THE ALASKA FISHERMAN
Published the 15th oi each month at Ketchikan, Alaska
WILLIAM L. PAUL, ATTORNEY FOR THE
ALASKA NATIVE BROTHERHOOD
Entered as second • class matter at the Post Olticc at
KETCHIKAN, ALASKA
'.UBSCRPTION PRICE $2.00 FOP. TWELVE ISSUES
OUli PLATFORM:
ALASKA FOR ALASKANS.
FULL TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT.
ABOLISHMENT OF ALL TRAPS.
COMPETENT CHRISTIAN CITIZENSHIP.
TIDE LAND TITLES
Judge E. Coke Hill has just decided the tide
land case arising in Ketchikan against the claim
of Jennie Lynch, She took possession of a vacant
lot on the west side of Stedman Street next to the
Salvaion Army Building and made preparations
io build a house thereon. The United States Dis
trict Attorney brought a suit to eject her from the
property in the name of the United States. She
set up a claim to the tide land lot both as a Ket
chikan Indian and as a citizen of the United
States.
Judge Hill held that the Order of Reservation
made by the Secretary of the interior in 1905 set
ting aside the Ketchikan tide lands for a place for
the Indians to land thejr boats was void, because
the Act of Congress under which it was made did
not apply to tide lands. And he further held that
Jennie Lynch was not entitled to settle on the tide
lands because they arc covered by the high tides
and are therefore a part of the navigable waters
of Tongass Narrows, and cannot be lawfully occu
pied by any person without the affirmative auth
ority of some Act of Congress. He held further
that there is no such act of Congress permitting
such accupancy by a citizen of the United States
and decided that she was a trespasser and order
ed her removed from the lot. He overruled a. con
trary decision by Judge Jennings in a Juneau tide
land case.
if that is the law, it seems to follow that ev
ery building on Ketchikan tide lands is an illegal
structure and may be removed at the suit of the
United States District Attorney. We hope the case
may be appealed, and reversed, and the possessory
rights on. the Ketchikan tide lands may be held to
be lawful, and the possessory title held good.
DECLINE OF HALIBUT FISHERIES SERIOUS
The average catch in pounds per skate is
shown for each year, and in the graph is indicat
ed on the left side.
The catch per skate is shown to have fallen
for the Portlock Bank region (areas 24-26) from
106 in 1926 to 83 in 1927, and to 73 in 1928. Some
what similar declines are shown for all areas
north and west of Dixon Entrance except the
Yakutat region which for 1927 happened to be
higher than for 1926. This could be fairly assign
ed to accidental variation in the fishery, and not
to the abundance of fish; as in the succeeding
year, 1928, the returns showed that the decline
had been as fast there as anywhere.
The condition on the western banks could not
he worse. The decline is a continuation of one
that began before 1923 and cannot be misunder
stood. It may be that a few very skillful captains
have held up their catch by a steadily increasing
knowledge of western grounds, but even a casual
inspection of the records will show that this is
not true of the great majority. There has been a
great and ominous fall in abundance.—Pacific
Fisherman.
DEPLETION EVERYWHERE—FISHERIES AND
POPULATION
The cry of warning has been sounded by this
publication for several years that the rapid rate
of depletion of the fisheries industry would become
a serious problem in a few years. For which rea
son we were called “that radical sheet.”
Now that conservative Canners’ organ The
Pacific Fisherman says: “It would seem from the
decline shown, that no time should be lost in tak
ing effective steps toward conservation. Unless
such is done, the present course of events will
make the present recommendations of the Hali
but Commission inadequate.”
With the decline of this fisheries and restrict
ive regulations by the Halibut Commission, we are
led to say “We told you” for the decline in that
fisheries is undeniable and with its decline and
stricter regulation, will come "dded decline of the
resident population.
THE HERRING FISHERY
The Alaska cured herring in Chatham Straits
and the Kodiak areas has been a complete failure.
The herring fit for curing is almost a curios
ity in these waters. Last year George Rounsfell,
Jr,, in Tlie Pacific Fisherman vindicated this pub
lication in its charge that the herring fisheries