The . -
A. N. B, Publishing Company,
..Published every Friday by the Alaska Native Brotherhood
Publishing Company, at Petersburg, Alaska.. Entered in the Post
Office in Petersburg as Second Class Matter.
Subscription Rates:
The Alaskan, six months, $2.50
t he Alaskan, per year, $4.00 Louis F. Paul, Editor-Manager.
‘IMPRESSION ALL WRONG ‘
Among newspapers published
in the Territory of Alaska, it is
to be expected that we should
find varying shades of editorial
sentiment. Some there are with
vision enough and faith enough
to look beyond the sordidness
and pettiness of the struggle
with organized greed and aver
ice and injustice which has fac
ed each of the new territories
in turn, to a time when right
and justice and equity shall *
have been recognized and fairly
established. They hope to see
in Alaska a commonwealth of
reasonably peacable, somehow
contented, and fairly prosper
ous citizens. Others have brand
ed themselves with the mark of
Cain, and Ananias, and made
themselves the unwitting (and
witting) puppets of those who
care naught for the future of
Alaska except that they may
wring dividends from her re
sources and her people. They
use such weapons as they hold,
to betray, to brow-beat, to mur
der, for arson, and the blood of
the weak and defenseless cries
forth from the ground. And then
it seems, alas, there are some,
who, like nobody and nothing
else on -earth, they appear to
give aid and comfort to both
sides and then betray both sides.
In their editorial efforts, they
build little forts of sand and
then kick them down again.
The Seward Gateway, in a re
cent editorial under the caption
“Impression All Wrong,’’ for no
reason at all and apparently
without justification, attacks the
Alaska Indian and his econom
ic position. We have tried to
read between the lines some pos
sible excuse for the Gateway’s
attack, but finding none, we
must analyze some of the state
ments at their face value, in the
hope of placing our esteemed
contemporary again on the main
track and facing it toward
Utopia.
“Faced by cold facts,” says the
Gateway, “the Alaska Indian is
a darn sight better off than the
majority of white folk. We don’t
begrudge them this but it does
make one sick and tired to con
tinually listen to the reams of
sobs in behalf of Alaska’s “red
men.” * * * One hears of the al
leged terrible condition of the
natives in Bristol Bay and thru
out the Westward in general.
Pure bunk! Where else in this
wide world can one find a place
where they can make sufficient
of the socalled “filthy lucre” in
one or two months to suffice for
the remainder of the year?”
Where else in this wide world j
is there a people forced to exist
an entire year on two months
earnings? Once the fishing
season lasted much longer. The
reason why it does not last two
months longer now, should be
apparent to the Gateway. In the
First Division in 1930 most of the j
fish were actually caught in the j
last two weeks of the season, but
the fishermen spent other weeks,
much gasoline and grub, looking
for salmon where. there. none.
And after the. fishing season,
what can the average native doj
to make a dollar?. And for that
matter, what can the white fish
erman do to make a dollar? Once
he could get through the winter'
by trapping furs.. Now the op-i
en season is cut. (why?) to. a,
bare thirty days during the most1
inclement and severe part of the
year, and those days are set for
a time when no furbearers are
moving; and at a time when itj
is well nigh impossible to. keep
any kind of trap free of frost. .. |
“Where cannery men carry
them on their books for years,!
if need arises when fishing has
been poor.”
If they can make sufficient in
two months time to suffice for a
year, why need the cannery car- I
ry them on their books for years?
And why lias fishing been poor?
Was it the Indian with a dory
and gillnet who depleted the
salmon runs? The Indians have
always lived by fishing but the
operation of fish traps is a game
for rich companies only. The
Indian who must be carried on
books from year to year obvious
ly cannot invest twenty or thirty
thousand dollars in a trap. And
:f they could get the trap, they
would not be permitted to op
erate.. Their traps would be
found to “interfere” with cer
tain traps which for some reason
must be favored. And is it only
the Indian who suffers? Is it
only the canneryman who car
ties the Indian and white fisher
men on the books? How about
the independent merchant? If
the fisherman prospers, does he
alone prosper?
“Where employers seek them
out to give work.”
There were approximately 3,
G00 Filipinos working in and
iround Ketchikan this season
in the various canneries. They
were hired because they were
t heap. One group said they
were paid S80 and board FOR
THE SEASON. .
“Where they are paid spot
cash every night for the work
accomplished that day.”
The season closed in this Divi
sion a week ago. Many of the
•shermen and laborers are still
waiting, idle, under heavy ex
pense, for their settlements. It
has been the practice of the can
ners to delay settlement to hold
fishermen and families at the
tanneries where they are com
pelled to purchase their supplies
at the cannery store at exorbit
ant prices in competition with
local business concerns.
“Where there are no strings
attached to their money.”
Living in company cabins that
would be a disgrace in any com
munity, trading at company
stores and paying prices that
guarantee 100 per cent profit,
fishing with company boats and
company gear with shares taken
for use of those boats and at a
lesser price than paid for pri
vate gear or trap fish, and car
ried on company books from
year to year!
“Where, in case of want or
sickness, every consideration is
given them.”
We hope that may sometime
be true. We can easily cite not
a few instances where very
slight consideration or none
whatever was given.
“Where conditions are such
that natives, have,, under, the
care. of. the. canneries, been
taught to save money, to build
good homes, to live- right, and
thus find contentment and pride
in their surroundings. * * ”
. .Not. exactly, taught,, rather
l'oreed to live on less than suf
ficient to keep the body nourish
ed—they get so. little, money.
