LETTER TO HOOVER
To the Honorable Herbert Hoover,
Secretary of Commerce,
Washington, D. C.
In the interests of economy ami
efficiency, pledged by both Federal
and Territorial officials, we deem it
important that you, as Trustee of
our fisheries, should realize that
there is a crisis in our affairs that
calls for a plain statement of fac\s,
a declaration of rights, and an in
sistence on an adherence to funda
mental business principles in the
management of our fisheries, if we
are ever to achieve the desired re
sults.
We maintain the administrative
policy of the Bureau of Fisheries
has always been under the influ
ence of those interests which cannot,
under any interpretation, be said to
place Alaska’s welfare higher than
their own.
We maintain no attention has, or
is being paid to the basic economic
problems that vitally effect us in the
management of our fisheries; mat
ters that must be taken into con
sideration, if we are allowed to
prosper, or even exist.
Geographically and climatically, we
are so situated that profits accumu
lated from the development of our
resources tend toward upbuilding
outside communities, rather than our
own.
Any industry that can be developed
here from our natural resources, tha»
will tend to encourage local develop
ment, or permanent settlement, nr
help to protect our worthy Natives,
should be given every consideration
and fostering support.
We maintain the extent and value
of the industry, and many problems
involved, justifies executive manage
ment of the highest order and close
and harmonious co-ordination of Ter
ritorial and Cannery interests.
We hold the canneries are a vital
factor in our economic life, an <
should be, and afforded every pro
tection.
Beyond a few advantages accruing
from their short periodic operations,
we get no permanent material gain
from them.
The use of our right to cater; o ir
fish and sell them at a fair price is
the only real substantial benefit,
which we can hope to derive from
our fisheries.
By practices that are burred in
most states and enlightened coun
tries as discriminatory and destruc
tive, the Bureau of Fisheries in
practice permits a favored few to
nullify their every constructive ef
fort, usurp our rights and impover
ish our people.
According to latest available re
ports of the Bureau of Fisheries,
about 70 per cent of the salmon
canned during the year 1923 were
caught in traps, mostly owned an i
operated by flitting, outside corpo
rate interests. As if that is not
enough, we are defamed through the
land by these same favored inter
ests, as a lawless bunch of “fish
pirates” through their operation.
Aside from the apparent inequali
ties and injustices imposed on us
by such unfair practices, the far
reaching results are not realized un
til we are confronted with domestic
problems like the caring for our im
poverished aged, and many other
matters that need not be mentioned
here.
We re-affirm our light to an in
telligent, efficient, and constructive
management of our fisheries, in
which we pledge our earnest co-op
eration.
Therefore, we conclude that there
must be a reorganization of the Bu
reau of Fisheries so far as it re
lates to their work in Alaska, to the
end that their work be conducted
in a manner which will be conducive
to a scientific solution of the fishery
problem, whereby the people of Alas
ka may receive their just share of
the benefits which may be deriv-1
from this great industry.
Respectfully,
C. B. FERGUSON,
Craig, Alaska.
OLD AGE PENSIONS
House Bill No. 06.
So much has been said about the
Old Age Pension Law passed by the
last Legislature that we are cor.'
strained to report the exact amend
ments offered, those who are respon
sible for the same, and the expla
nation of its effect.
There were three amendments
adopted by the Legislature: The first
one was introduced by Representa
tive Moody of Fairbanks; the second
one by Mr. Paul of Ketchikan; the
third one by Mr. Jensen of Nome.
Mr. Moody’s amendment reads as
follows:
“Section 1. Any resident of Alaska
who is a citizen of the United States
and who has attained the age >f
sixty-five (65) years or, if a woman,
the age of sixty (60) years, and
who shall have resided in Alaska
for fifteen (15) consecutive years or
more immediately prior to making
application for receiving the bene
fits of this sort and is entitled to
the benefits of the Alaska Pioneers’
Home, may, in lieu of an applica
tion to be received and cared for at
such home, make an application to
the Board of Trustees of said Alaska
Pioneers’ Home in the manner pre
scribed in this act for an allowance
to be paid out of money appropriated
by the Territorial Legislature for
this purpose, and thereupon said
board shall investigate the case of
such applicant, and if they find that
his or her case is worthy and that
lie or she is in actual need of such
allowance, the said trustees shall en
roll him or her as a beneficiary un
der this Act and issue a certificate
accordingly, which shall not be trans
ferable or descendible, and in con
formity therewith an allowance shall
be paid for his or her use, as pro
vided in Sections 3 and 4 of this
Act, out of the appropriation for al
lowances to aged pioneers; Provided,
that if any person given an allow
ance under the provisions of this
Act shall be admitted to the Alaska
Pioneers’ Home any allowance grant
ed hereunder shall be suspended dur
ing the time such person shall be an
inmate of the Home, and any in
mate of the Home who is eligible
to receive an allowance under the
provisions of this Act may at any
time make application for such al
lowance in lieu of the support and
maintenance provided for him in such
Home.”
The original amendment intro
duced by Mr. Moody, had this
provision: “That any resident of
Alaska who has attained the age of
sixty-five (65) years or, if a
woman, the age of sixty (60) years,
and who shall have resided in Alaska
prior to January 1, 1906, may make
an application to the Board of Trus
tees of the said Alaska Pioneers’
Home for an allowance,” etc.
The effect of this amendment,
would have been to make the Terri
tory the Treasurer of the Alaska
Pioneers’ Society, for under its terms
only those persons eligible for mem
bership in the order of Pioneers of
Alaska would be eligible for a pen
sion. It was introduced by Mr.
Moody during one of the sober pe
riods that occasional afflicted this
patriot from the land of the mid
night sun. This amendment was re
ported favorably by the Judiciary
Committee, of which Joseph H. Mur
ray of McCarthy was Chairman.
This Committee, however, inserted
the following clause: “Who is a citi
zen of the United States and.” This
clause was the only change which
was finally endorsed by the Legis
lature.
Section 2. The said amendment
introduced by Mr. Paul, of Ketchi
kan, reads as follows:
“If the funds provided by the
Legislature shall be exhausted, the
Territorial Treasurer shall issue
warrants to the beneficiary in place
of drafts, which warrants shall be
an obligation of the Territory of
Alaska, payable out of the funds of
the Territory as soon as made avail
able by an Act of the Legislature.”
The purpose of this amendment
was to prevent the hardship placed
upon the aged pioneers under the
law of 1923. You will remember
that the pensions given to the pio
neers were greatly reduced during
the year 1924 because the Legisla