Pubished every Friday by the Alaska Native Brotherhood Pub
lishing Company at Petersburg, Alaska.
Entered in the Post Office in Petersburg as Second Class Matter.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
Six months, $2.50 Per Year, $4.00
Advertising Rates on Application.
LOUIS F. PAUL.MANAGER and EDITOR
John Rustgard, Candidate
■A
This paper will not support
John Rustgard for re-election
as Attorney General. He has
never placed on record in a fav
orable manner his attitude
towards the most important
issue before the people of this
Territory—FISH.
He has placed on record this
utterance.
“I believe that owners of fish
traps and trap sites should be
protected in such ownership
against ALL interference in such
ownership except by the govern
ment and to that end should re
ceive leases for their trap sites
for a fixed period.”
Does he still believe in the fish;
trap:
He has recently said that Fish
is not an issue in his office. We
deny that statement categorical-1
ly. It IS an issue in his office.
Section V of the fishery laws de- |
Clares that “It shall be unlawful!
for ANY person to take, catch
or kill” salmon during the week
ly closed season. Every time a
trap is lifted on Sunday this law j
is violated. If the Attorney Gen
eral of Alaska does not protect
the interests of its people, who
will?
There is a law which says that
“there shall be no exclusive
grant of the right of fishery” and
that where one may fish all may
fish. The fish trap by its very
nature is exclusive. What is the
attorney general going to do
about it? During the twelve
years he has drawn $5,000 an
nually as attorney general, what
has he done to merit any support
from the fishermen?
* * #
MR. TRUITT
-X -
Mr. Truitt of Anchorage is the
Democratic candidate for attor
ney general. We know nothing
about him except that he is a
finfc gentleman and “rather old.”
The office of Attorney Gener
al for Alaska is not a pension to
staid old gentlemen. It is an of
fice that holds a key position to
the fisheries problem.
The Traditional Attitude
We have had several criticisms
by “businessmen” for our rece.it
editorial on the question of the
Territorial treasury, the revenue
bill and bank reserves. We are
not alarmists, but we ask this in
all fairness—did we portray the
facts and was our reasoning
sound and correct? Is there any
body in Petersburg who wrill pre
sent the facts if we are mi^ak -
en?
The political economist on the
opposition paper in Petersburg
—that paper without brains of
its own—says that the banks are
all right and “the only bank
failure” is that of Hyder a “small
town on the Canadian border.”
But suppose, Mr. Business Man
and Mr. Reader, all YOUR mon
ey had been in that small bank,
would you feel that Walstein G.
Smith (friend of bankers so we
are told) was a fit person to be
treasurer of Alaska.
. From the earliest date, we
have been warning the people oi
Alaska of “breakers ahead.” For
our courage we have been called
everything nasty and have been
the object of boycotts. The “con
st vative press” has always de
clared that “God’s in his heavens
and all’s right with the world.”
We have not hinted that the lo
cal bank is in trouble. We made
it plain that we were not mak
ing an attack on any bank. But
we did point out that ALL banks
are keeping out of trouble by
calling in their loans and put
ting private people and business
houses in trouble. This has a
direct effect upon the members
of the commercia1 club. But
who will have the nerve of
his convictions and denounce the
man who is responsible for this
condition? Walstein G. Smith
was three hundred thousand
dollars OFF in his figures given
to the last legislature. And all
“conservatives” tell us that*we
must not tell the public that this
“friend of the bankers” has goc
ten the business men of Alaska
into trouble.
When Auditor Cash Cole (run
|ning for re-election) warned the
I legislature of this mistake, he
was laughed out of court. At
torney General Rustgard (run
ning for re-election on his re
cord) said that Mr. Cole was
borrowing trouble” and “indulg
ing in needless worry about an
event that would not occur”—
that is, that there would not be
shortage of money.
But the rule of the successful
(in money) newspapers is that
“nothing is wrong with the coun
try or the system.” Nobody de
nies the fact of depression. But
can anybody find where the pub
lic prints have warned the peo
ple that it was coming, that is,
outside of The Alaskan and The
Alaska Fisherman?
We have faith in the people of
Alaska, and so predict that no
sudden catastrophy will happen.
But we are here to tell the world
that we need real men—men of
courage—men of conviction and
ability in the offices of this Ter
ritory. We have had just about
enough of kowtowing ‘yes men.’
We predict that soon there
v/ill be no traps, and that if the
law does not abolish them, the
people will destroy other traps
in addition to those destroyed
' last summer on the ‘West Coast.’
But why cannot all Alaskans at
least join with the Indians of the
Territory and shout “out with
the traps.” What kind of a sha
dow are the peope afraid of? Are
| the brave only the “damned Si
| washes”?
We Correct An Error
x
Last week, we omitted a quo
tation and make amends and cor
rect the error by reprinting the
quotation properly— otherwise,
We would be doing the United
States Bureau of Fisheries a
grave injustice:
“It (the Bureau of Fisheries)
has notified Kent Robinson, IT.
S. Commissioner at Cordova, that
starting next , year, the Bureau
Will NOT PERMIT its cases to
£e Into the Commissioner’s court
as misdemeanors but would
seize boats and gear and hold
ALL violations for the District
Court.”
The Seward Gateway com
mented thus (that was where
cur mistake was made):
“Thus the ordinary citizen, ar
rested and branded as guilty by
any representative of a federal
bureau, may be denied the right
to a preliminary hearing.”
The Bureau of Fisheries sayi
that “It will not permit” a citi
zen to have a speedy trial as
provided by law.
