. .Published every Friday by the Alaska Native Brotherhood
Publishing Company, at Petersburg, Alaska.. Entered in the Post
Office in Petersburg as Second Class Matter.
Subscribtion Rates:
The Alaskan, six months, $2.50
The Alaskan, per year, $4.00
A. N. B. Publishing Company, Louis F. Paul, Editor-Manager.
More than* one Petersburg
man can tell you from experi
ence, that a lot of cold cash is
lost on hot tips.
* * *
Another trouble with the world
is that there is too much face
powder and not enough baking
powder sold.
* * *
SOMETHING WRONG SOMEWHERE
While The Times is not prepared to give sup
port to the contention of Delegate Sutherland
that the fishing trust is being favored by the fed
eral fisheries bureau, there cannot be conceal
ment of the fact that conditions among the resi
dent fishermen of the territory have not improv
ed during the years the industry has been regu
lated by the commission; and it undoubtedly is
equally true, as is claimed by the delegate, that
a great many persons, dependent upon fishing
for an existence, have been compelled to leave
the territory in recent years because of the unfa
vorable conditions under the federal regulation.
Maintenance of the annual salmon pack at high
levels has not tended to improve conditions
among the fishermen,—not with the big canner
ies importing low-wage Oriental and Filipino la
bor for their seasonal operations, purchasing
their supplies in the states and taking their fisn
from traps which function so thoroughly there is
small chance for resident fishermen to partici
pate in the annual catch. The taxes which the
big canneries pay into the territorial treasury
fall far short of reimbursing Alaskans for losses
sustained through continuance of a system of
wholesale exploitation.
What is needed to put Alaska’s fishing indus
try on a permanently helpful basis is more en
couragement for resident fishermen, an oppor
tunity for them to earn living wages while fish
ing is in progress, an incentive to locate perma
nently in a community, with assurance that there
will be enough money coming in each year to
maintain a family amid decent surroundings.
When Alaska coastal communities can begin
building on that kind of a foundation, there will
be small need to worry about the future of the
Territory.
The territory is enjoin'd against interfer
ference with the fishing industry; it cannot say
where traps shall be placed or how many cases
salmon may be packt. But the legislature has un
restricted powers in the matter of taxation and
in . view of the indiference to territorial develop
ment which has been displayed by some of the j
larger interests operating in Alaska waters, it
might be helpful to inquire into the feasibilty
of revising tax schedules with a view to bringing
about closer cooperation between cannerymen and
the territory. The question is important enough
at least to have the serious consideration of those
who will be benefitted by territorial development
—it is especially important at this f le, when
candidates are coming forward seeking places
in the territorial legislature.—Anchorage Daily
Times.
(Editor’s Note:—We are getting together.
Editor Fiske should know but the facts are so as
tounding that he has refused to believe them
We join him in saying there’s “Something Wrong
Somewhere” and call attention to the fact that
since 1924 seine caught fish have dropped to 20
per cent of the total (from 38 per cent) and trap
caught fish has increased from 57 per cent to 70
per cent since 1924, the birth year of the White
Fish Bill.
EXPLOITING ALASKA
Resume of Delegate Sutherlands Speech before
Congress
Fifty million dollars’ worth of salmon annually
was the impressive investment discussed the
other day in the House of Representatives at
Washington. This is the maximum value of the
catch taken—almost entirely by large canning
companies—from Alaskan waters every year; the
average, according to Dan Sutherland, Delegate
from Alaska, is over forty millions. It represents
a princely return to the large canneries which
dominate the fishing industry; it represents at
the same time penury and starvation to the na
tives, the Indians who are neither permitted, ex
cept under certain limited conditions, themselves
to fish in their own waters nor to work for the
canners who prefer, for good and financial reas
ons, to import Filipino or Chinese labor.
