Thg Blitzes-Ray
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LOUIS F. PAUL,.
MANAGER and EDITOR
TORIES
-x
The War for Independence
was brought on by several evils
one of which brought on that
war was the effort of some so- 1
called “resident” officials t o
make the colonies subservient
to the British Crown. The Col
onies protested against a gov
ernment that is now known as
“carpet-bag.” The early Colon
ials met with the same difficul- j
ties that now confront the peo-'
pie of Alaska. During the days]
of the Revolutionary War these j
interests and influences were
branded as “Tory.”
In Alaska, in both the Repub- j
lican and Democratic parties we
have men of the same stripe
men who prefer control of ter
ritorial affairs by men appointed
by official Washington; men who
lack sufficient interest in the
welfare of the Territory to in
vest any part of their salaries in
anything but suitcases a n d
trunks; men ready to pack up
tneir bags to return to the
warmer climes of the States,
men who prostitute the resourc
es of the Territory through con
nivance and chicanery and de
stroy every vistage of independ
once of the residents possible in
order that they might securc
their own selfish ends. The Tor
ies of Revolutionary days were
no different from the Tories of
this day in Alaska.
The Tories of the Revolution 1
ary Days were led by the ap
pointees of King George III. The
Tories of Alaska are led by the
appointees of official Washing
ton. The Tories of the Revolu
tionary Days were the favor,
and obligations of King George
and the Tories of Alaska today
are the paid-up political debt.',
of politicians of the States.
The Tories of the Colonia1
days were held in utter con
tempt and finally driven from
the land or into silence. The
Tories of Alaska are being driv
en into silence but not ye
driven from the land. Not yet
Not yet.
-x
ANY OLD PRICE
In the past contemporaries o
the First Division have waged
campaign battles in which thej
demand a full measure of home
rule for Alaska. Home rule fo:
the fisheries. Now Delegate
Wickersham has introduced i’
hue House of Representatives r
bill which would give the Ter
ritory full control over the fish
eries. The control desired and
advocated by these several edi
tors is now within their reach
but they have failed to respond
with their influence to give the
measure their support.
Rather they damn the mea
sure with little praise. Listen to
what the Chronicle has to say.
“Delegate Wickersham’s bill—
“to grant additional power to
and that is a thing not apparent
today. * * *
“Regardless of the capabilities
of Alaskans to administer fish
eries affairs, the plan is not ex
pedient; not, at least, until we
have better demonstrated our
ability to pay the cost.”
trie Alaska legislature “to con
serve, protect, and manage the
salmon and other fisheries” in
the territory, is admittedly
enough, a step in the right di
rection. But does it come at an
opportune time? We think not.
Especially in view of the section
2 of that bill which would give
the legislature immediate au
thorization “to provide funds
in the treasury.to meet the
expense of taking over and ex
ercising the powers” conferred
by the bill. In principle it is all
very well to talk of home rule,
of administering our own fish
eries, or regulating our own
game resources, but let us be
reasonably certain that we can
afford to do so. It must be prov
ed that the abuses under the
existing system are unbearable,
-x
POLITICAL HOKUM
During the several past cam
paigns the Chronicle along with
other newsprints in the Terri
tory advocated the “full terri
torial form of government” with
specific planks in the several
platforms advocating the rule
of Alaska’s fisheries by the Ter
ritory itself. We have declared
in the past that there was no
sincerity back of that program;
that it was like a rattle offered
a baby to keep it quiet, when it
wanted something more sub
stantial than a plaything.
Could Be No Worse
The administration of the
Alaska fisheries would be no
worse under the direction of
Alaskans who understand the
need of proper conservation
measures and a greater sym
pathy for the people of the Ter
ritory than as now administer
ed. Certainly they would not
grant specific special privileges
to non-resident trap operators
while discriminating against re
sident labor; certainly they
would not permit continuance of
.he prostitution of the herring
fisheries by the wanton waste
and destructive program which
s advocated by Commissioner
O’Malley, as outlined in his
statements to the Committee on
Merchant Marine, Radio and
Fisheries; certainly they would
not tolerate the destruction of
that fisheries with its ultimate
destruction of the halibut and
trolling industries whereby
everal thousands of fishermen
would be thrown up on the beach
and their investments in sever
i .1 millions of dollars worth of
■oats would be destroyed; cer
ainly they would not abuse
heir power by continuing the
present system of stream mark
ng of which Secretary of Com
nerce is not cognizant and
vhich makes criminals of oth
erwise law abiding citizens; cer
ainly they would not continue
Ire unwise, unscientific system
)f conservation which permits
he destruction of the already
.epleted June, July runs of
almon by continued over-fish
ng and the waste of thousands
if edible salmon by refusing to
rermit the catching and taking
of salmon from over-seeded
areas in the over-protected
August runs of salmon.
