W
VOL. 4.
PETERSBURG, ALASKA, JUNE 27, 1930
NO. 50
Salmon Pact is Held to be Boon
To the Pacific Northwest Industries
By Miller Freeman in The Seattle Times
The sole purpose of the prc
posed treaty is to restore the
Fraser River sockeye run, which
passing thru Puget Sound, was
in former years the most import
ant fishery resource of this dis
trict
There is no dissenting opinion
from any source on the issue
that this fishery should be re
tored.
The former magnitude of this
resource is illustrated by the
lact that in 1913 the pack oi
sockeye salmon on Puget Sound
vas 1,673.099 cases. On the Brit
ish Columbia side, in the Fraser
River area, the pack was 972,178
cases, making a total for the en
tire area to be included under
the treaty of 2,643.377 cases. If
this industry were in a flourish
ing condition such a pack last
year would have had a market
value of $52,000,000.
Loss to Both
The pack of sockeyes inl929 on
Fuget Sound was 111,898 cases;
on the British Columbia side.
60,393 cases—a total of 172,291
cases, valued at $3,303,000. This
shows a staggering economic loss
to both British Columbia and the
State of Washington.
The Fraser River sockeye fish
ery is international in character.
This species spawns in a Canadi
an stream, and in its migration
merely passes to and from the
sea thru American waters. .
Efforts over many years to se
cure a working arrangement be
tween the fisheries departments
of British Columbia and the
Seward Perks up 1
To Fish Regulation
A communication signed “John
Kayser” and dated at Meyer’s
Chuck, Alaska May 7, 1930, re
ceived by the Chamber, calls at
tention of residents of Western
Alaska to certain salmon troll
ing regulations affecting this
area. The writer states that in
Ihe Prince William Sound dis
trict, also in waters farther
west, trolling for salmon is per
mitted during the canning sea
son only—a very short time—
whereas it is permitted longer in
the First Division. This condi
tion he contends is at present
stopping many trollers who
would do so, from moving to this
section.
The matter is being investigat
ed by the Chamber’s Fishing In
cur tries Committee. Messrs. Blue,
Harwood and Brosius.—Seward
.Gateway.
TIIE SOVIET WAY
-o
Four men, including a former
Chief Justice of the Uzbekistan
Supreme Court, have been sen
tenced to death following con
\iction of favoring Kulaks or
rich peasants in court proceed
ings and accepting bribes.
ENGINEER ASSUMES DUTIES
. .Major Layson E. Atkins arrived
in Juneau this week and assum
ed his duties with the Alaska
Road Commission. After get
ting acquainted with his office
and men, Major Atkins wil!
make a swing thru the Territorj
with Major Elliott, president ol
the Commission and Governor
Parks to become more familiar
with the field personnel, the
work and the people.
Capt. Arthur Johnson of Kake
is having a Deisel engine install
ed in his boat, the Woodrow, al
the Fryer Machine Shops.
•-State of Washington have been
unsuccessful, because the twc
local governments have no power
to enter into a formal compact.
Unified control can only be af
tected thru a treaty between the
two national governments.
Canada has shown her good
faith by passing a treaty dealing
vith this problem on four differ
ent occasions, only to be reject
ed each time by the United
States because of various oppos
ing influences on the American
;ide. If this treaty is not now
accepted by this country, it i?
certain that Canada will never
' onsider negotiations to that end
again, which would mean the
abandonment of this fishery to
complete annihilation and the
final destruction of the industry
based thereon.
The fisheries are inherently a
public and not a private re
source.
.. It is not only within the prov
nee, but it is the duty of the
oroper government authorities
to take such steps as may be ne
cessary to restore this formerly
great industry. The government
viewpoint must be beyond the
expediency of the moment, and
from the standpoint of the per
manent welfare of the industry
and the public.
R esults of the definite, firm
policy of the various govern
mental bodies along the Pacific
Coast have shown remarkable
results in maintaining the sal
mon fisheries. The salmon in
Continued on page 2
Securities Were
Just Cultus
Edward Lucas, Federal Trade
Commission Accountant, recent
ly reported in the commission’s
utilities and financing investiga
tion that it “seems doubtful if
anything will be realized” on the
$29,000,000 securities issued by
the Foshay companies of Dela
ware and Minnesota in 1927, 1928
and 1929.
Lucas said the Foshay Com
pany was not listed on any stock
exchange. He said salaries paid
officials were “quite liberal.”
He further stated that the
vidends paid out on the capital
“were uncertain and the condi
tions of the Foshay organization
were evidenced by the fact that
in August, 1929, in order to pur
chase a piece of real estate for
$395,000, a loan was negotiated
for $500,000, with Foshay secur
ities totaling $5,000,000 as alleg
ed collateral.”
