The 9Älaykkmiru
A. N. B. PUBLISHING COMPANY
HENRY B. PHILLIPS - - --- EDITOR AND MANAGER
SUBSCRIPTION RATES.
The Alaskan, six months,. $2.50
The Alaskan, per year . $4.00
Published every Friday by the a. N. B. Publishing Co., Petersburg
Entered in the Post Offlc© in Petersburg as Second Class matter.
A “FREE” TRIP
“In the summer of 1925 I per
sonally visited Alaska ‘at my own
expenses’ in order to inform myself
at first hand of the conditions
which existed in the fisheries of
Alaska. I feel, in consequence,
better able to talk on this subject
than those whose knowledge may
be derived from other than person
al experience,” Congressman Free,
Congressional Record, March 3,
1927.
Now what does this ignoramus
of affairs Alaskan mean “at my
own expense?” Perhaps his con
science worries him a wee bit and
he wishes to rise to his own de
fense. Far be it from the mind
of the Alaskan to say ,‘he didn’t
pay his own expenses through Al
aska.” He even chartered the
steamers and tugs of the big Pack
ing Companies at “his own expense”
for information. And incidentally
visited the wrath of Alaskans and
the press in general when he con
demned as junk the railroad of
Alaska. It might not have been a
“free trip” but it certainly was
Free advertising.
Not So Prosperous
"It is true that the regulations
have closed certain bays and other
waters where natives and white
men had been accustomed to fish
with purse seines. This has been
absolutely necessary in order to se
cure a sufficient escapement of
breeding salmon, for it is well
known that the purse seine takes
its heaviest tool of salmon as they
concentrate off stream mouths.
Actual figures do not bear out
the statement of the gentlemen
from Alaska that natives can not
make a livelihood or can not do
well when operating purse seines
in Alaska. There undoubtedly are
instances where individuals either
through lack of diligence or good
judgment in their selection of fish
ing grounds, or for other reasons,
have not not well in their purse
seining operations. It is of partic
ular interest, however, to compare
the earnings of purse-seine boat
crews operating for certain can
neries in southeastern Alaska in
1323, before the department’s reg
ulations under the new law went
into effect, with corresponding earn
ings in 1926 when there were
severe seasonal or other limitations
upon fishing. At one cannery in
1923 six purse-seine boats, man
lied by a total of 23 persons, fish
ed 74 days and made average per
boat of $1,824.85. This was an
average of $6.43 per man per day.
At the same cannery in 1926, 16
boats, operated by 70 persons, in
45 fishing days made average earn
ings per boat of $2,011.67, an
average of $10.22 per man per day.
At another cannery in 1923, 10
Poats operated by 44 persons in 66
fishing days made average earn
ings og $2,013.99 per boat. The
average earnings per man per day
were $6.9 3V At the same can
nery in 1926, 12 purse-seine boats
manned by 56 persons in 36 fish
ing days averaged $2,607.24 per
boat. This is an average of $15.02
per man per day. 2
These figures offer a striking and
complete refutation of the allega
tions that purse-seine fishermen can
not do well in Alaska. This, more
over, was in a region where traps
are used extensively, in fact, re-2
garded as one of the best sections
of southeastern Alaska for salmon
traps.” — Congressional Record,
March 3, 1927, Cong. Free.
^Problem No. 1, 1923
6 boats, 23 persons and 29 shares
give $1,199.18 per boat share.
Four men to crew with boat 5
shares leaves $237.65 per share for
74 da3rs. One hundred days or
3 months is average season there
fore the daily wage of each man
was $2.37 per day gross.
Deducting $160 for oil and grub
leaves $87.50 net or a daily earn
ings of 87 % cents a day.
Personal expenses should be de
ducted as per work clothes and oth
er equipment necessary for the
work.
Problem No. 2
16 boats, 70 fishermen, total
86 shares, adding 16% shares for
nets, 92% shares net $347.96 per
share. Deducting oil, grub, per
sonal expense $300, per share
balance $47.96 per share for 45
fishing days actual fishing per sea
son of 100 days gives fifty cents
per day.
FISHERMEN’S EARNINGS
On another column are figures in
dicating net earnings of fishernen
during seasons of 1923 and 1926.
In sofar a sthe “Free” agent of
the packers does not indicate the
section wherein he arrives at his
figures we also draw our con
clusions from his figures and our
practical experience. No agent of
the Czar of our fisheries can tell
us a thing about our net earnings.
We know just how far it went
each season and number of shares
per boat.
The general practice in the Ket
chikan district is a share and a
half per boat and a share and a
half per ent. with a crew of five
men at the least there would be j
8 share per boat. With some out
fits, the owner demands more
shares. ,
Wrangell section having few In
dependent fishermen, there is but
one share for the private boat
used. Canneries charging boat
end seine share and paying less for
fish than Ketchikan.