It. is our. observation that the
“good homes” are just such kind
of homes as you can expect the
families to live in who must be
carried on books from year to
year.. It is our further obser
vation that cannery life demor
alizes the Indian youth with the
scum and off-scourings from the
water fronts of the states.. The
percentage of venereal cases has
increased among the natives
with the importation of moral
and physical degenerates. It is
our certain knowledge that the
Sheldon Jackson School at Sit
ka and the Alaska Native Bro
therhood which are the agen
cies which have raised the stan
dards of living among these peo
ple and not the cannery system.
.There is more to the Gateway
editorial.. We have not quoted it
all.. We agree,, hands, down,!
that the Gateway’s impression is*
all wrong. Judas betrayed hiS|
Master for thirty pieces of silver -
and then wept bitterly. We hope
That the Gateway may repent its
error while there is yet time.
The welfare of the Territory of
Alaska is not so much involved
in the welfare of corporations
whose stockholders reside be
yond her borders and who know
little and care less about the ul
timate destiny of this Territory;
whose slogan is “Get the mon
ey.” Wring Alaska dry and turn
her people into paupers while
turning her resources into divi
dends. And what part of those
dixidends find their way over the >
cash registers of Alaska mer-!
chants? Ts it not apparent that;
the welfare of this territory is I
more directly and vitally involv
ed in the welfare of our work
ers and fishermen? Can mei*
chants thrive on customers with j
empty pockets? Can banks!
thrive where merchants must
carry their customers from year
to year on their boks? And is it
necessary to remind the Gate- ;
way, and others, that one plus j
one is two?
-x
“HATS OFF TO O’MALLEY”
Eddie Morrissey of the Ketchi
kan Chronicle says “Hats off to
O'Malley.” The operation of
the Chronicle to a point of
bankruptcy is a condition re
sultant from O’Malley’s regula
tions. Hoping to secure remun
erative reward, Eddie has kissed
O'Malley’s left foot and at the
next opportunity, he will kiss
O’Malley’s other foot.
“In Ketchikan this year it ap
pears to us that there is proof
conclusive that Mr. O’Malley’s
regulatory policies have been the
right ones.”—Chronicle.
Ed Morrison was arrested by j
a warden for illegal Ashing. One i
warden said that Morrison could j
Ash from marker to marker and
so he did. A district warden
came along and arrested Morri
son, declaring that Ashing oper
ations should be on a triangle.
Morrison wanted the case to
come to trial so the warden said
that in this event the case would
be transferred from Hydaburg
to Juneau and then to Ketchi
kan district where it belonged.
No trial till late in September.
Says the warden, “If you plead
guilty we will let you oA with a
Ane of $300, but if you Aght the
case we will postpone trial until
September.” Morrison plead
guilty.
“Hats off to O’Malley,” the
czar of Alaska who uses the dis
trict attorney and the courts of
Alaska to blackmail decent hon
! est Alaskans who are trying to
make a living without having to
be criminals.
Another boat travelling up
Chath m Straits, more than a
mile offshore from a fishing
stream, was stopped by a tool
of O Malley’s and' ordered into
Tyee where he stayed for five
days. A district warden came
along and after considerable in
vestigation, released the boat.
But the boys had lost a week’s
fishing. “Hats off to O’Malley.
At totem Bay, the warden ad
vised a crew of fishermen that
they could not fish within 60
yards of the creek markers. Hats
off to O’Malley—anything goes,
anytime, anyplace to keep the
fishermen as base slaves. Hats
foff to the Czar whose authority
supercedes that of the founda
tional principles of a democrat
ic government under which we
are supposed to be. Again we
say, “Hats off to O’Malley.”
A fisherman bought a net at
Angoon. Left it on his boat
anchored in Hootznahoo Inlet
while he went to work at, Eoods
bay. Tne warden comes along,
sees and measures net, finds it
short. Orders boat taken to
Juneau, so the crew, too lazy to
pull up anchor cut the line and
threw it overboard. Boat dam
aged $300 worth towing it to Ju
neau. Owner hears of arrest, goes
to Juneau and protests but is
told he must pay a fine of $400
but if he entered a plea of guilty
he would be let off with a fine
of $250. To save the boat and >
the heavier fine the owner took
the blackmail fine and borrowed
the money with which to' pay
the fine. “Hats off to O’Malley”
the legalized blackmailer of re
sident fishermen.
«
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. S. “Pacific" leaves Pe
ll tersburg for Port Alexander
8
| every Friday at 4 p.m.
| - Folsers Coffee -
I 1 B. Caro Company
WK^M^X**!**!*4!*X**?*tX**'1
Pool and Billiard Tables
At
BRENNAN’S
Cigars ar.d Tobaccos of all kinds
X* *X**X^*h1 •tHXMXM9M(N6N3'^ v *X*
nKjntmnaiajjmtanmajjmmmaKmmm
fj Smokers Supplies of Highest Quality.
Phone 17
B
it
THE ARCTIC CLUE !
HOME OF THE FISHERMEN
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utt: titttmtttmmtttttnnttmntmttxmnnnttt:
WE Move Anything Loose On One End
RELIABLE TRANSFER
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Phones 3 and 12
S^fcnniliii;
niiiiuiiiiiii
John R. Kolstrand
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Pe'e rsburg
Alaska
_ Y
! Alaskan Glacier Sea Food Co.
j Ohmer Will Buy Halibut For The
{ Fresh Fish Market. See Earl
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%
Halibut, Salmon,and Trout
| < *
SANITARY MARKET
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Canning
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CERTO
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for
V
SKYMAN’S My
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Northbound from Seattle
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Southbound
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m
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~~ j
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Leave Seattle SB
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Pass. & Freight to S.E. & W. Alaska
Phone 15
Petersburg, Alaska 1