Ketchikan Plays Part in High
Finance Scheme
The Foshay Company made
book profits of $521,000 when
the organized companies took
over the operating properties at
Ketchikan and at Managua,
Nicaragua, Mr. Lucas t estified
before the Commission investi
gation.
The Public Utility in financing
also made a book profit when the
Foshay Company sold the Public
Utilities Consolidated Corp., Ari
zona subsidiaries properties for
$1,461,000. The properties cost
1 Foshay $975,000. This sale in
' eluded the Ketchikan properties
THE FAMOUS BRIGADE
The Royal Northwest Mounted
■Police of Canada consists of fif
1 ty officers and 900 privates. It is
.an armed force organized in ter
1 divisions under a commissioner
There is Need For
Demonstration
Fur Farms
An Editorial
Acting on the recommenda
tion of Commissioner Charles
H. Flory the Department of Agri
culture recently gave approval
to a plan for the establishment
of a federal fur experiment sta
tion in connection with the Alas
ka College. This attitude of co
operation on the part of the
Commissioner and the Depart
ment of Agriculture is highly
commendable but the reason
why such an institution should
be placed at Fairbanks is not
apparent.
There is a crying need for ex
perimental research in solving
the problems of the fur farmers.
The fur farming industry ir
Alaska is yet in its infancy but
o view of the numbers engaged
he capital involved and the po
tential importance of the indus
ry to the Territory at large, it
devolves upon the federal gov
ernment or the Territory to en
courage the production in even
possible way, and to this end it
would seem only logical that the
•,vork should be carried on at
such a point as will be most
quickly and easily accessible to
fhose who will benefit by the
contact and in a locality where
natural conditions most closely
resemble those under which the
fur farmers must operate. The
Tir farms of the Territory com
prise two major groups: South
east Alaska and Southwest Alas
ka—both situated on the coast
where climatic conditions and
natural feed resources bear no
resemblance to those of Fair
banks on the great tundras of
the interior.
Two or three reasons have
been given for placing the ex
perimental fur farm at Fair
! banks and we shall give them
due consideration,
i First. “The federal govern
ment already has a similar work
under way at the College, con
sisting of studies in crossbreed
ing reindeer and caribou and is
also conducting feeding experi
ments with reindeer, etc.”
1 Just what connection there
can be between experiments with
reindeer and experiments to
Continued on page 2
*--*
New Prohi Chief
Is Chosen
Amos Woodcock, former Fed
eral District Attorney of Mary
land has been named to take
l charge of the Prohibition En
! forcement of the Department of
^Justice. More recently Mr. Wood
cock was connected with the
Law Enforcement Commission in
Prohibition studies.
. .AN HEIR TO LINDBERGHS. .
Sunday afternoon was born to
Col. and Mrs. Charles A. Lind
bergh, a son, at the home of Mrs.
Lindbergh’s parents at Engle
wood, New Jersey. The little
one arrived on the 24th birth
date of its mother.
| -x
I
GOVERNOR RETURNS FROM
HAZELTON
Governor George A. Parks with
Major Malcolm Elliott of the U.
S. Engineers and Harry G. Wat
son, president of the Juneau
Chamber of Commerce, return
ed to Juneau this week from
Hazelton, B. C., where he motor
ed from Vancouver in the inter
est of the International High
way. .
Trolling Closure
Is Explained
From Pacific Fisherman
The closure of troll fishing in
Southeast Alaska waters between
August 24 and September 30, re
cently ordered in amended fish
ery regulation, is designed as a
measure for the protection of
Silver salmon and NOT FOR
KING salmon, according to a
statement by Henry OMadey,
commissioner of fisheries.
A number of persons interest
ed in the trolling and mild cur
ing business wired the commis
sioner in protest against the re
gulation. In one of his replies,
Mr. O’Malley explains the situa
tion in the following language:
“In regard to your protest
against that feature of the regu
lations which prohibits commer
cial trolling for salmon in South r
eastern Alaska from 6 p. m. Aug
ust 24 to 6 p. m. September 30.
you are advised that this close
season is necessary to afford pro
tection to the' Coho or Silver sal
mon. This species has had com
paratively little protection here
tofore, but jn the interests ol
conservation^ it is essential that
adequate protective measures be
adopted for Cchoc-s as well ar
Chinook or King salmon.
“As you are aware, Coho sal
mon are more abundant late in
the summer and in the fall after
the run of King salmon lias
slackened, and more intensive
fishing for Cohoes naturally re
! suits. It is therefore logical that
a close season be made effective
during at lea&t part of this peri
od for conservation needs and to
insure compliance with that fea
ture of the law requiring an es
capement of not less than 50 per
cent of salmon to the spawning
grounds.