No! We emphatically declare
hat Alaskans would not do
worse than the Bureau of Fish
eries has the past ten or more
years and without doubt a more
fair, kindly and sympathetic
attitude to the residents of
Alaska would tend to enrich the
THE CANADIAN TREATY
-x
The Canadian fisheries offi -
cials have declared that the
Fraser River fisheries will be
permitted to operate with all
restrictions removed, which
means the ultimate destruction
of that fisheries and the fisher
ies of Oregon and Washington
It will have but little effect upon
the fisheries of Alaska. This ac
tion on the part of the Cana
dians is due to the refusal of
the United States Government
to ratify the fisheries treaty
which would protect the sock
?yes salmon in fact rather than
as paper conservation measures
The treaty has been pending
for several years—introduced
and urged by the Canadians
ratified by them on several oc
casions only to have the mea
sure defeated in the Senate bj
fishing interests of Washington
State.
There is no denying that rati
fication of this treaty would be
highly beneficial to both coun
ties—that the Columbia Rivei
fisheries and the Washington
State fisheries would benefit
equally as much as would the
Fraser River District in Canada.
The only objection that can be
made to it at this time is that
it would destroy the American
trap system in American waters
contiguous to the Canadian
shores. But ultimately the ■entire
fisheries of both Countries will
be benefitted by ratification to
a far greater degree than will
be the loss of the trap system.
Refusal of the Senate to rati
fy this treaty and thereby pro
tect the sockeye fisheries of
Canada and the United States
only makes certain the charge
that the American operators are
careless of the future and think
only in terms of immediate
dividends. Acts of reprisal by the |
Canadians should not be invitoa
for what little sockeye fisheries
is left in Washington is due to
the seeding of the Fraser River
districts. Total destruction of
which will close up the industry
in Washington.
coffers of all resident business
instead of sending them on the
financial rocks.
We advocate and urge passage
of Delegate Wickersham’s bill
to give Alaska full control over
its fisheries. Not for political
| purposes or for political expedi
| ency but because it is right and
s proper and the entire territory
will benefit thereby.
-x
“RENDER UNTO CEASAR”
-x
Our contemporary in Peters
burg is taking unto itself full
credit for assisting the Peters
burg Chamber of Commerce in
opposing the bill introduced by
Delegate Wickersham, to pro
hibit the further wanton waste
of salmon and other food fish in
Territorial waters of Alaska. To
which we reply: “Render unto
Ceasar that which is Ceasars.”
With the advent of the first
j issue of The Alaskan was esta'c
| lished the policy of objecting to
I the wasteful practices of the
! herring industry wherein thou
I sands of tons of herring were
| being needlessly and wantonly
destroyed. Going back over the
1 files of the Alaskan will be noted
' article after article pointing to
the harm being done that in
dustry; going back over the
files of the Alaska Fisherman
can be found cartoons and arti
cles decrying the criminal waste
of a fine food fish. In 1927 the
writer wrote up a petition which
was given to Dan Alston to cir
culate among the fishermen for
their signatures. This was taken
up by the Petersburg Commer
cial Club and through Earl N.
Ohmer re-written and broadened
out without changing in the
least the allegations first set
i forth. This petition was printed
in the office of the Alaskan
after its adoption by the local
Club and then circulated and
adopted by Ketchikan and
Wrangell Chambers of Com
1 merce. The Alaska Native
i
Brotherhood has at least a doz
en memorials, adopted in suc
cessive conventions of its grand
| camp in support of the ideas
| embodied in this resolution and
1 last fall again the petition was
| endorsed copy of which was
• sent to proper officials in Wash
| ington.
! During all these years our
contemporary was strangely
i silent, except on one or two oc
i casions when it printed the
, ideas of others not connected
! with its force. It was not politic
j to cross the wishes of the Bu
jieau of Fisheries nor of the in
terests which might be allied
with the herring industry and
which benefit therefrom. But
: now that there is need of bols
tering up support, when the
battle for the protection of the
herring industry is well nigh
won it steps in and tries to
take unto itself credit for the
labors of others. While our con
temporary was asleep and let
ting others fight for the protec
tion of a useful food resource
we had contact with friends in
the Territory through letter and
cables; with friends in Washing
ton, in the Senate and the
House, condemning the state
ments of Commissioner O’Mal
ley and pointing out their falsi
ty. Some of which will be of re
cord either in the Committee
hearings or incorporated in the
Congressional Record.
We have done our work—not
because of political expediency
but because it was the rightful
duty of every citizen to oppose
the wanton waste and destruc
tion of the herring industry and
it was with pleasure that we did
our little bit as good citizens.