Petersburg fishermen made so
much money through their opera
tions in 1926 that they caused (?)
find extra window in the Bank of
Petersburg to be put in and they
all paid big income taxes and
practically slept in the streets.
Kake through having a fair run
of salmon, the fishermen made fair
earnings high boat sharing $800
per man for 3 months seininig
and low men not making more
than an average of $2.60 per day
gross.
TRAP INDUSTRY OP ALASKA
1026
639 traps operated.
486 cannery owned.
153 owned by individuals.
Average per trap catch 80,708,
81% of all salmon caught by
traps and 19% caught by seines,
trollers and gillnetters.
Twenty years ago 100% of all
salmon caught in Alaska was thru
resident fishermen. These men
spent practically 100% of their
earnings in Alaska. Today it is
rafe taN say that of the earnings
of the trap interest 80% is spent
outside.
Boats around Prince of Wales
and Ketchikan did not pay their
grub and oil expense inspite of
Congressman Free’s fancy but mis
leading figures.
The one thing the Bureau of
Fisheries has consistently and per
sistently done for thirty years is
figure and make reports to fool
the public. That day has gone
when they -can hide their false
statement, for publicity exposes the
fact that figures dp not lie but
liars do figure. We therefore re
commend that the Czar of our
fisheries the Hon. Secretary Hoover,
his Irish mouthpiece and their
champion in the House of Rep
resentatives, the free tripper to
Alaska, do a little less figuring
and give honest facts.
PETERSBURG CABINET WORKS
The hum of band saw and motor
the constant - sound of hammer
meeting the head of nail tells that
the Petersburg Cabinet works is
meeting success in its venture in
ihe Petersburg field.
Mr. Ervin who recently came to
Petersburg from the States has his
shop equipment in place and ha3
had sufficient work ordered to put
a man on the payroll. Mr. Ervin
himself grew up in the cabinet
work line having followed that
line for forty years and is well
able to turn out first class work
manship in modern built in fea
tures in homes, cabinet work and
other needs for home or business.
Petersburg is fortunate in hav
ing this new industry added to its
already growing list and it is to be
hoped that the citizens of Peters
burg will insure the success of
this new concern by giving it
hearty support.
Anchorage 'Conserves' ,
Salmon a la Hoover
With Considerable New Equipment
Placed In Northern Plants, Of
ficials Predict Total Pack of
50,000 Cases.
The salmon packing industry will
be carried on in Anchorage this
year on a much larger scale than
last year, according to an article
ii* the Anchorage Times. And as
a result the pack is expected to be
in the neighborhood of 50,000
cases.
Joseph Magill of the Alaska Gen- ■
oral Fisheries made arrangements
v hile in the states to materially
add to the plant in the way of
machinery, the new equipment in
cluding a retort, exhaust box and
iron chinks.
R. B. Mays, well known cannery
man who has spent many years
in Alaska, and who for the past
several years was in the employ of
the government as inspector of the
pack at various points along the
coast, has become associated with
the Alaska General Fisheries as
superintendent and the plant in
Anchorage will be operated under
Pis direct supervision. The new
machinery for the plant was select
ed by Mays, who arrived last week
from the south. With its installa
tion he says, the plant will have
a capacity of 20,000 cases for the
season, provided the salmon neces
sary for a pack of that size are
available.
me ciorman inciting uo. plant
which put up a pack of 23,000
cases last year, will be operated
this season as a full two-line can
nery, arrangements having been
made for additional machinery and
alterations which will considerably
increase its capacity over last sea
son.
Superintendent Samuel Asp of
the Gorman canneries, who arrived
from the south two weeks ago, an
nounces a goal of 25,000 cases for
the Anchorage plant this season.
H. J. Emard, manager of the
plant, returned from the south this
week and on the arrival of- the
new equipment from Seward, its
installation and a general renova
tion of the cannery will be im
mediately put under way.
The Gorman Packing Co. is also
making extensive improvements at
its recently acquired plant f t Drier
{jay, and that plant will be operat
ed this season as one of the most
up-to-date two line canneries ii
Alaska.—Chronicle.
INDIANS NOT ALIENS
A decision of the Supreme Court
that will be of interest to the re
sidents of Old and New Metlakatla
North American Indians to be not
aliens as the term is unuderstood.
MG LOG BOOM SAVED
AS MEN FIGHT DANGER
By pouring oil from a bucket on
a burnt-out bearing for two hours
and a half the cannery tend Yes
Bay saved a tow of several sections
of long piling worth approximately
$10,000 and probably ruined a
crank shaft worth about $1,000,
it was learned yesterday.
The pilings were being brought
from Seattle and while in Queen
Charlotte Sound it was discovered
than the bearing was burnt out. It
was either a case of casting loose
from the tow and taking the chance
of picking it up again, in order to
make port as quickly as possible,
or else stay with it.—Ex.
