VOL. 2
PETERSBURG, ALASKA
AUGUST 12, 1927
NO. 5
Opposition To Purse-Seines
Made On Puget Sound
Trnpowners * * * have for sev
eral years complained bitterly ol
the increase in purse-seine opera
tions, which they have held has
reached such a point as to practic
ally block the movement of the sal
mon run in the Sound; and it has
been said that seiners frequently
gathered so closely about certain
traps as to prevent the access of
their own tenders. Shortly before
the passage of the order, (restric
ting size of and operation of purse
seines in Washington), a petition
was received from SEVEN TRAP
OWNERS, SAID TO REPRESENT
S5 PER CENT OF THE TRAPS
AND ABOUT 90 PERCENT OF THE
INVESTMENT ON PUGET SOUND,
ASKING FOR INCREASED RE
STRICTION OF PURSE SEINES,
the unrestricted use of which was
said to have so depleted the run
that it was NO LONGER PROFIT
ABLE TO OPERATE OTHER
FORMS OF GEAR. Reference was
made to the Alaska regulations,
which besides limiting the size of
seines had closed a large part of
the former fishing area. (Ed. Note—
TO FISHERMEN ONLY.
Attention was also called to the
increase in size and effectiveness of
purse-seine gear and the migratory
nature of the boats, many of which
congregate in Puget Sound for the
Sockeye run. It was estimated that
there would this year be about 300
seines in the Sound, operating about
100 miles of web up to 150 feet
deep, which it Avas held would be
sufficient to block the migration of
fish up the Straits of Juan de Fu
ca. The opinion Avas expressed that,
if purse-seines w^ere not regulated
this year, the Fraser River run of
Sockeye and Pink salmon would
soon he a thing of the past.
It was also stated that the
seines meet the fish on the feeding
grounds 30 miles off Cape Flattery
and folloAv them to the Canadian
boundary at Point Roberts, about
150 miles; that in the last few
years seines have TAKEN TO
FISHING ALL NIGHT AS WELL AS
THROUGH THE DAYS, DRIVING
THE RUN BACK AND LEAVING
NO ESCAPEMENT. Another ground
of objection is that great numbers
of young fish are destroyed by purse
seines. The petitioners disclaimed
A DESIRE TO PUT ANY FORM
OF GEAR OUT OF BUSINESS, BUT
take the view that ROVING GEAR
SHOULD , BE FURTHER RE
STRICTED.”
“An Unfortunate Situation
The renewal of this controversy
is greatly to be regretted. Unless
some adjustment can be affected
that will he reasonably satisfactory
to both sides, it seems invitable
that this vexed question will again
become a political issue, with re
sults in the long run detrimental to
all concerned; and the effect on the
fishery might easily he disastrous.”
Ed Note—Without doubt if this
“vex d question” becomes a politic
al issue in Washington it will
mean the prohibition of the fixed
gear and that is what Mr. Freeman
means in the Pacific Fisherman
when he speaks of disastrous ef
fects. All of these arguments are
with greater force used against the
trap system in Alaska. “Traps don’t
move?” Just watch them being tow
ed from one pointto another until
a suitable location is found and it
is stated that the money for the
unsuitable location is refunded and
applied on other locations.
Why Cry bAbout Seines Fishing
Nights?
The fact that the fishermen are
learning to fish at nights is con
demned by The Pacific Fisherman,
the official publication of the allied
canners. Why pick on the poor
seiner for trying to get a living? If
it is wrong for them to fish nights,
what makes it right for traps to
operate twenty-four hours a day and
seven days in the week? “Every
trap I passed in Icy Straits on my
way south wa3 fishing onSunday,
said a fisherman to us last week
But it is wrong for the fisherman
to do a little intensive fishing.!
When the trap is eliminated 90 pei
cent of the problems of the fisher
ies will be eliminated to the satis
faction of the entire territory.
(Pacific Fisherman)
Alaska Herring Fisheries
Under Observation
Studies of certain phases of the
herring fisheries of Alaska have
been in progress for the past two
seasons, it was made known this
week by U. S. Commissioner of
are under the direction of W. F.