And there has been considerable
,ioy in a job well done— a little
editor of a country newspaper
fighting a political giant whose
influences through the allied
financial interests is too vast
for the average non-thinking
citizen to comprehend. The
pleasure is one that will never
be taken by others who at the
end of the race come to the
fnre and said “I” did it and
thereby try to take away that
which properly belongs to
others.
-x
RIGHTING A WRONG
-X
Delegate Wickersham intro
duced a bill for the relief of
Clyde Sheldon of Wrangell,
which bill has had a favorable
report by the Committee on
Claims and Attorney General
William D. Mitchell. The reason
for which is as follows:
Sheldon was fishing in the
Ketchikan district in 1929 and
was in a bight wherein theie
was no salmon stream. A fish
warden coming along, arrested
him for fishing within a closed
area and on advice of the dis
trict attorney, Sheldon paid a
fine of $250 whereby, according
to the district attorney he would
not lose his boat. It was pointed
out that the area was not a
legal closed area, that markers
had. been put up by some offi
cious warden and therefore
Sheldon had been illegally fined
Which fine will be remitted be
cause he was not guilty of a
criminal act.
If the Committee on Claims
will take the time to investigate
the many fines paid by resident
fishermen we emphatically state
that at least 75 per cent of them
were illegal fines, paid under
protest, without trial by jury
or representation of counsel.
That the fines were paid under
the threat “If you do not pay the
hne we will start a suit in ad
miralty and confiscate your
boat.” That such a disgraceful
condition exists in the United
States of America is unbelieve
able but certain knowledge of
many cases in the past several
years cannot be denied—they
are of record. It is time that
Congress started looking into a
number of these cases. We do
not believe that they would tol
erate such a condition for it is
jealous of the prerogatives of
citizenship which have been
handed down to all American
citizens with the adoption of the
Declaration o f Independence
and the Constitution of the
United States.
HERRING OPERATORS
OPPOSE ANTI-REDUCTION
BILL
-x
The Pacific Herring Packers
Association took active steps
early in February to oppose the
Wickersham bill introduced in
congress to prohibit the reduc
tion of food fish in Alaska.
This almost perennial propos
al of the Alaska delegate is not
expected to receive greater con
sideration than in the past, but
i the herring industry did nor
overlook the necessity of point
ing out the fallacy behind it.
Harold Arentsen; president, and
W. W. Wilde, secretary, lost no
time in fowarding to Washing
ton a volume of evidence and
argument against the passage of
the bill.
It is difficult to believe that
(ongress, at this time particul
arly, would destroy an industry
which employs many men, both
fishermen and reduction plant
operators, and which represents
million of dollars of invested
capital. Iti is not that elimina
tion of the Alaska herring re
duction industry would release
the herring for food purposes.
They are not needed for food
and would not be cured if the
reduction plants were legislated
out of the territory— Pacific
Fisherman.
It is pointed, out that the
! Haines Camp A. N. S. £
President, Mrs. D. Klanot 2
Secretary, Mrs. D. Perrin ^
Meets every Saturday, 1 p. m.>
Visiting members welcome *
Monte Bay Fool Hall
-X
Candy - Cigars - Soft Drinks
A place to meet your friends 1
Yakutat, Alaska
Ben Petersen - - Prop, j
Ilaines Camp A. N. B.
President, Judson L Brown
Secretary, Joseph Jackson
Meets every Monday
Visiting members welcome
WRANGELL CAMP
x
•{• Alaska Native Sisterhood
x
♦{♦ Pres., Mrs. Paddy Thomas
X
‘{* Sec., Mrs. William Tamaree
X
*t* Meets Every Monday
X
V Visiting members welcome.
I
C. R. BELL
General Merchandise
and
Fur Buyer
Kake.Alaska
EUREKA TRADING CO.
Dealers in
General Merchandise
Kake.Alaska
ERNEST KIRBERGER
General Merchandise
Kake - - Alaska
Highest Prices Paid for Furs
KAKE CAMP
Alaska Native Brotherhood
Meets Every Monday
8 p. m.
President, Peter Hanson
Secretary, Thomas Skeek
DK. K. L. laiccsUiM
Optometrist
Eyes Examined. Glasses Fitted.
Frames repaired; broken lens
es replaced promptly from your
pieces.
KETCHIKAN-ALASKA
Sales FORD Seuice
Hardware - General Supplies
Draying
Haines - - Alaska
Erick Oslund - - Proprietor
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General Merchandise
Groceries
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Haines - - Alaska
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Hollywood & Beach i
Sheet Metal-Heating Systems**
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General
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Sitka
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t*b**lfj*v •***&j*>**+t*\ttj<*"i<*m<\fij****»
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|
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Ij Wrangell - - Alaska
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