bill would cost the territory too much money. Yet
we heard nothing about this sudden money short
age when the pensions for the pioneers were doubt
ed; nor when the bounty on eagles was raised to $1
each at the request of a few fox farmers and we
saw these men increase the appropriations of fed
eral officials by thousands of dollars without a
thought of where the money would come from;
and saw some of these economical five asked for
$40,000. in which to safely keep dead men's bones;
and for $2400. to pay a man to guard the same
hones; during all this time, they cared little $ or the
fact that men were being killed, bodies maimed,
and wounds endured without even a fair provision
whereby these wounded employees or bereaved wid
ows might get the compensation which the law
said was theirs. We have said nothing about. Sen
ators Dimond and Chamberlain because it was well
known that they would oppose the bill. Jt is
hardly likely that men coming from the Third Div
ision will ever support a piece of legislation that
has for its chief purpose the relief of the common
workingman.
The general standard of both the Senate and the
House was very high. We do not know when it
will again reach the same height of progressive
ness, perhaps not for many years. The peonle of
Nome by sending a man here who talked like a
pi ogressive but voted with the reactionaries have
bc.ck the cause of the laboring man many years
HEP. W. D. GHANT
We cast about for a suitable head
ing for the subject of fisheries legis
lation and consider that nothing better
will be found that the title “Repre
sentative W. D. Grant.” This little,
fiery eyed, blue eyed man, that looks
you squarely in the eye and jabs his
finger continuously and nervously as
he talks accomplished the greatest
piece of legislation of the recent ses
sion when tested by the test of time.
Fisheries is the all important industry
of Alaska. It lis the industry that
ha? made possible all the development
that has come. In days gone by, the
prospector secured his “stake” by fish
ing. With the depletion of the fish
eries has come the cessation or dim
inution of prospecting.
All untrammeled observers, we mean
real observers, not the kind that trav
el about on cannery boats or fine gas
propelled cruisers of the Bureau of
Fisheries, or that sit in swivel chairs
at Washington 4000 mles away, know
that the fish trap is the root of all
evil.
Mr. Hoover invited this legislature
to present a fair law to regulate the
fisheries whereupon, he says, he will
rescind the orders creating reserva
tions. Mr. Grant took him at his
word and introduced a complete bill
dealing with this subject. In our opin
ion, it is the best and most favorable
bill that we can secure from Congress.
It is not just what we want. But we
are human enough to be inconsistent
and say “Let us get what we can get.”
There are only two sections that vi
tally affect the fishing population.
They are sections 7 and 8. We will
quote them in full and let our readers
do their own explaining.
Secton 7: That it shall be unlaw
ful to drive, construct, set or fish with
any fixed or floating trap, weir or
pound net in any bay, inlet or estuary
in Alaska, the width of which at its
entrance Is three miles or less, or
within any channel or passage connect
ing larger bodies of water where the
width of such channel or passage is
three miles or less, or within one mile
of the entrance to any bay, inlet or
estuary, which (is two miles or less in
width at its entrance, or within one
mile cf the mouth of any stream into
which salmon are accustomed to run.
Section 8: That no exclusive or
several right 0f fishery shall be recog
• zed or granted in the Territorial wa
ters of Alaska by the Alaska Terri
torial Legislature or by the Alaska
Fish Commission or by any other con
stituted authority except the United
States Congress. * * * That it shall
be the duty of the Alaska Fish Com
misii on to cause to be renewed or
abated any fixed or portable fishing
appliances which in its use operates
a, an exclusive right within the area
of its operation or which as such op
erates as an interference with the
public right of fisheries within such
at lease 200 qualified electors of the
areas; and that upon the petition of
Territory of Alaska the Alaska Fish
C ommission shall, and in other cases
may, hold hearings to determine whe
ther any particular fi.-hing appliance
at any particular place operates in
practice as such exclusive right or as
such interferes with the public right
of fisheries. * * *
SNAPSHOTS
Sen. Chamberlain and Sen. Brown
only voted on the same side of a
question but once (except on formal
motions.). The motion was on the
fisherman's labor tax. Chamberlain
felt that it would be too great a bur
den on the tax collectors. Brown
felt that it was too great a burden
on the fishermen.
* * * * * *
On the road bill, it was Wilson
versus Daly; Territorial control ver
sus appointed officials. Daly won
out. We have wondered what his
reward will be. Is it agent for the
Alaska Steamship Company at Nome?
“The Literacy Bill.”—Those who
sponsored this Bill should have kept
the Alaska Steamship Co. and the
Fish Trust in the rear ranks.
* sjc ifc
Rep. Keyes said he didn’t see a
single lobbyist in Juneau, only that
he met fine gentlemen who were
very kind and ready to give him ad
vice as to how to vote.
Sen. Ayer voted to keep the tax
on mine profits at 1 per cent and
when the higher tax was adopted, he
tried to change his vote for the rec
ord. We have wondered why.
Callahan some called a “rounder”,
hut the “lobsterists” that dear old
Keyes couldn’t see, o'ave Dan a wide
birth.
“The price he pal’d.”—Chamberlain
is to collect the taxes to the westward.
%
The Ship Subsidy Bill for the Sec
ond Division was put “through” by
Decker, Wilson and Brown.
>*: 5$: :fc *(;
Senator Chamberlain intends to
run for reelection, but not until he
collects those taxes.