This year we refunded approxi
mately $27,000,000 to 538.000 per
sons. Since withholdings have in
creased substantially, it is pre
sumed that refunds and credits
will be greater in 1948.
Handling of nearly a million re
turns has been a tremendous task
in recent years. In the coming fil
ing period the work load will be
staggering in view of our greately
reduced personnel. But there’s one
way to get a considerable amount
of refund dollars rolling early.
That is through cooperation of
employers, employees and taxpay
ers generally in filing returns
promptly.
We need cooperation from em
ployers—you “Associate Collect
ors’’—in early preparation of
Forms W-2 and W-2a, giving em
ployees their wage and withhold
ing figures as early in January as
possible.
We need cooperation from tax
payers in two respects: (1) Great
er numbers should file in the
slack period from about January
20 to February 25. This would
provide a steady flow of work for
our special crew of 72 employees
and for the regulars assigned to
refund duties. <2* More taxpayers
should prepare their own returns
and seek less assistance from dep
uties, thus freeing them for other
work.
With such cooperation we can
get more dollars rolling in Febru
ary March and April. And it is
with hope of realizing that accom
plishment that I address this ap
peal to you. I am aware that most
of you are burdened, but won’t
you please do your part and urge
all your employees to do theirs?
Very truly yours,
CLARK SQUIRE.
Collector.
MRS. CELESTE CLARK
ENJOYED VISIT HERE
Mrs. Celes'e Clark, mother of
Mrs. Del Fitch who has been en
joying the holidays with her
daughter and family expressed re
gret on leaving Nome to return to
her home in Renton, Wash.
JOHN McLUKE AND
ELVERA ROCKNE WED
Elvera Rockie, daughter of
Mrs. Mabel Ramsey and John
McLuke were married in the Com
missioner’s Court last Monday af
ternoon.
GOP Will Slash
Truman Budget
WASHINGTON, (^—Republi
cans set out today to chop some
five billion dollars out of Presi
dent Truman’s $39,669,000,000
budget for the year starting July
first.
The Foreign aid program ap
peared likely to be the main tar
get of the money saving drive.
A five billion dollar slash was
the tentative goal set by chair
man Taber (R.-N. Y.) pending a
meeting of the Senate-House bud
get committee to go over details
of the unprecedented peacetime
spending estimate Mr. Truman
sent to Congress Monday.
While Taber declined to specify
just what items most likely would
be singled out for cuts, he noted
that the President’s estimate of
actual foreign aid outlays during
the year and his requests for
funds to finance other projects not
authorized by law run well over
five billion dollars.
VINCENT MODER TO OPEN
LUNCH COUNTER
It was disclosed this week that
the building on the Howard Green
lot on Front Street is being re
modeled and when finished will
be moved on the corner of First
Ave. and Lane’s Way for Vincent
Moder who plans to open a lunch
counter. Vincent Moder who is
now employed at Little Creek as
cook, formerly managed the Ne
vada Grill.
COUNCIL HELD GOOD
MEETING MONDAY
The Nome City Council met
Monday evening for a regular ses
sion at the City Hall.
The Council was petitioned by
Mr. Grant Jackson of the Miners
and Merchants Bank, to subsidize
Carl Lomen’s trip to Washington,
D. C., to represent Nome’s plea for
a breakwater. The Council voted
in favor of the action, granting
$1,000.00 for Mr. Lomen.
Ruth Spicer Gottschalk . was
granted by an unanimous vote a
beverage dispensary license for a
tavern to be opened in the build
ing of the Gordon’s Shoe Store.
Carl Newman was granted a
license to operate the Nevada
Club.
A letter was received from the
Juneau Chamber of Commerce
asking that Nome go on record for
favoring matching funds with the
Federal Government in public
roads and changing the present
system, whereby the Governor
would be chairman of the roads
committee. The matter was not
acted upon.
A letter from Delegate Bob
Bartlett was read, wherein he ad
vised he had been successful in
obtaining an extension of time on
the Breakwater project for Nome.
He also signified his willingness
, to assist Nome.
Several special committees were
not prepared to make reports and
j the meeting was adjourned by
1 Mayor Dunbar.
FORMS
NOW AVAILABLE
«
• .
Location Notices for Placer Mining
Location Notices for Lode Mining
Drill Logs
Bill of Sale
Power of Attorney
Deeds
Promissory Notes
Rubber Stamps
Wedding Announcements
Birth Announcements
Bereavement Cards
Thank You Cards
Our Job Printing Department
is equipped to handle all your i
business forms. Work is done
effi ciently and promptly.
.Consult ns for your printing
netMls and save money.
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