Contrast the British Colum
bia system as stated by its head,
Major Motherwell, Canadian
Fisheries Commissioner:
“Our officers are trained to ad- J
minister these regulations in a
reasonable and fair way. They
are expected to use their own
good judgment, and not be too
technical in dealing with the
seiners. If one of the seiners is
found over the line, and there is
doubt about his intentions, he
would be taken into custody. If
a trial cannot be held within a
few days, his boat is returned to
him under bond; we realize that
WE MUST GIVE HIM A CHANCE
j to make a living. After the sea
son is over, he can be tried.”
The Right to Strike
-X
“If fish traps are abolished,
what protection will the can
nerymen have against strikes? ’
This is the question that stumps
the seine fishermen.
In the first place, it is almost
impossible to pull off a success
ful strike among fishermen be
cause with favorable conditions,
con crew can supply a one-line
cannery. Hence the “strike”
must be 100 per cent to be suc
cessful.
But what is a “strike”?
When the cannerymen get to
gether and say they will NOT
buy fish and pay more than ONE
CENT, isn’t that a strike of th?
buyers? Why do not the com
mercial clubs hold up their
hands in holy horror at this
strike of the cannerymen?
The fisherman is also a mer
chant. He has goods to sell.
When he says that he will not
sell at less than cost, he is not
striking. He is a real good busi
ness and employing the preroga
tive of those who handle mer
chandise.
If the cannerymen will not
pay the fishermen the cost of his
fish plus a modest profit, the
canneryman is striking.
The people of Alaska must re
cognize that the right to strike
is a sacred right—right for the
canneryman and right for the
fishermen. They must also re
cognize that the fishtrap is an
instrument of slavery—used u)
rob and enslave the fishermen
nnd used to rob him of his right
to sell fish at a profit. For ex
ample—the current price for
humpback salmon in British Co
lumbia last summer was THREE
'CENTS. The price in trap-rid
den Alaska was ONE and ONE
HALF CENTS in the Ketchikan
district and only ONE CE1NT in
the Icy Straits district. The
merchants of Alaska can figure
their losses on a catch of forty
eight million salmon.
-x
A Remarkable
Prophecy
-x
The late Sir Walter Besant in
, his great history of London,
’quotes the following remarkable
'prophecy made by Colonel Geo.
Hanger, writing in London in
1798:
Should I lived to a good old
age I am confident that I shall
jhear of the northern and south
'trn powers in America waging
war with each other; when one
■ party will solicit assistance from
France, the other from Great
Britain. It will then depend or.
the judgement of those men who
at that period may be 1 at the
head of the French and British
councils whether or not they
will interfere in American dis
putes. In my humble opinion it
would be better for both coun
tries to let them settle the mat
ter amongst themselves. I will be
.'0 bold as to offer another opin -
ion. We should give up Canada
and Nova Scotia to the Ameri
cans provided we could make Ihu
sacrifice the foundation of an al
liance offensive and defensive
with the United States; then we
; never should be obliged to send
the prime of the British army to j
die like rotten sheep in the West
India Islands. In America
could recruit forces for the West
Indies with men inured to a hoi
climate, who would not suffer
death and sickness in any de
gree equal to the new levies sent
irom England, with the addi-'
tional advantage of keeping our I
army entire and in full vigor at1
heme. I anxiously hope and trust
I shall live to see the day when
an alliance, offensive and de
fensive, will be formed between
the two countries, as Great Bri
tain and America may together
defy the united powers of all
Europe.
--—x
Behind the News
Seattle Star
An old line Republican politi
cian whose view is highly re- j
spected by the writer has thej
following confidential view of
the political situation:
“I think Roosevelt is practical
ly in. He will lose a major por
tion of New England, probably
New York, possibly New Jersey
and surely Pennsylvania. Out
side of that, the rest of the
country seems to be his, not by
popular acclaim but by default.
“In my opinion, the election
will not be a ‘Yes for Rooseveh,
but a thunderous ‘No’ for Hoov
er. It will be led quietly by a
large number of Republicans
who will have very little to say
publicly, but plenty to say under
the Australian ballot system.
They think the party needs a
housecleaning. The Old Guard
will be in control again four
years hence.
“The administration is plan
ning a strong campaign, not on
the stump, but in the marts of
trade. Two weeks before the
election they may be able to
create the atmosphere of return
ing prosperity. That is their ob
jective. If they succeed, they
may be able to block what seems
now to be inevitable. I am con
vinced they cannot succeed to
the measure they anticipate.
“Looking ahead, I think there
is a chance for Roosevelt to be a
good president, especially if his
majority is not too large. He is
approaching the thing in the
right open mind. His campaign
so far has been good. So has
Hoover’s. I do not think either
will make many mistakes unless
Roosevelt’s western swing should
start squabbles among local De -
mocratic tickets.
“What we need for reconstruc
tion is someone who will tackle
the problem conservatively and
with proper humility, listening
to advice and keeping an open
mind. What we have no need for
are know-it-alls—promoters who
will build up another inverted
topheavy economic pyramid on
an unstable foundation.”
His view is presented here be
cause it is expert and sincere. Ho
tells an entirely different story
for publication.
-—x
“MY LITTLE CABIN HOME”
By James R. Little
-x
‘ Tis not with size contentment
goes,
Nor cost nor splendor’s rich
display;
The griefs the humble cabin
I knows —
The castle cannot keep away.
The cabin where hearts in con
1 cord beat,
Needs little more to be complete*
I The little cabin from day to da?,
Is open wide to friends who call;
The neighbors just across tho
creek
Share every care that may befall.
Are mansions polished through
and through?
The little cabin is spotless too.—
-x
Most people who have nothing
; to do make the mistake of doing
it.
* * *
A man isn’t licked until be be
Jgins to complain about the rules.
' "■1
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