Thompson, fisheries expert of the
International Fisheries Commission
and most of the field work is be
ing done by G. A. Rounsfell.
Investigation of this branch of
the fisheries is being conducted on
the lines of Norwegian investiga
tions translated by the Rev. S.
Sydness from the Tidende and print
ed in The Alaskan recently.
Two questions are being determ
ined at this time—Are the schools
of herring encountered in Alaskan
waters local; and what are the in
fluences which operate upon the
spawn to produce good hatchings.
Mr. Rounsfell’3 studies are be
ing conducted with a view of gath
ering data which will give the
scientific answers to both questions.
Application of regulations will be
made stated Mr. O’Malley according
to the findings of the investigations.
A 5% quartz vein carrying gold
is reported at Snetisham.
Bureau Fisheries
Seizes Boat
The Vivian June of Wrangell,
Capt. W. C. Lewis, Jr. was report
ed for alleged fishing in closed
areas by Warden McLoughlin. The
warden was ordered to proceed to
Juneau with the vessel where pro
ceedings will be started against it
for confiscation in the District
Court.
LOCAL PEOPLE ON JURY DUTY
The following have been drawn
for jury duty at the September
Gaufflin, Andrew Matheson and Carl
Nygaard from Petersburg and Peter
Knutsen from Scow Bay. for petit
jury; A. B. Holt, Mrs. Knut Thomp
son of Petersburg for grand jury
service. A large venire has been
drawn for term of the court.
Bert^ Richards, has completed the
painting of the new Buffet dining
room in the Grande Cafe and is
leaving today for Wrangell where
h6 will work on the new Wheeler
Building.
The rains solved the water prob
lem facing Petersburg.
Building Supply House
In Petersburg Soon
BUILDING SUPPLY HOUSE FOB
Cato Haarberg has announced
that he will open up a building and
supplyhouse inthe near future in
ing materials, such as finishing
lumber sash doors, windows, cedar
and asphalt shingles, roofing and
building papers, wall paper, bricks,
cement, gravel, paints and tar; and
hay, grains and fertilizer.
There has long been felt the need
of such a concern as this in Peters
burg as many builders find difficulty
in securing such supplies for build
ing as they might desire.
Mr. Haarberg needs no introduc
tion to the people of Petersburg as
he has been in business in other
lines and a resident for several
years.
“Patronize home industry” is a
slogan that may well be applied toj
this new venture as well as to oth
| er lines.
Judge Reed Rules
With Wickersham
WICKERSHAM COMPLAINT IS
SOUND RULES JUDGE REED
PETERSBURG
Petersburg. He will deal^ in build
Tlie demurrer filed by Attorney
General John Rnstgard to the re
cent complaint filed by Judge James
Eugene Wacker, restraining the Ter
ritorial Treasurer from paying cer
tain funds appropriated by the Le
gislature to the Governor’s Qffice.
The demurrer was general alleg
ing that the case filed by above nam
ed tax payers was insufficient to
base an action against the Terri
torial Treasurer. Judge Reed held
that the complaint was legally
sound which clears the way for the
trial of the case on its merits.
Five items covered in this case
include additional salary for Harry
G. Watson, secretary to the Gov
ernor, janitor and messenger ser
vice, travelling expenses of the Gov
ernor, entertainment of visitors and
repairs to the Executive Mansion.
Alaska Steamship
In Ceastal Trade
Alaska Steamship Company is pre
paring to enter the coastwise ser
vice in competition with the Ad
miral Line. It is said that the ser
vice between Seattle and California
ports will start immediately after
the close of the Alaska tourist sea
son. Indicaions that the Nelson
and McCormick and Bayside com
panies will be drawn into a merger
that will have far reaching effect.
It is believed that such a struggle
will be a duplication of the rate
war of the early days of the Alas
ka Steamship Company in Alaska.
NATIVE OF KAKE DEAD
A TMORNING SIDE
Johnnie Kaklane, of Kake died
at Morning side the latter part of
July. He had been committed to
the asylum last September. Burial
will take place in the Multnomah
Cemetery. Deceased was a relative
of Joe Kahklane, former Peters
burg high school student.
zEd Ramstead is putting an add*-,
tion to Charley Mann’s Poolroom
for offices and will remodel the pool
room also.
