Show full development of alaska waits on reasonable rates for Tran transportation transports tion y by JAMES wickersham f dd delegate agate in conre con re from Teni territory tory af pf alula A lul as the trade of alaska with the united states for 1916 1915 exceeded that for 1916 will exceed if that for 1917 shall be as large the total trade balance due alaska on october 18 1917 the date of the of its purchase from russia will exceed over and beyond all the national expenditures made in its purchase government and development i the trade of alaska for 1916 will amount to more than and every pound of it both imports and exports must move over transportation lines to from or in alaska the miners and merchants the shippers and settlers of alaska now pay and for years have paid the most extortionate freight rates of any people in the world nothing has been done by their government or its appointive officials in alaska to protect them from unreasonable and discriminatory rates and the transformation of alaska into a land of homes and deve developed lopea industries is being actively consummated under greater handicaps than ever before burdened any part of our american frontier the enormous output of the territory to date data has been produced from that portion of its natural resources most easily and readily to be readied reached it has come from bonanza placer mines and other resources on the seashore where here the cheapest rates obtain any attempt tt empt however to develop lower grade placer and quartz gold copper or other mineral products in the interior or at auy any distance from the seacoast must fail until some governmental control of rates of transportation will enable capitalists and laborers alike to have reasonable and equal charges for freight settlers away from the coast c cannot get household goods and farm implements to their farms or their farm products to market without that control is exercised in III short the greater devel development of alaska waits on the control and reduction tio n of transportation rates |