NO FISH ESCAPE;'
CANNERYMEN WIN
I The following article ap
peared in last week’s Juneau
Independent* It was written
by Siton Engstrom, Jr,, and
fives the reader an inside
look at a meeting that took
fLlaee last Saturday merging
In Juneau# It is rather re
vealingjto say the leaat,Ed#)
By Elton Engstiom.. Jr*
I went to an informal fisher
ies discussion yesterday
morning where Seton Thompson
held off a<pack of wolves,-.
They were about 25 in number,,
most of them heads of the
canneries in Southeastern Al
aska and the rest, their
lieutenants.
These men are net small
time operators# They are the
big bosses of large compan
ies with extensive holdings-,
not ©nly in Alaska, buy in
the United States# These man
represented the canneries,
sueh figures as f, C« Arnold
and Nick Bez# The discus
sions opened#
Seton Thompson made clear
that a closure of the Eastern
and Western fishing district
appeared necessary, since
many of the' salmon streams
had not been seeded*
The 25 ip the ro*>m, gath
ered around the desk of seton
Thompson, spoke as individ
uals, but it was as if all *
were speaking with one voice,
to extend the fishing for the
reason that the late run of
pink salmon had not yet come
in.
One said that the fishing
had been "sustained" so far,
inother said that histori
cally this ‘rim of salmon
comes in late.
Another that the season
should not be stopped,
A proposal was made by
Nick Bez that the fishing
should be stopped a couple of
days, then opened a couple*
then stopped a oouple of more
Finally as ethers still
talked, ¥, Ci Arnold, the of«*
ficial spokesman for the can
FJOMER
Electric
Serving the rreitem Kenai
with power#♦•••
If you are thinking of
buying one or more appli
ances this fall, come in
and ask about our Section
5 loans. Take advantage
of the low interest rates
to make your home a bet
ter place in which to
live*
ned salmon lobby, passed a
white pad around to a select
group of about six men.
These were the chief men in
the industry. IJien they nod
ded their heads in agreement
to what was said on the paper
policy was being made for the
Territory of Alaskac % C.
Arnold ‘retrieved the pad and,
still holding it, suggested
that the season continue un
til the 12th of Augus t 1
Set on Thompson said that
the decision of tho Depart
ment would be reached by
li;3C that mornings
During the 40 minutes that
the meeting. was in progress
not a voice was raised oppos
ing the extended season* It
is too foolish to assume that
there, are not some Alaskans
opposed to an extended fish
ery. ,
Seton Thompson appeared wo
be inclined toward conserva
tion of*the fishery, but he
was in the direct path of the
pressure of the most colossal
lobby in Alaska#
Where were the spokesmen
for the interests of Alaska?
These same cannery men have
opposed statehood consistent
ly and have worked energetic
ally for the continuation of
fish traps, which the people
of*Alaska in a referendum on
October 12, 1948, voted to
abolish*
Something’s wrong in Alas
ka when , one opinion is the
only one heard, like it was
yesterday morning* A Fish
and Wildlife official told me
after the meeting that every
effort has been made to in
duce fishermen to attend such
meetings, but althougi they
tell their grievances on the
floats, they are afraid to
come to these meetings, be
cause they have to sell their
fish to the industry#
Set on Thompson sat before
the delegates like a man fam
iliar with the proceedings#
It looked as though he had
sat many times . before the
voices of the industry. -Ev
ery time he spoke he quali
r
7 #
fied his own opinion to the
satisfaction of the men be
fore which he sat.
There was no dignity in
the meeting, ' The men on the!,;1
floor called 3eton Thompson -
by first name like an inces- '
sant lapping of naves#
3eton, This#
Seton, that; Seton,what
about this? Seton, how do .
you feel?
And like a tired man he
answered, yes, Bill: yes,
that*s .right, Harry, and so
forth.
7?hat we need is a man who
will enter the meeting and
say, -
yty name is “Jones, gentle
men# Call me Hr. Jones#
And then we need 10 Alas
kans to go up to those fish
ery heerirgs, well-qualified;
perhaps a Senator or a Repre
sentative in the Legislature,
and some fishermen to oppose,
not necessarily the idea, the
intentiOLS, or the canned
salmon industry in itself*
but to furnish another frame
of mind or opinion so that
the Fish and Wildlife is not
pressured into a policy udiich
the action of a few voices
could ohange#
At 11:30 the Jfisn ana
Wildlife and Seton Thampaon
brought back its decision#
The season would exteni until
August 12th# It could—-and
should—have been closed Aug
ust 9th#
A man who works f or the
canned salmon industry, who
was at the meeting yesterday,
said that this decision may
be a terrible mistake# . He
said that some of the canned
salmon operators end the Pish
and Wildlife are assuming
tha t a late run will seed the
streams#
But right now there is no
seed in the streams and there
GARBAGE DISPOSAL
Making weekly pickups for
' garbage disposal
See Lonnie Scroggs om
Ohlson Lane
In business for over three
years.
L & W TR'USFER
are no fish in the area north
of Petersburg# By continuing
tle season to the 12th they
.may be dooming the only fish
!rthat could get through to
•seed the streams.
Some of the big trap own
ers don’t care# because they
h§ive an investment in their
traps which they will have to
take care of regardless
whether the season continues
or not# The trap Owners and
cannery operators have con
tracts in some cases which
guarantee the wages of their
workers until the 28th of
August•
If the streams are not
seeded, two years from now
there wonjt- be any salmon as
the cycle returns.
One trap owner was report
ed as saying after the meet
ing” that last week ue broke
clear over last year’s ..loss#
Next week we make a profit#
The short-sighted desire
!of a few to add an additional
week to the already poor sea
son may woi'k havoc in the fu
ture.
applications being accepted
The Homer Parent-Teachers
Association is accepting ap
plications fotf the job of
cook at the local school caf
eteria for the coming year#
Anyone interested in the job
is invited to send a written
application to Hazel Jenson,
secretary, ^omef F-Tiw
IN FROM FOX RBT3R
A*. A.*Mattox and Ray Wei
ber were in from Fox River
this week on business# Mr#
Mattox purchased a tractor in
Seldovia which he planned to
drive back to his homestead^
He was accompanied by his
granddaughter#_
LEON ROACH
is now featured nightly
at the Yah Sure Club# If
you haven’t heard ^on
sing and play his guitar
then you have missed a
treat*
YAH SURE CLUB ,
_ON THE AIRPORT ROAD_[
' ' t- IN THE PROBATE COURT K>R THE TERRITORY OP ALASKA.
THIRD DIVISION, HCMER PRECINCT ,• • ■ -
/ ,: v
In the Matter of the Estate )
) No*_
of Joseph Alonzo, Deceased )
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NOTICE IS HEREBY OIVEN that the undersigned, Thomas H* Tice, was on the 22 day
of July, 1955, by an order of the above entitled Court appointed administrator of
the estate of Joseph Alonzo, deceased; and that he thereupon qualified as such admin
istrator |n the menner required by law, and all creditors of, and persons having
clamis against said decedent are hereby required to present their claims, with the
necessary vouchers, within six months from the date hereof, to the undersigned ad
ministrator at Homer,. Alaska, whioh office the undersigned hereby designates as his
place of business in all matters connected with the said estate.
DATED at Homer, Alaska, this 32 day of July, 1955*
signedi Thomas H# Tice
Administrator of the Estate of
Joseph Alonzo, deceased