'Populating of
Other Countries
POPULATING COUNTRIES
“As peoplers, the white officials,
capitalists and managers who have
taken over the control of tropical
lands in order to make them pay
have clean outdistanced Deucalion
and Pyhra. Had they all taken to
casting stones over their shoulders
and kept it up steadily for union
hours, they could never have called
human beings into existence as rap
idly as they have been doing it by
their colonial economic policies. With
their hacks turned and their eyes
veiled to the consequences, they
have cast their influence across
thousands of miles and have unwit
tingly brought about in the distant
tropics a population increase more
than twice as rapid, on the average
as that in their own .home countries.
During the last sixty years the peo
ples in the tropical colonies and de
pendencies of the great nations have
added to their numbers 105,000,
000—a twelfth of mankind sixty
years ago and nearly equal to the
present population of the United
States in size; yet a population un
willed and unheeded, a by-product,
so to speak, *of capitalistic indus
try in the tropics.
“During forty years of British
rule in Egypt—1882-1922—the pop
ulation doubled.# In the Nile Valley
today there are not far from 7,000,
000 souls who might regard the
British as their godfathers. BUT
FOR THE OCCUPATION MOST OF
THEM WOULD NEVER HAVE
BEEN BORN, or else they would
have died before the census taker
made his rounds. * * *
Since the fall of Napoleon III the
natives of Algeria have doubled
Thanks to the cultural elements the
French have injected into a hide
bound people, 3,000,000 are engag
ed in the great adventure of living,
who otherwise would be moulder
ing under the sand or else would
never have been summoned from
the limbo of the unuorn. * * *
“The white man’s insatiable de
mand for rubber and tin has stimu
lated the population of the Federat
ed Malay States to double in twenty
years. In a half century the people
of the Straits Settlements have
tripled. British Guiana has doubl
ed in sixty years. In the same per
iod Trinidad has done something
better than quadruple. * * *
“But the star role in multiplica
tion is held by the Javanese. Java
which has about the area of New
York, is peopled by nearly 40,000,
000—eight times as many as a cen
tury ago. The shrewd Dutch ad
ministrators haye made of the Jav
anese a race of Robots, beings
brought into existence to work.
With all the natural resources, in
Alaska, why is it that the popula
tion does not grow? It will do the
reader well to study the situation in
Alaska and compare to other coun
tries and even sections of the United
States. THERE’S A REASON.
Importation of foreign labor and
disregard for the future of natural
resources, giving special favor to
these industries over residents only
makes impossible the earning of
sufficient money to satisfy more
than a bare existence. Discontent
ed residents moving to the Statos
where they are assured of longer
and steadier working season does
not populate the territory.
It is time thinking men awaken
ed to this fact. i
U
f -
Willie Andreanoff hacked his
thumb with a knife this week while
making a boat for his sister.
“Light Salmon Run” As
Viewed By Cannery Organ
“The indications at this writing
are that the Alaska salmon pack for
1927 will be much lighter than the,
packers contemplated when they)
made their plans in the spring. The
season at Bristol Bay has closed.
Pishing was shut down by the Com
missioner of Fisheries several days
before the general regulations pre
scribed in order to permit of an es
capement large enough to insure
reproduction for the next cycle
year. It is believed that the pack
in that section will not exceed from
50 to 60 percent of last years’!
I
pack—possibly less. While late re- [
turns are lacking from most of the
other sections of the Third Divi
sion, the indications are that there
will not be a large pack at any
point. While there is still time to
change the situation in the First
Division, the canneries are far be
hind last years’ record. In some
instances they are not in excess of
25 or 30 per cent of the 1926 pack.
However, salmon is reported to
be present in large numbers off
shore and the indications are that
they may yet be a large run that
would improve present conditions
in both the Ketchikan and Juneau
sections. In other words, it is be
lieved the run for this region is
late, but that one is on the way.