The population of Alaska, 55,000 in the census
of 1920, is reported to be shrinking at the rate ot
more than 1,000 a year. The Indians are report
ed destitute, living on a yearly income estimated
by a generous government as something around
$265 for a family and by Mr. Sutherland as about
3150. In addition, they are permitted to catch
all the salmon, for family consumption only, that
they can. In oilier words, if they are willing to
live on an exclusive diet of salmon they would
still have at most $265 left over for all other ex
penses. The income, such as it is, is derived en
tirely by means of seines or nets, the canneries
by traps which catch several hundred thousand
fish in a season; in 1924, 57 per cent of the fish
ing was by traps; in 1928, 71 per cent. The per
centage of seine-caught fish has declined from
38 to 25 per cent. Limitations on seine fishing
are ostensibly for “conservation.” That is, the
ancient fishing streams may no longer be fished
in because they interfere with spawning grounds
but traps a mile or so outside their bounds Ca,uch
the run and leave none to escape. Yet when
the native, individual fisherman seeks to attach
his seine outside to give him somewhat the same
effect as a trap, the government steps in and for
bids the practice because it is contrary to its
“conservation” plans. As Mr. Sutherland points
out. the traps are permitted to operate day in
and day out during the season of the run, with
no attention given to the customary Sunday stop
page—which the natives are compelled to observe
or to shutting down for a period that may be
rendered necessary in case the fish are not pass
ing into the spawning grounds. .
Mr. Sutherland, when pressed for a remedy
for the double exploitation of a people and an in
dustry, declared that the fault lay with the Ba
■eau of Fisheries for permitting the canners to
lave their way. and the remedy with Congress,
which can turn the fisheries over to the Territory
itself for regulaton and control, in imitation ol j
every State in the Union and the Territory ol j
Hawaii. No one pretends that any financial gain j
accrues to the government departments concern- |
ed because of the ruthless spoliation of the Ter
ritory. It is simply another case of bureaucratic
stupidity and monopolistic cleverness. Together
they makesplendid combination—for monopoies !
Mr. Sutherland’s speech seems to have been re
ceived with open-mouthed indignation by his
colleagues. “Why do you not intruce a bill,”
they cried. “I have always had a bill,” in effect
he answered, “and so have my predecessors. You
need only enact it.”—The NATION.
WASHES HANDS LIKE PILATE
Governor Young of California is the third
governor of California to “wash his hands’’ of the
fate of Mooney and Billings, now spending their
fourteenth year in penitentiary for a crime which
has the veriest marks of “railroading” by “big in
terests” of California.
It took Governor Young a year to decide that
he did not want to rule on the evidence before
him which he had been studying. He
declared that “I am not yet convinced as to the
innocence of these men * * * I do not think for
a minute that the cases are so weak that they
cannot safely be intrusted to the Supreme Court
I cannot conceive of anything fairer to ev
eryone concerned than an honest and conscien
tious continuation of this study on the part of
the Supreme Court, the pardon board, and my
self.”
i
PETTING THE BUREAUS
-x
On another column we publish
a letter criticising the policy of
the ALASKAN for not using
' tact and diplomacy” in its ef
fort to secure changes of policy
of the Forest and Fisheries Bu
reaus.
The ALASKAN and its owners
have done everything, but kiss
e the toes of the Fisheries Bureau
in efforts to secure a change of
policy that would be of general
benefit to every one in the Ter
ritory. Failing in that the only
alternative is to fight back.
Nothing has ever been accomp
iished for the territory by tact
end diplomacy—nothing of gen
eral benefit. We admit that the
bureau heads parcel out favors
to those who have financial pow
er back of them—but to the
working stiff, the fisherman, be
he white or Native, nothing has
been secured from the Fisheries
Bureau but what it was.obtained
by carrying the fight to Wash
ington.
How is “tact and diplomacy”
going to stop the giving of spe
cial privileges—open navigable
waters to certain interests where
they may fish with big traps and
at the same time prohibit a poor
j
seiner, with a rag of a seine,
from fishing closer than 300 feet
from that trap Where is the
‘“act and diplomacy” that se
cured the revocation of the now
infamous “hook-off” regulation?
Where is the “tact and diploma
cy that is making effort to better
trolling conditions?
