FATHER ENDAL URGES HIRING CHANSE8
Father Endnl was in Anchorage the se-i
cond week of June-taIking to civic groups
in his endless endeavor to assist the*
native population maintain their rights
as fishermen and cannery employees.
Unless canneries which plan fishing
and canning operations in Bristol Bay
this summer can be persuaded to change
their hiring policies at once many resi
dent Alaskans of the area. will be facing
economic disaster, he told them.
He said that of the approximately 1100
fishermen and t>00 cannery v/orlcers~iu>Q
to operate the 7 •• b canneries
open the season June «;5. only about t>0d
resident A laskane have prospects of env»
ploymentj whereas there are arounu 1500
able bodied employable men in the area. -
many of whom have fished or worked in oerv
neries all of their lives* He predicted
that there would be at least 400 fewer
men (loeal) at work as fishermen and
cannery workers than a year ago* "We carw
not wait until fall for relief* the sit
uation is acute right now andwill be
drastic in most areas before- the summer
is half gone". Fr. Endal said*
He also said that the recently an
nounced consolidation of operations on
Bristol Bay by members of the ASX threat^
ens even further economic hardships on the
native population. In most instances where
the number of employes is being reduced by
the consolidation, it is chidfly the re
sidents who are being dropped. He thought
that purchase of l,ip<vjpandentw fish by.
Bristol Bay salmon packers would go a
long way towardrea.sing tno plight of nat
ive fishermen in this area# (Independent
fish are those caught by fishermen using
their own gear and sold to tho packersoj
But# in relation tte this# Father Enial
said he spoke to Winn BrincUe, preei&snt:
of the AS I a nd in charge of the operv=
ations encompassing cann'erios in the
Naknek-Kvichek River area# who said hfr
definitely did not intend to purchases
fish from independent fishermen.'
The packers* position is that, with
a definite quota of boats allowed in an
area# they would stand to lose fish by
firing residents, whom they consider
,1©£S shilled fishermen than those hired
'from fishing ports Outside.
Father dndal indicated approval of
the suggestion announced by Territorial
Highway Engineer Irving Reed (a recent
visitor to Dillingham) that $25,000 in
relief money should be heldin reserve fe
purchase of food rather than being usee,
in road projects# adding that this amt.
would be “only a drop** compared with
what will be needed unless residents am
givenwork.
Fr. Endal believes the long-range am
wer to the problem is not relief or w\vL
projects# but an executive order estab
lishing “preferential fishing and hir
ing of residents” on emergency basis# to
be followed by Congressional action
granting prior rights to residents.
>resent, the White Aot prohibits
disor^rination in the hiring of fisher
men and other workers in Alaska.
DID DAD GET A SURPRISE ON HIS DAT?
AFTER
AUGUST TENTH
SO
WATCH YOUR CALENDAR
Looated f.n Dormtawn Dillingham