IF LATER INVESTIGATION
SHOULD PROVE THAT THE
LARGE SHORTAGE IN THIS SEC
TION IS DUE TO A LATE RUN,
RATHER THAN NO RUN AT ALL,
IT WOULD SEEM THAT THE SEA
SON SHOULD BE EXTENDED A
FEW DAYS, OR A WEEK OR SO,
AS THE SITUATION MIGHT INDI
CATE.
It is greatly to be desired that
there should be a fair pack, at
least, of Alaska salmon if it might
be made without too greatly jeop
ardizing the salmon 3upply for fu
ture years. The salmon packers
have spent immense sums of money
in advertising the pink salmon that
are put up in this part of Alaska
as a sea-food, thereby creating a
demand for it. There should be
enough salmon to supply the de
mand. Otherwise there may be dif
ficulty in keeping the demand alive
for other years when the pack is
normal.”
(Juneau Empire)
Fisherman Believed To
Be Drowned
It is reported that John Jorgensen
halibut fisherman of Ketchikan is
missing now for two months from
that city. Along with Olaf Soren
sen he connected with the vessel
Yellowstone and made preparations
to sail on her. After the Yellow
stone left no thought was given as
to his whereabout?? until his per
sonal effects were noticed in the
Tongass warehouse where they had
been taken from a boat he had
chartered.
Rev. J. M. Adskim of the Sea
men’s Home wired the Yellowstone
now at Seward and was notified that
Jorgensen had failed to show up
when the vessel sailed.
It is believed by his friends that
he fell overboard while in a “des
pondent drunk” due to financial
reverses. He was from Norway and
was about 34 years of Age. The
last seen of him was at the North
ern docks.
Court Denies Petition In
Sacco-Vanzetti Case
Justice Handerson of the Msfisa
cliussetts Sate Supreme Court this
week denied petitions by counsel for
Sacco and Vanzetti for a writ of
habeas corpus and stay of execu
tion; also denying the petition for
writ of error.
World wide demonstartions are
being made by sympathizers of these
men who have fought for their lives
for seven years. Mass meetings are
being broken up and exraordinary
precautions throughout the United
States are being taken to prevent
any dynamiting.
The Vanzetti defense committee
made he following statement: “We
call 100,000 Americans to come to
Boston this week and watch the
slemn crucifixion of American jus
tice at the Cradle of Liberty.”
Failure of the Arms Conference
male possible approval of naval con
struction at ‘full speed ahead.”
President Coolidge gave his approv
al to plans presented him.
O'Malley Makes Call
At Petersburg
Henry O’Malley, United States
Commissioner of Fisheries arrived
in Petersburg on the “Brant” Wed
nesday morning and left again for
the Ketchikan district about noon.
When approached about extend
ing the season through the closed
period he replied that it was beyond
any consideration in view of the
scarcity of salmon and lack of es
capement to the streams.
When asked if it were possible
to fish for herring for bait in closed
areas for salmon he said it could
not be considered as some salmon
might be caught in the net. The
relief was requested in view of the
present shortage of herring bait
for halibutmen.
The bait situation has become
acute and lack of bait is laying up
some of the larger boats who know
not where to turn for bait. Local
herring fishermen have not been
able to secure enough to take care
of the local fleet.
Questioned as to the prospects of
a run of salmon in this district, he
smiled but without committing him
self. He stated however, that there
was a scarcity and lack of fish thru
out the whole Territory.
A petition from the Sitka Camp
of the Alaska Native Brotherhood
requesting the extension of the fish
ing season met with the following
reply:
“I regret very much the poor sal
mon run in Southeastern Alaska,
but in view of the scarcity of fish,
cannot justify any action that will
lengthen the season and further re
duce the fish that are escaping to
the spawning beds. I have learned
recently the runs have increased
in Icy Straits, and I am in hopes
that this same condition will pre
vail all through Southeastern Alas
ka.”
Dr. Wilson, also of the U. S. Bu
reau of Fisheries repeated the words
of Mr. O’Malley when in Petersburg
this week. Any hopes fishermen
and canners might have had for
the extension of the season are now
gone aglimmering.
.J