CANADIANS TO OPERATE HERE
Reports received here recently
state the Canadian Fish and Cold
Storage Co., of Prince Rupert, has
arranged to *bperate the Libby-Mc
Neil and Libby cold storage plant
at Taku harbor.
If the deal is brought to a close
it was pointed out, it will mark
the entrance of the first British
Columbia interests in Alaska in the
cold storage phase of the fish
business.
FIRM TO OPEN NEW CANNERY
A new cannery for Ketchikan,
operating one line of machinery,
will be busy here this year, it was
learned this week.
John Weibust and I. Iverson,
partners in a new company known
as the Independent Salmon Can
nery, have taken a lease on the
building formerly occupied by the
reduction plant and which is now
in the rear of the new Ketchikan
Iron Works location.
The ideal was consummated last
week between the salmon packers
and George Lingerfelt, who recently
acquired the property. - J
Work of outfitting the building
for canning purposes is scheduled
to begin April 17.
CANNERIES LOSING MONEA
The average profit on invest
ment in salmon canneries and
equipment was only two percent in
the past six year average, says Mr.
August Buschman. We remember
when the Alaska Packers’ Asso
ciation lost $750,000 during one
season and yet declared a dividend
of $36. per share. During the win
ter this same company declared an
extra dividend on their investment.
The Alaskan could never under
stand how these companies can op- \
orate at a loss and still declared di
vidends. We wish that they would
pass their formula along to the
resident business men so that they
too will be able to putevery thing
in the blue instead of the red be
cause of lack of earning power of
their resident trade. ,
Craig Miller, manager of the
Swift-Arthur-Crosby Company at
Warm Chuch, is another cannery
man always “losing” money. His
brother, the late Capt. Bert Miller
said, I would like to lose money
in business like my brother. He is
always losing money thru his can
nery operations, yet he has a bank
account of over $50,000 and he
started with nothing.” Bert should
know. And we might add, that
if all resident business men lost
money and made as little return
on their investment, the graduat
ed tax as presented the legislature
at Juneau would, have hard sled
ding.
INFORMATION WANTED
Information is desired of Frank
J. Krause, native of Maryland, 41
years oc age, salesman in the pro
duce business. Formerly resided
in Seattle, then Vancouver and
then ocming to Alaska. Any in
formation regarding him should
be forwared to the Governor’s Of
fice, Juneau, Alaska.
What - does the cook-book
say about making meringuesT
To the whites of eggs and sugar add
lemon juice a little~.at a time while
you beat. A matter of controll
In roasting coffee, Hills Bros, follow
a similar principle of control. Only
a jew pounds at a lime are roasted
and a delicious, uniform flavor is
tiie result
Cooking
food and roasting
coffee are closely
related
Exactness is demanded in each to pro
duce the utmost in flavor and appetizing
qualities. That is why we never roast
our famous blend of coffee in bulk. Con
trolled Roasting is the sure method—
the process originated and used exclu
sively by Hills Bros.
The enchanting aroma and ever-rel
ishable flavor of Hills Bros. Coffee prove
beyond a doubt the value of Controlled
Roasting. How well millions in the
coffee-loving West know it I Ask for
Hills Bros, by name and look for the
Arab on the can. Send for free booklet,;
“The Art of Entertaining.” Address
Hills Bros., 2 Harrison St., San Fran
cisco, Calif.
HILLS BROS COFFEE
Fresh from the
original vacuuni
pack. Easily
opened, with a key.
© 192?
Quality
and
Quantity
For less at
The
Modern Grocery
Buy at Star Bakery and Save Money
Fresh Doughnuts, Cup Cakes, 1 ookies
and Cinnamon Rolls
Always on Hand Fresh
STAR BAKERY
AMERICA FIRST arrives in Pe
tersburg Friday morning, leaving
for Juneau via Kake and way ports
about noon.
HAHOW TRANSPORTATION
COMPANY
ALASKA CAFE
George Kim, Proprietor
Meals at all Hours
Good Services, Fair Prices
We Solicit Your Trade
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::: When in Town Stop at
1 ARCTIC HOTEL
First Class Rooms
Reasonable Rates \\\
|| CARL ROGER, Pro. i
r ,
SITKA HOT SPRING
HEALTH RESORT
Rate $3.00 pet
day and up
Dr. Goddard, Pro.
j smmnnnmnnmstnmitmtntttnmttK
| Sanitary Market I
;«> A Roast you’ll like
The Very Choicest Beef i:
Mutton and Pork
ill Vegetable in Season !;
Dr. Rae L. Carlson
EYESIGHT SPECIALIST
KETCHIKAN, ALASKA
Y ou car get
the latest de
signs in
Sash, Doors
& Millwork
diiect from the
menufact »rer
at tEonej
ing prices
Write today
for FRE1it
lustratad tat
"MILLWORK SSJ
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