. “I am glad to note that yov
consider prohibitive restrictions
of King salmon, also that you
commend that part of the re
cent regulations which provides
[that in commercial trolling op
erations in Southeastern Alaska
no King salmon shall be caught
which when dressed will weigh
less than six pounds.
“So far as the six-pound lim
it is concerned, I would say that
if every such undersized King
salmon caught could be return
ed to the water alive, which of
course from a practical stand
point is impossible, it would re
sult in a saving of only 3 per cent
of king salmon caught by troll
ers in Southeast Alaska. You
will appreciate, therefore, that
additional regulatory measures
are also necessary for adequate
conservation requirements.”
-x
Transfer Prohi Unit
Without Fuss
Important shake-ups are not
contemplated in transferring the
prohibition unit from the treas
ury to the department of jus
tice. The difficulty of creating a
new organization on short no
tice prevents the department of
Justice from making changes in
the personnel of the rank and
j file in the dry bureau. Attorney
I General Mitchell will announce
’prior to July 1, the name of the
new prohibition commissioner
and he will also publish a com
plete list of the executive per
sonnel or the prohibition unit as
it will be constituted under him.
-x
Melvin Howe, who has been
visiting here with his cousins.
Paul and Arthur Tveten, return
ed to his home in Ketchikan, on
, the Admiral Watson.
Celebrate the Fourth
In Petersburg
-X
The committee in charge of
the Four th of July celebration in
Petersburg this year extends a
most cordial invitation to all of
Petersburg’s neighbors, the fish
ermen, the farmers, miners, log
gers and people from outlying
towns and settlements to come
end participate in the exercises
and sports which have been
planned to commemorate the
birth of the Nation.
The committee is making a
most commendable effort to pro
vide a fitting celebration. Patri
otic exercises will be conducted
at the theatre in the forenoon as
per usual, and the afternoon wib
be given over to races, sports and
contests beginning with child
ren’s races immediately after
punch time, followed by log-roll
png contests, gear baiting con
gests, speedboat rates and day
light fireworks at the ball
grounds. It is rumored about
town that the married men will
take the ball game away from
the single men but we re^e^e
our bets until we see which is the
more handsome team.
An unusual display of night
fireworks at the ballground is
timed to follow immediately af
ter the show in the evening and
a big dance at the Sons of Nor
way Hall will end the program.
The Women’s Community
League will serve lunches dur
ing the day at the telephone
central office, the proceeds of
which will be used to buy furni
ture for the hospital office.
Ketchikan Couple
Get Life Sentence
-x
Miss Eva Stensland and Mr.
Warren Blodgett, both of Ketch
ikan, were married at the office
of Commissioner Clausen, Wed
nesday morning. The couple
with a friend, Miss May Peder
son. came up from Ketchikan on
the new Stinson-Detroit mono
plane of the Pioneer Airways
and were married in a few min
utes after their arrival in Peters
burg. Mr. Blodgett is the son of
I ysle Blodgett, port engineer for
the U. S. Forest Service at Ket
chikan. The bride is also well
known in Ketchncan where her
lather operates a dairy and has
resided for many years. Mr.
and Mrs. Blodgett are register
ed at the Arctic Hotel.
Canada Saving
Its Birds
During the past year Canada
"'-tablished five bird sanctuaries
and one public shooting ground
in the important provinces. By
so doing, Canada is fulfilling her
obligations under the migratory
bird treaty, which protects birds
migrntng between that country
and the United States.
The United States has already
set aside a number of similar
sanctuaries, or “landing fields,”
for migratory water fowl. After
July 1, when additional funds
become available, other sanctu
aries will be established under
the 1929 migratory bird conser
vation act, thus putting us on
parity with Canada in protecting
ducks and geese and other spe
cies of migratory waterfowl.
-x
Jack McBride is over from the
Stikine metropolis renewing old
acquaintances. Jack says the
industrial school development
at Shoemaker Bay is a great
boon to Wrangell,
Longer Closure
Bristol Bay Area
Recent supplementary regula
tions issued by the Secretary of
Commerce impose a 60-hour
I close period at Nushagak in the
Bristol Bay area. Under the new
regulation the close season is
from 6 p. m. Friday to 6 a. m.
Monday of teach week.
Advices from the Alaska Pen
insula indicate a sight run up
to last week with a fairly gooo
run of pinks and chums.
ALASKA CLIMATE HEAVEN AS
COMPARED TO CHICAGO
With a season’s record of 9"
degrees, twelve deaths were re
ported in Chicago on the 24th of
this month.
Centralia, Washington, report
ot pavements bsckling under a
heat of 106 degrees. Farmers
state that oats and corn parch
ed for lack of rain.
-x
COLLEGE TEAM PLANS TOUR
An all-star baseball team tr
be composed of university under
graduates plans to visit Alaska
within the next three weks and
are dating up for a series of
games in the First Division.
