ALASKA’S FISHING INDUSTRY
SHOULD NOW BE DEVELOPED
J. L. McPherson, manager of the
Alaska bureau of me Seattle Cham
ber of Commerce, has Issued the fol
lowing statement:
The great fishing industry of the
North Pacific has been conducted
along lines of economic waste that
have resulted in the use of only the
more valuable varieties of fish, in
creased cost to the consumer and no
commensurate return to the pro
ducer.
It has been shown that from one
half to two-thirds of the time of the
fishermen is wasted operating from
bases at Prince Rupert or at Puget
sound ports, while the fishing vessel
is transporting the catch to its base
of operations. With the present need
of food it would appear imperative
that we conserve the valuable time of
the fisherman and his equipment in a
more economical handling of this in
dustry. This can only be secured by
the landing of the catch at the near-}
est port to the fishing banks, where
it can be frozen or otherwise prepared ]
and transported by freight-carrying
steamshpis to a railroad terminus. Ifj
the Grand Trunk Pacific, through a I
shorter distance to the principal mar-|
kets of the East, or due to other eco-|
nomic conditions, is enabled to secure!
a greater part of the transportation j
of this industry, the only regret of
the Alaskans will be due to their pa
triotism. The Alaskan does, however,
strongly protest against any condi
tion, natural or otherwise, which may
have the effect of centering the pro
ducing part of this industry in Prince
Rupert, as such a condition can only
result in a continuation of the pres
ent wasteful method of operation; the
gradual loss of «ur principal fish in
dustry to the United States, and the
loss of an industry to Alaska that
would, if economically developed, re
sult in the building of many pros
perous fishing communities along the
coast of Alaska.
This industry is now predominat
ingly American, due to the fact that
it has been developed with bases at
San Francisco and the ports of Puget
souHd. If the present methods of op
eration are continued without restric
tion the base will shortly be Prince
Rupert, and the fleet and industry will
become Canadian, just as surely as
the Gloucester banker fleet became
Newfoundlander; the United States
will lose the only extensive fisheries
it possesses, the great need of which
is now known to our people, both as
a valuable source of food supply and
as a training ground for the seamen
which this nation will re on ire for its
navy and merchant marine.
Nature has richly endowed Alaska
with these fishing banks adjacent to
her shores, and their rational develop
-----
ment, from the standpoint of the fish- fj
ermen, the people of the United States
and of the great territory of Alaska,
requires the centering of the Industry
at the nearest ports on the coast of
Alaska to the fishing banks. This
would result In more favorable condi
tions and greater profit to the fisher
men, reduced cost to the consumer
and the building of prosperous fishing
communities along the coast of Alaska
from Ketchikan to Kotzebue, a dis
tance of more than 3,000 miles.
Alaska today presents the unique
spectacle of possessing probably the
greatest fishing resources of any coun
try, and relatively speaking, no fish
ing population. This condition is re
sulting in the greatest economic waste
and the territory of Alaska is not re
ceiving in any appreciable measure
the benefit It should from the devel
opment of its great natural resource.
Such a condition cannot fail, as it has
In the past, in arousng resentment
from all true pioneers and well wish-1
ers of the great territory of Alaska.1
It has been the earnest effort of the
Alaska bureau of the Seattle Cham-1
her of Commerce and Commercial
Club to bring about a change that
would result in the more economical!
and rational development of this in-1
dustry and build up a fishing popula-!
tion in Alaska that would assure an)
allied industrial development the1
value and extent of which would be
far-reaching. There is no condition,1
climatic or otherwise, prohibitive of!
such development. The winter cli-j
mate along the south coast of Alaskn j
is more favorable to the building of
communities than is the case alopgi
the New England coast. The average
temperature for the month of Janu
ary on the south coast of Alaska Is
the same as that of New York.
It is only natural that the true Alas
kan, with the welfare of his country
at heart, should feel resentful that
this great industry should be exploited
without rendering a commensurate re
turn to his country, and especially so
when it results in loss and waste to
both the producer and consumer. !
This feeling of resentment dates
from the early operations of the in-j
dustry from San Francisco. If this
method of operation is to continue it
is certain that the principal base will
be Prince Rupert, as it is geograph
ically favored over Puget sound ports,
as the latter were favored over San
frrancisco; and it is certain that it ■
cannot fail but be the cause of in.- I
creased resentment and friction by all Jj
Americans and Alaskans alike, as it _
will mean the ultimate loss of the in- _
dustry and fishermen to America.
But countries of the Northland are'
new and in the making. Home ties
have not been formed as they have’
in the older communities along the
North Atlantic coast, and there is
nothing to hinder the man making his
home where he does his business. In !
fact, this vdll be the tendency, due
to the close feeling of friendship be
tween the two peoples of the North
land. Conditions in this respect, as
in many others, are just the opposite ;
of those that exist on the North At- 1
lantic coast. There is not the same —
difference between the business and =
social conditions of Ketchikan and
Prince Rupert as between Truro and
Boston. Where the Canadian fisher
men of the Atlantic would under no
circumstances, due to old family ties,
move his family to Boston, the Ameri
can fisherman of the Pacific coast
would transfer his home to Prince Ru
pert without hesitation, if it became
his center, and he would not be a true
man of the North if he did otherwise,
for it is a land of giving and not tak
ing. The only reason he has not done
so is because he does not believe that
such conditions of economic waste
and national loss will be allowed to
continue.
BETTEfllHlETO
iHANDLEHLASKAPRODUCTS
Realizing the importance of getting
to the outside markets, as soon as pos
sible, fresh fish, Alaska’s federal food
administrator has taken up the matter
of a new schedule of steamers plying
the waters of Alaska, with the result
that officials of all American bottoms
have agreed to maintain a south-bound
schedule from Southeastern ports at
least every three days. Recent meet
ings have been hold in Seattle and Ta
coma by the steamship companies, and
the fishermen, all of whom expressed
a desire to work together on a
“give and take basis.”
»
«
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PAUL BLOEDHORN
PHONE 43 JEWELER AND WATCHMAKER
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Wholesale and Retail Dealers in S
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| Halibut and Other Fresh Fish of All Kinds Will Be Kept
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The Life of America
In The Future Depends Largely
Upon The Frugality Of
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We Offer You—
SECURITY
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SATISFACTION
INTEREST ON SAVINGS ACCOUNTS
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RESOURCES OVER $700,000.00
Established 1909
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Cordova Daily Times
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