| Summary: | Alaska Hard Hit, Says Editor. Alaska Hard Hit, Says Editor Alaska's Christmas will not be a very merry one unless food and other commodities are unloaded at her doorstep soon. So declared Robert Bender of Juneau, editor of the Daily Alaska Empire, yesterday at the New Washington Hotel on arriving in Seattle for a two weeks' business visit. "The territory really is hard hit economically by this shipping tieup," he said. "You see, from a transportation angle Alaska can be regarded as little more than an island. We are entirely dependent upon shipping for our supplies. Local production is but transportation facilities, excepting for our planes, is very limited. "Only the fine spirit of our business men has made it possible to come this far through mum of hardship. Our stores have tried to maintain stocks as evenly as possible and have been selling at very equitable prices." SUPPLIES AWAITED Bender said when he left Juneau Thursday on the Princess Louise the government boat Boxer had not yet arrived with its supplies for Seward, Cordova and adjacent territory. Juneau and other southeast points were looking to the arrival of the Arctic for new supplies. "Alaska is short on just about everything. For instance, I asked a restaurant for ham and eggs. The waitress said she couldn't serve them at the moment, but that she might be able to get them a couple of hours later." Aviation, Bender said, is a boon to Alaska travelers. Canadian ships are now the only ones serving Alaska and many travelers are taking to the air to make connections. Bender, a former Seattle newspaper man and Fox Theater executive, is the son-in-law of Gov. John W. Troy of Alaska. Accompanying him are R. E. Robertson, Juneau attorney,and Mrs. Robertson.
|
|---|