William R. Milnor, who has
been Publicity and Athletii
Manager at Columbia University
Portland, Oregon for the past
two years, is acting manager of
the outfit planning to come to
Alaska.
Kake Has Plans
For Big Fourth
Reports from Kake indicate a
Fourth of July celebration tha*
will compare with that of oth
er towns along the coast. A per
capita tax was assessed by the
City Council to insure adequatf
funds for the events of the day.
Patriotic exercises will be heb
in the forenoon and will be fob
owed by a program of sport'
and events which includes boal
races, baseball between Kake
and a team from the Skinner &
Eddy cannery and a tug of waf
between teams from the sam
places. At night the program wil
end with a dance at the A. N. B
Hall. Music for the dance wil
be furnished by the Whoopee
1 Makers while during the day the
Kake Band will liven up the oc
casion with their music.
SNOHOMISH HAS MODEL
Cecelia Steve, 18-year old
Snohomish maiden, was picked
from among 20 others as the
most typical Indian girl in the
Northwest. Alonzo Victor Lewis,
Seattle sculpter, headed the
committee of judges who select
ed the typical Indian girls as a
part of the program for the last
social meeting of the younger
northwest Indians’ organization
| -x
VETERANS’ BILL PASSES THE
SENATE
The Senate passed the Veter
an’s Relief Bill after rejecting
amendments designated to re
duce expenditures by a vote of
66 to 6. President Hoover de
clared that the bill was bad leg
islation and not formulated in
| the interests of veterans than
the taxpayers and described it
i as wasteful and discriminatory.
I The bill prvides $8 a month for
| veterans in a hospital for non
service disabilities, $30 a month
for their wives and $6 a month
for each child. A long list of
new diseases to the classification
service were added.
Sifferman Funeral
Attended by Many
E. N. Ohmer of the Alaskan
Glacier Seafood Company, who
has been on a short trip to Se
attle on account of the sudden
and unexpected death of his
partner and brother-in-law, Karl
I. Sifferman, returned to Peters
burg on the Aleutian with Capt.
Glasscock.
..The loss of Karl is a severe
blow to the shrimp business and
to the town of Petersburg. From
a small beginning, fifteen years
ago, the business has grown
steadily and gradually to an in
dustry of no mean proportions
end few people realize the im
portant part Mr. Sifferman has
played in this development
which has made possible a large
and steady payroll in this town.
Being in charge of the selling
end of the business in Seattle,
Mr. Sifferman’s duties have kept
him close to Seattle but he has
found time to make several trips
to Alaska and on those trips he
made many friends and personal
acquaintances in Petersburg
who extend their sincere eon
.olences and heart felt sympa
thy at this time. It seems al
most a pity that he could not
dave been spared to enjoy for
many years the fruits of his la
bors. He was universally revered
and trusted by his acquaintances
and business associates who
gathered in a mighty concourse
to pay their last respects to a
friend—wholesalers, bankers, re
tailers, longshoremen, truckdriv
ers and men from many walks of
tife who had come to know and
'ove him, came with beautiful
and expensive floral offerings
The boys on the local shrimp
boats sent a large anchor of roses
as an appreciation of their sym
pathy and respect. It was a
Pleasure to know him and to
have been associated with such
a man must ever be a source of
genuine satisfaction to his part
ner who will carry on the busi
ness along the same lines as
heretofore.
SAWYER SEEES STATEHOOD
FOR ALASKA
Ernest Walker, representative
of Secretary of the Interior Wil
bur, who is coming to Alaska to
investigate charges against the
Lomens of Nome relative to the
reindeer industry, recently ex
pressed it his belief that Alaska
will be a full-fledged State with
Congressional representation vot
ing within ten years after com
pletion of the International
Highway from the States thru
Canada and the Yukon country
to Fairbanks, Alaska.
PIONEER AIRWAYS IN FIELD
The Pioneer Airways, organiz
ed recently in Seattle by C. R.
Wright, Aberdeen contractor. V.
C. Gorst,. Northwest aviation pio
neer and Roy Jones, Alaska's
first commercial flyer, sent its
first plane in Alaska this week,
making a stop in Petersburg.
A new Stinson-Detroit is the
craft used. At present the com
pany plans to maintain a coast
wise service in the Territory but
plan to put on other machines
end to enter scheduled sailings
from Seattle to Alaska.
-x
SALMON RUN REPORTED
The big run of the silver h'>rne
is said to be on in the Copper
River district. Official repo"* by
officials of the Bureau of Fin
eries “point to at least a norms!
run.” Up to last week the pack
on the Copper River aggregated
approximately 30,000 cases of
which quantity 16,785 cases were
sockeyes and 4,179 were kings.
The season has been open since
May 15.