The only protest has been
made by the Alaska Native Broth
erhood. Instead of sitting in the
pool halls and bemoaning the
conditions, they established their
own organs to publish the facts
which are perverted and distort
ed by the press of the territory; j
they sent suggestions in the form]
3f resolutions to congress and to]
congressmen, to organizations
A'hose interest they held; they
c xposed the machinations of the
Bureau. They gave blow for
blow until they have the bu
reau of fisheries on the defens
ive.
Blows, not tact and diplomacy
earned for this country its free
dom from the yoke of King
George the Third. And condi
tions in Alaska are not one whit
different from those stirring
times.
And the people of the Terri
tory are awakening to the fact
,hat they have been lulled to i
;leep by “tact and diplomacy”
too long. They are awakening!
PART OF WICKERSHAM’S
FORMER RECORD
-x
While Delegate to Congress
Tom Alaska, 1908-1920, Judge
Tames Wickersham drew and se
cured enactment into law, the
ollowing bills:
1. The construction of the
Alaska Railroad, costing $65,000
000.
2. The Organic Act of August
A, 1912, creating the Alaska j
legislature and giving Home |
Pule to the people of Alaska. j
3. The permanent location of j
he Territorial capital at Ju-1
neau.
4. The construction of the
Territorial Capital at Juneau.
5. The construction of the
Alaska Agricultural College and
ichool of Mines at Fairbanks,
;ith land grant support.
6. The creation of Mount Mc
Kinley National Park.
7. The establishment of the |
Public School System in Alaska, i
8. The control of indiscrimin
ate locations of placer claims in
Uaska by power of attorney.
9. The Alaska Bone Dry Law,!
n response to the demand of a
urge majority of the electors of
Alaska.
10. The improvement and pro
ection of the Nome harbor.
—And many other Acts of1
Tongress for the development of
Territorial Government, and
general progress, in Alaska.
SENATOR NORRIS ON
“GRUNDYISM”
Here (exhibiting) is a still
brighter sample Mr. President. I
will say, Senators, “If you have
tears, prepare to shed them
now.” (Laughter.)
This is Grundy’s mantle; I re
member
The first time ever Grundy put
it on; .
Twas on a pleasant evening in
the fall;
That day great Hoover won his
fight and sent
The defeated hordes of Democ
racy back upon the side
walks of New York.
Look, in this place ran CARA
WAY’S dagger through;
See what a rent the envious
BORAH made;
Through this the son of a wild
jackass stabbed;
And as he pluck’d his cursed
steel away,
Mark how the blood of Grundy
followed it,
As rushing out of doors, to be
resolved
If he so unkindly knocked, or no.
This was the most unkindest cut
of all;
For when the noble Grundy saw
the jackass stab,
Ingratitude vanquished him;
then burst his mighty heart;
And, in his mantle muffling up J
* his face, }
'The great Grundy fell.—Con
gressional Record.
-x-.
A wild jack ass enjoys more
freedom than a tame one.
-x
More money is spent on cig
aretts, by young men, than on
cultural education.
-x
Friends like books should be
few and well chosen. 1
^X~X"X^~>XK~>X~>X~:~>X^^~X^X"X~X«X*X^^"X*»X~X«>**«>
Pool and Billiard Tables
At
BRENNAN’S
Cigars and Tobaccos of all kinds
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John R. Kolstrand §
General Blacksmith
| Pef.eresburg : : : Alaska |
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..IS=*
This space is paid for by STAR BAKERY, but Mr.
Lien was too busy baking pies to write copy.
THE STAR BAKERY
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Choice Cigars, Tobaccos And Candies
New Tables And Equipment
Dick Kuwata, Prop.
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24-Hour Service
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ALASKA CAFE
Sam Komotsubabara, Proprietor
Best Meals Served at alHimes.
Service: 6 a. m. to 12 p. m.
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Kippered Salmon
Finnan Haddie
Codfish tongues and sounds
Salt Mackerel
Canned Lobster
Geisha crab
Imported fish balls
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