FROM COPPER RIVER
Mr. Dan Sutherland,
Washington, D. C.
We the undersigned natives of
Prince William Sound, Cordova, Al
aska, wish to enter a protest against
the actions of the fish traps in the
district.
Before the fish traps started op
erating in the district it was no
trouble for us to go out any day in
the year and catch what halibut and
codfish we needed. But now we go
out for days and sometimes as long
as a week and never get more than
one or two halibut and very few
codfish.
Some of the fish traps up here
at times catch just as many cod
fish and halibut as they do salmon.
Those fish are bailed from the trap
into the tender or scow, salmon,
halibut, codfish and all, and conse
quently during the seven years that
fish traps have been operating here,
they have practically killed off the
halibut.
The companies here either don’t
care or don’t stop to consider that
fish is the principal part of a na
tive’s good.
Now they are proposing a law
doing away with all stake net fish
ing on Copper River. That means
that we will be deprived of making
a living at red salmon fishing, as
we have no money to buy boats for
drift net fishing, and during the
humpback season the fish traps can
catch all the fish that the canner
ies can handle, so we stand no show
of making a living at humpback,
either.
If the traps are permitted to op
erate in the future, as in the pa-4,
and the new regulation on Copper
River Flats goes into effect, there
will be no chance for a poor man to
make a living at fishing any more.
We the undersigned submit this
to you for your consideration.
Signed,
Forty-eight Natives of
Copper River, Alaska
Dee. 19th, 1924.
Hon. Henry O’Malley,
U. S. Commissioner of Fisheries,
Washington, D. C.
Dear Mr. O’Malley:—
I herewith transmit to you a res
olution signed by 48 natives, fisher
men of Prince William Sound, Al
aska, in which they protest against
the provision in the fishery regula
tions for the season of 192o, which
forbids the use of staked nets at the
mouth of the Copper River, but per
mits the destructive fish imps to
operate in the Sound.
I feel that this feature of the reg
ulations is unjust and discriminat
ing against the people who have
signed this resolution, inasmuch as
it eliminates one variety of fishing
gear and permits the other more ef
ficient and, as these petitioners re
present, more destructive form to
continue in operation.
These native people represent that
they have no money with which to
purchase boats for drift net fishing,
which is permitted under the regula
tions. The class of boats required
for drift net fishing at the mouth of
Copper River is quite expensive, and
it would be very difficult for the
average staked net fisherman to se
cure such a boat on the short notice
given of change in regulations.
The point that should receive ’he
most serious consideration of the
Department is that the pit/full
primitive fixed gear of the native
fishermen is eliminated in tire in
terest of fish conservation, wad 3
the more efficient and much more
destructive appliance is permitted
to operate.
I believe I am quite safe in ’ h*
assertion that one successful fish
trap in Prince William Sound will
take more fish than all the stake
nets operated by the natives in those
waters, and that this single trap
will and does destroy more fish
than all the staked nets in the Ter
ritorial waters.
To permit fixed gear to operate
on an extensive scale in one section
of Prince William Sound, and elim
inate that operated on a much small -
er scale in another section is cer
tainly not equitable regulation of
fishery, particularly when they botii
(-pci ate on the same run of fish.
The proper method of regulation
would be to compel all fishermen in
Prince William Sound to use only
portable gear which would place
them all on an equality, but if your
Department is not disposed to do
this, it should certainly make some
effort to equalize the fixed gear so
that the burden of conservation will
not be borne by one class, and that
class the one least able to bear it.
I trust that you may see your
way clear to curtail fixed trap fish
ing in just proportion to curtail
ment of fixed net fishing. If con
ditions warrant the abolishment of
the natives’ puny fixed engine, they
more certainly warrant the abolish
ment of the large operators’ destruc
tive and
fishing
monopolistic method of
Sincerely yours,
DAN SUTHERLAND,
Delegate to Alaska,
-+
TWO BIG PERSONALITIES
GET ACOUAINTED
John Aasen, the “tallest man in
the world,” arrived in Oakland, Cal
ifornia, the other day, and called at
the Tribune office, where he was
photographed while operating a Lino
type. It was necessary for John to
sit on a high stool, as an ordinary
operator’s chair his knees would
be in the way of the machine.
Aasen is twenty-four years old.
height eight feet, nine and a quartet
inches, weight five hundred and
three pounds, and measures five feet
and one inch around the chest. He
attributes his huge size to heredity.
The average person is a Liliputian
compared to him. He was born in
Norway. His father was seven feet,
six inches in height, while his mo
ther stood six feet, five inches. His
grandfather, who was on exhibition
at the world’s fair in Chicago as the
tallest man in the world at that
time, was eight feet, seven and a
half inches. He is still living, and
eighty-four years old, defying the
supposition that tall people have
short lives.
Being large has its disadvantages-,
according to Aasen, who has to have
all his clothes specially made. He
wears an eight and a quarter size
hat, and size twenty shoes. Women’s
stockings, size ten and a half, which
he wears, come only half way to his
knees. Barbers are compelled to
stand on stools when cutting hi <
hair.
What a Difference—A worthy mis
sionary in India had the hymn “Rock
of Ages” translated into Hindustani.
On retranslation into English by a
student, the first two lines bore this
inspiring and illuminating aspect:
“Very old stone, split for my benefit,
Let me absent myself under your
fragments.”—New York Times.
FOREST J. HUNT
Kodak Store
The Fair
KODAK SUPPLIES
BOOKS
STATIONARY
PERIODICALS, NOTIONS
TOBACCOS, ETC.
Complete Stock
NOTIONS and TOYS
KITCHEN UTENSILS
CUTLERY, ETC.
PICTURE FRAMING
DEVELOPING AND PRINTING PROMPTLY AND
PROPERLY DONE.
KETCHIKAN,
ALASKA